USGBC-CA's Annual Green Building Awards

USGBC California's Green Building Awards recognize your project team’s commitment and leadership in creating a more sustainable built environment for all!  The Awards are merit-based, selecting projects that demonstrate innovation, sustainable strategies, and exemplary performance in the field of sustainability, occupant health, and community engagement. 

The California Green Building Awards are open to both built and planned (unbuilt) projects that showcase innovation in sustaianbility (certification under any sustainability rating system is preferred, but not required).

 

Project awardees will be presented at the Annual Green Gala

• September 30th, 2026: Application Deadline*
• October 26th, 2026: Finalists Notified
• December 10th, 2026: Green Gala (awards presentation)

  

Winning Projects

All winners will receive an award and be recognized at the Green Gala. All applicants will receive a 10% discount when buying tickets to the event. Additionally, awarded projects will receive the following benefits:

1. Inclusion in USGBC-CA’s digital tour of awardees on EcoMapCA.
2. Winners will be announced through USGBC-CA's social media, newsletters, email blasts, and a press release. 
3. Winning project teams will also have the opportunity to submit a blog post for our website.
4. Project of the Year winners will be offered the opportunity to showcase their projects through a co-hosted  sustainability tour (virtual or in-person) in 2026. 
5. The opportunity to participate in a co-branded and promoted case study of their project (see past examples here).  
6. Consideration for speaking opportunities in future thought leadership panel discussions or other 2026/2027 events as relevant.

 

Eligibility

• Location: Projects shall be located in California.
• Typology: All project types, commercial, residential, urban design, or institutional are welcome.
• Built Projects: Sustainable design certification (LEED, Fitwel, WELL, Living Building Challenge, Passive House, Envision, Green Globes, BREEAM, etc.) preferred, but NOT required.
• Unbuilt Projects: Must have begun Design Development, Construction Documentation, or be Under Construction, as well as have registered for a sustainable design certification or demonstrate innovation in one or more of the categories below.

* Important Recommendation: All projects have the option to complete and submit an AIA Common Application excel spreadsheet providing basic sustainable data, which has been chosen for its ease of use and consistent metrics across project submissions, but is not required.

  

 

Certification Requirements

We're opening the Green Building Awards to all projects regardless of certification. If your project is not certificated/on the path to certification, please consider providing examples of the following additional qualifications: 

• Energy Use Intensity
• Water Use Intensity
• Lifecycle assessment report
• List of sample low-carbon / healthy / equitable building products
• Specific healthy indoor air quality strategies
• Electric construction equipment
• Air quality testing
   

 

Categories

Project Types - all projects falling in the following categories will be considered

• Built & Un-built 
• Renovations 
• Interior Design Projects
• Sites and Landscape 
• Planning and Urban Design

Award Categories 

• Energy
• Water
• Carbon
• Waste
• Health
• Equity
• Nature-Based
• Project of the Year*

Project of the Year (Optional) *All submissions including a Project of the Year Statement will be considered for this "Best in Show" category. No additional entry fee is required.

  

 

Entry Fees (for private projects only)

Please note that the entry fee is per category and not per submission.  If you would like to enter the project in more than one category there is an option on the form to do so and the fees will be tallied accordingly.

• $275 for the first Submission
• $175 for all additional category submissions 

Payment will be taken at the end of this form by credit card; invoicing is available by request with further details in the payment area.

 

Looking for our Community Awards Form? Submit a Community Award Nomination here →

Project Team Members (List all project team members: architect, engineers, sustainability consultant, contractor, owner, etc.)

 

Instructions

Complete this form for every category submitted. Do not include any firm-identifying information in this form.

Guidance

The California Green Building Awards evaluate merit based upon sustainable strategies that demonstrate exemplary performance by going above and beyond certification achievement.

The jury is evaluating each submission based on the submission form and images. Projects are evaluated in the context of the category in which they are submitted. Historically, projects that have scored well provide thoughtful responses describing the project’s innovative strategies in that category. Specific examples will help the jury in their evaluation.

 

 

ll. Upload a PPT or PDF following the instructions below.

- Maximum 8 additional Slides best illustrating the key sustainability features of the project

- Jpegs (minimum 300 dpi) of the best 3 images that you would like included in the Awards Program if you are a winner.

Please make sure you have completed your form before continuing.
If you have any questions, contact Kim Krempien - kim@usgbc-ca.org.

After you click the "Submit" button no more changes or updates will be allowed to this form.