Show Off Your Lab! Enter the Design Excellence Awards
Lab Design is proud to host the seventh annual Design Excellence Awards, a program dedicated to recognizing and celebrating outstanding achievements in laboratory design. Since its launch in 2020, the awards have grown into a highly respected platform honoring everyone involved in creating innovative, safe, and sustainable lab spaces. From architects and lab planners to engineers, contractors, and equipment manufacturers, the Design Excellence Awards welcome anyone who plays a role in the lab design process to submit their work.
The awards are more than just recognition—they are an opportunity to join an elite community of professionals shaping the future of laboratory design. Entries should demonstrate not only technical expertise but also the vision, execution, and unique features that make a lab stand out. Whether your project represents cutting-edge sustainable initiatives, interior design excellence, or a holistic approach to whole-building lab planning, the Design Excellence Awards are a chance to showcase your contribution to the field.
Why enter?
Submitting a project provides international recognition for the hard work of your team, while also highlighting the elements that make your lab a model for others. It is an opportunity to explain how your lab benefits the scientific community and staff, offering insights into how your design enhances safety, comfort, and productivity. Applicants can also share the challenges they overcame during the design and construction process, providing guidance and inspiration to peers facing similar obstacles. Importantly, the awards encourage you to showcase your lab’s sustainability and safety initiatives, helping to raise the bar for greener, safer laboratory environments worldwide.
Check out the roster of past honorees and enter now for your chance to join this prestigious group.
Award categories
The Design Excellence Awards feature four categories:
Whole Building/Holistic Design: Recognizes labs designed to accommodate evolving scientific ecosystems, promote collaboration, and prioritize occupant well-being.
Sustainable Design: Celebrates projects demonstrating significant energy savings, green lab initiatives, and cost-effective design choices.
Interior Design: Highlights how furnishings, lighting, casework, and finishes contribute to productive, comfortable, and accessible lab environments.
Small Project Design: Honors labs under $20 million USD that maximize impact and innovation on a smaller budget.
Submission guidelines
The deadline for submissions is December 5, 2025—with no extensions. Entries may be up to 40 pages (excluding cover, image lists, and photographer releases), and all images should be hi-res, captioned, and credited. Labs completed and occupied between January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2026, are eligible, regardless of size, budget, or location.
All participants—from architects and engineers to lab end users and equipment vendors—are encouraged to enter, no matter the scale of the project. This is your chance to celebrate your achievements, inspire others in the lab design community, and gain recognition for your contribution to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable lab environments.
The 2026 Design Excellence Awards winners will be honored at the Lab Design Conference on May 12, 2026, in Orlando, FL. Winning project teams will be invited to accept a plaque and talk to the audience about their design.
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work and celebrate excellence in laboratory design. Enter now!
