The Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional body

Professional body

A professional association is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest.The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a...

 for architects in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name.

The institute consists of 9000 members across Australia and overseas. It was formed in 1930, when state architectural institutes combined to form a unified national association. A chapter is maintained in each state, though full federation did not come about immediately, with some states resolutely maintaining their independence. The RVIA was the last to join, in 1968. The AIA is represented on many national and state industry and government bodies, and is affiliated with the International Union of Architects

International Union of Architects

The International Union of Architects is an international non-governmental organization that represents over a million architects in 124 countries. The UIA was founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1948. The General Secretariat is located in Paris...

 (UIA).

Gold Medal

The RAIA Gold Medal

Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal

The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Australian Institute of Architects awarded annually since 1960. The award was created to recognise distinguished service by Australian architects who have:* designed or executed buildings of high merit;...

 is the highest award of the Australian Institute of Architects awarded annually since 1960.

AIA National Architecture Awards

The AIA National Architecture Awards are presented since 1981. In 2009 the National Architecture Awards or Commendations were:

• Public Architecture
  • The Sir Zelman Cowen
    Zelman Cowen
    Sir Zelman Cowen, was the 19th Governor-General of Australia. He is currently the oldest living former Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
    
     Award for Public Architecture
  • National Award for Public Architecture
  • National Commendation for Public Architecture

• Residential Architecture - Houses
  • The Robin Boyd Award
    Robin Boyd Award
    The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture is an Australian architectural prize presented by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981....
    
     for Residential Architecture - Houses
  • National Architecture Award for Residential Architecture – Houses
  • National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses

• Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
  • The Frederick Romberg
    Frederick Romberg
    Frederick Romberg, , born on June 21, 1913 in Tsingtao, China, is a Swiss-trained architect who migrated to Australia in 1938....
    
     Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing
  • National Architecture Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
  • National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

• Commercial Architecture
  • The Harry Seidler
    Harry Seidler
    Harry Seidler, AC OBE was an Austrian-born Australian architect who is considered to be one of the leading exponents of Modernism's methodology in Australia and the first architect to fully express the principles of the Bauhaus in Australia.Harry Seidler designed more than 180 buildings and he...
    
     Award for Commercial Architecture
  • National Award for Commercial Architecture
  • National Commendation for Commercial Architecture

• International Architecture
  • The Jørn Utzon
    Jørn Utzon
    Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
    
     Award for International Architecture
  • Award for International Architecture

• Sustainable Architecture
  • National Award for Sustainable Architecture
  • National Commendation for Sustainable Architecture

• Heritage Architecture
  • The Lachlan Macquarie
    Lachlan Macquarie
    Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
    
     Award for Heritage
  • National Award for Heritage

• Urban Design
  • The Walter Burley Griffin
    Walter Burley Griffin
    Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
    
     Award for Urban Design
  • National Architecture Award for Urban Design
  • National Commendation for Urban Design

• Small Project Architecture
  • National Award for Small Project Architecture

• Interior Architecture
  • The Emil Sodersten
    Emil Sodersten
    Emil Lawrence Sodersten was an Australian architect active in the second quarter of the 20th century. His work encompassed the Australian architectural styles of Art Deco and Functionalist & Moderne. His deign for the Australian War Memorial was "the first national architectural monument in...
    
     Award for Interior Architecture
  • National Award for Interior Architecture
  • National Commendation for Interior Architecture

• National 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture

• Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture

Each of the state chapters also presents awards. In 2006 the chapter award categories were:

Australian Capital Territory

• ACT Chapter Medallion - Residential Award
• Art & Architecture Award
• Sustainable Architecture Award
• Heritage Award
• Bluescope Steel Award
• Mervin Willoughby Thomas Renovation Award

New South Wales

• Sir John Sulman Medal
  Sir John Sulman Medal
  The Sir John Sulman Medal is a New South Wales architectural prize presented by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1932....
  
   for Public Architecture
• Lloyd Rees
  Lloyd Rees
  Lloyd Frederic Rees AC CMG was an Australian landscape painter who twice won the Wynne Prize for his landscape paintings....
  
   Award for Urban Design
• Commercial Architecture Award
• Milo Dunphy Award for Sustainable Architecture
• Interior Architecture
• Small Project Architecture
• Wilkinson Award
  Wilkinson Award
  The Wilkinson Award is an Australian architectural prize presented by the Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1961....
  
   for Residential Architecture
• Residential Architecture / Alterations and Additions
• Aaron Bolot
  Aaron Bolot
  Aaron M. Bolot was a Crimean architect. An emigrant to Australia, Bolot contributed to and designed a number of historically significant buildings, including the Flats at Potts Point, registered with the Register of the National Estate for, among other things, its significance in the history of...
  
   Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
• Blacket
  Edmund Blacket
  Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
  
   Prize
• Colorbond Steel Award
• 25 Year Award
• Premier’s Prize
• President’s Prize
• Marion Mahony Griffin
  Marion Mahony Griffin
  Marion Griffin was an American architect and artist. She was one of the first licenced female architects in the world, and is considered an original member of the Prairie School.-Biography:...
  
   Prize

Queensland

• 25 Year Architecture Award
• Urban Design Award
• Conservation Award
• Best Lighting Presentations
• Harry Marks
  Harry Marks
  Harry Hananel Marks was a British politician and journalist, who founded the Financial News in 1884.-Early life:Harry Marks was born in London on 9 April 1855, a younger child of David Woolf Marks and his wife Cecilia...
  
   Sustainable Architecture Award
• Residential Architecture Alterations and Additions Award
• Residential Architecture Individual Residential Award
• Residential Architecture Multi Residential Award
• Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture
• Art & Architecture Award
• Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Building Architecture
• Interior Award
• Public Buildings Architecture Award
• FDG Stanley Award for Public Buildings Architecture

South Australia

• Sir James Irwin Chapter President's Medal
• Colorbond Steel Award
• New Building Award
• Collaborative Design Award
• Commercial Award
• Interior Architecture Award
• Heritage Award
• Urban Design Award
• Sustainable Architecture Award
• Residential Award
• Archicentre Renovations Award
• Australian Steel Institute Award

Victoria

• Victorian Architecture Medal
• Sir Osborn McCutcheon
  Bates Smart
  Bates Smart is Australia's second oldest architectural firm, established in 1853 by Joseph Reed as the practice Reed and Barnes. JPE Design Studio in Adelaide founded in 1851 by Daniel Garlick is the oldest continuing architectural practice in Australia....
  
   Award for Commercial Architecture
• John George Knight
  John George Knight
  John George Knight , was an architect and administrator of the Northern Territory, Australia.-Early life:John George Knight was born in London the son of John Knight, a stone and marble merchant...
  
   Award for Heritage Architecture
• William Wardell
  William Wardell
  William Wilkinson Wardell was a Civil Engineer and Architect, notable not only for his work in Australia, the country to which he emigrated in 1858, but also for having a successful career as a surveyor, and an ecclesiastical architect in England and Scotland before his departure.In Australia,...
  
   Award for Institutional Architecture
• Marion Mahony
  Marion Mahony Griffin
  Marion Griffin was an American architect and artist. She was one of the first licenced female architects in the world, and is considered an original member of the Prairie School.-Biography:...
  
   Award for Interior Architecture
• Harold Desbrowe-Annear
  Harold Desbrowe-Annear
  Harold Desbrowe-Annear was an influential Australian architect who was at the forefront of the development of the Arts and Crafts movement in this country. During the 1890s he was an Instructor in architecture at the Working Men’s College where he founded the T-Square in 1900...
  
   Award for Residential Architecture
• Sustainable Architecture Award
• Joseph Reed
  Joseph Reed (architect)
  Joseph Reed , a Cornishman by birth, was probably the most influential Victorian era architect in Melbourne, Australia. He established a practice, Reed and Barnes in Melbourne in 1852. The practice now known as Bates Smart is one of the oldest continually operating in the world.Reed's buildings...
  
   Award for Urban Design
• President's Prize for the Hall of Fame
• Colorbond Steel Award
• 25 Year Award
• Bates Smart
  Bates Smart
  Bates Smart is Australia's second oldest architectural firm, established in 1853 by Joseph Reed as the practice Reed and Barnes. JPE Design Studio in Adelaide founded in 1851 by Daniel Garlick is the oldest continuing architectural practice in Australia....
  
   Award for Architecture in the Media

Western Australia

• George Temple-Poole
  George Temple-Poole
  George Thomas Temple-Poole was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1886....
  
  Award
• Department of Housing & Works Award for Public/Institutional Works
• Single Residential Award
• Alterations & Additions Award
• Duplex/Triplex and Multiple Residential Award
• Civic Design Award
• Heritage Council Conservation Award
• Commercial Award
• Interior Architecture Award
• Ecologically Sustainable Development Award
• Archicentre Award
• Colorbond Steel Award
• Lighting Award