2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards
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Nominations for the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards
Landmarks Illinois is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards.
Our annual awards program honors outstanding preservation projects, individuals, organizations, and advocacy efforts that demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting the places that matter to the people and communities of Illinois. The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has generously underwritten Landmarks Illinois’ annual preservation awards program since 1994.
Award recipients will be honored at a public ceremony in Chicago in the Fall*. Recipients also receive a cash prize and a custom-designed trophy.
*Details on the event will be announced at a later date.
ELIGIBILITY
Nominated projects must have been completed within Illinois' geographical boundaries within the last five years. Phased projects may be considered if the nominated phase is complete and can stand on its own merits.
Additionally:
· Nominations may be submitted in someone’s honor and/or without the knowledge of the nominee
· Self-nominations will be accepted
· Nominations that were not selected for awards in a previous year may be revised and resubmitted, provided the five-year time limit has not been exceeded.
AWARD DETAILS
Winners of the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards will be selected from the following categories:
ADVOCACY—An effective local or statewide campaign to preserve and protect a historic resource.
LEADERSHIP—An individual, municipality, private organization or joint partnership that has championed historic preservation, planning, cultural heritage conservation or public policy.
REHABILITATION—Projects that make possible the use of historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences, public/institutional structures, or preserve a cultural heritage site through adaptive reuse and/or rehabilitation.
RESTORATION—Projects that make possible the continued use of historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences, public/institutional structures, or preserve a cultural heritage site by returning it to its original state.
STEWARDSHIP—Projects or programs that uplift place-based history through community education or engagement; or projects that provide ongoing care and maintenance to a historic resource or resources that preserves their cultural, architectural, and/or historical significance while keeping them in active long-term use.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY—Projects that sensitively introduce green building technologies to historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences, or public/institutional structures.
*Projects that are limited to the preservation or rehabilitation of a privately owned single-family residence are not eligible for an award.
RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS LEGACY AWARD
One of the selected winners will receive the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award, which honors the memory of the late Richard H. Driehaus. The recipient of this esteemed award must demonstrate the immense power of preservation, following in the footsteps of Driehaus, who believed reusing places of our past creates positive change and motivates others to save important places.
JUDGING PROCESS & CRITERIA
Landmarks Illinois invites a jury of preservation professionals to review nominations for the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Preservation Awards. Landmarks Illinois strives to achieve balanced representation from various preservation disciplines throughout the state.
The nominees and projects that promote a vision of preservation in line with Landmarks Illinois’ Transformational Plan will receive the greatest consideration.
Nominations are also judged on the following:
• Impact a project or person has had on an Illinois community
• Quality and degree of difficulty of the project
• Degree to which the project serves as an example of excellence in historic preservation and influences others
• Degree to which the project aligns with Landmarks Illinois’ mission of People Saving Places for People
• Degree to which the project or person supports diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and/or environmental sustainability
• Innovative solutions to preservation including, but not exclusive to: creative partnerships or community engagement efforts, original programming, job creation or economic development, innovative adaptive reuse, best practices in sustainability or technologies that mitigate climate change, cultural sustainability or heritage conservation, and/or creative financing or funding sources
NOMINATION DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2026
CONTACT: Rachel Firgens, awards@landmarks.org