South Dakota architecture firms captured two American Institute of Architects (AIA) South Dakota Honor Awards and three Merit Awards Wednesday evening during the 2026 Celebration of Architecture and Design Awards Ceremony kicking off this week’s AIA South Dakota annual conference.
Two Honor Awards — AIA South Dakota’s top award — went to CO-OP Architecture, of Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Rapid City, two Merit Awards were presented to Koch Hazard Architects of Sioux Falls and one Merit Award went to EAPC Architects Engineers of Sioux Falls.
Architect of record CO-OP Architecture, with design architect Anderson Mason Dale Architects, won an Honor Award in the Architecture-Large Project category for its design of Northern State University’s Business & Health Innovation Center, which occupies the northeast corner of the Aberdeen school’s historic quad.
“Through careful, iterative design, the project responsibly stewarded public funds to support important educational and community uses while creating a thoughtful, respectful intervention on a significant campus site,” the jury said.
CO-OP Architecture also won an Honor Award in the Best Moment category for its renovation of the H.P. Gerber Building at Northern State University, reversing 120 years of enclosure by removing a bearing wall, cutting the floor and inserting an entry-facing stair.
“Through selective demolition and an artful series of connected, spatially strategic, and playful interventions, the design transforms the whole building with a respectful and compelling contrast between old and new,” the jury said.
Koch Hazard Architects of Sioux Falls won a Merit Award in the Architecture-Small Project category for its restoration of a century-old building at 100 S. Grange Ave. in Sioux Falls, transforming a declining former neighborhood grocery store into a vibrant neighborhood bistro and commercial kitchen with law offices above.
“The submission clearly presented the entire project, from its architectural, preservation, and community goals to its technical, experiential, and functional achievement of those goals,” the jury said. “The design beautifully preserves built history, and the project restores a small business use that makes it a living neighborhood asset.”
Koch Hazard Architects also won a Merit Award in the Architecture-Small Project category for its addition and renovation project at the circa-1887 Illinois Central Depot, the riverfront home of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.
“The modifications to this historic building are distinct but complementary,” the jury said. “The materials and detailing are refined. The formal and spatial interventions are clear and consistent. Preservation is sustained through conscientious adaptation.”
EAPC Architects Engineers of Sioux Falls, in collaboration with Perkins&Will, won a Merit Award in the Best Moment category for its creation of the First Bank & Trust Arena Legacy Wall, which repurposes the original Frost Arena basketball court into a design element that preserves South Dakota State University’s history, authenticity and pride.
“The use of the salvaged gym floor is an integrated and impactful design move that elevates the project,” the jury said. “It provides a unifying element that organizes and grounds the experience of the building, bringing warmth, history, and a sense of storytelling to the spaces.”
The juror panel for the 2026 AIA SD Design Awards was led by Anne Marie Duvall Decker, FAIA, a founding principal of Jackson, Mississippi-based Duvall Decker, winner of the 2026 AIA Architecture Firm Award. Also serving as jurors were Shannon Gathings, AIA, NOMA, of Duvall Decker, a leader in and out of the studio and a skilled project manager and designer, and Jennifer Charzewski, AIA, LEED AP, a principal at Liollio Architecture, an award-winning design studio celebrating nearly 70 years of practice in Charleston, South Carolina.
AIA SD also recognized four individuals with its 2026 nominated awards:
- Mike Cooper, the former city of Sioux Falls planning director, was named the 2026 AIA SD Champion of Architecture, an award selected by the organization’s past presidents. Cooper joined the city in 1986 as a senior planner and took on leadership roles in the Planning and Parks & Recreation departments, retiring after nearly 33 years of service. He was instrumental in completing a number of projects.
- Mark Aspaas, AIA Emeritus, who recently retired as a principal with Architecture Incorporated in Sioux Falls, was recognized with the 2026 AIA SD Legacy Award. Aspaas served in several leadership roles for AIA South Dakota, including AIA SD President in 1987, and served three terms on the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions. He also served as an NCARB national board director.
- Josh Muckenhirn, AIA, with ISG in Sioux Falls, was recognized with the 2026 AIA SD Young Architect Award. Muckenhirn is an AIA SD board member, chairs the AIA SD Communication Committee and is active in the Greater Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and other organizations.
- Trevor VanConant, Assoc. AIA, a project manager with CO-OP Architecture in Sioux Falls, was recognized with the 2026 AIA SD Associate Award. VanConant has served more than a dozen years in the industry and volunteers on the Southeast Tech Architectural Engineering Technology Academic Advisory Board.
AIA SD President Justin Oleson, AIA, presented President’s Awards to AIA SD Immediate Past President Jeff Nelson, AIA, and longtime member and former AIA SD President Keith Neuharth, AIA.
