MINNEAPOLIS, June 30, 2023—Ellie Ziaie, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a senior associate with BKV Group, is the 2023 AIA Minnesota Next Gen Award recipient.

The Next Gen Award is given to recent graduates of an accredited NAAB architecture program who have demonstrated early leadership potential or exceptional service to the AIA, the architecture profession, or the community at large.

The awards jury marveled at Ziaie’s deep project experience for a young practitioner and the many examples of her drive to bring design services to communities and organizations that might not otherwise have access to them. In 2017, Ziaie cofounded BKV Workshop, a design outreach effort that supports local, national, and global communities through projects that benefit the public good.

“Over the years, I have seen many . . . excel in various ways as students and as professionals,” wrote nominator Thomas Fisher, Assoc. AIA, director of the Minnesota Design Center, “but I can think of very few who have done as much as Ellie Ziaie to volunteer in so many academic, professional, and community efforts and to participate in so many local and national leadership and mentoring programs.”

The AIA Minnesota Next Gen Award jury included representatives from AIA Minnesota committees and award winners Adam Ariano, AIA, Nicole Bauknight, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, Simona Fischer, AIA, Todd Grover, FAIA, and Ashley Vanden Bosch, Assoc. AIA.

Ziaie will be honored at an AIA Minnesota Awards Celebration on August 17, 2023. Learn more about the Next Gen Award here.

The American Institute of Architects Minnesota, founded in 1892, is dedicated to strengthening our communities, improving our built environment, and providing exceptional design. For more information on the organization and Minnesota architectural firms, visit our website.