A Recognition of Architecture as Place-Making

The SEASIDE Institute™ has announced the recipients of the 2026 SEASIDE Prize™, a recognition reserved for those whose work has shaped the fields of architecture, urban planning, and community development. The prize is awarded annually to individuals whose contributions have a lasting impact on how places are built and experienced.

This year’s recipients are Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt, principals of Khoury & Vogt Architects (KVA). Founded in 2001 in Miami, the practice is currently based in Alys Beach, Florida, and engages projects across scales, programs, and locales.

The Seaside Institute’s announcement describes their work as “strongly rooted in enduring types and forms that have developed over time.” This is a deliberate phrasing: it places their work in the tradition of architecture as a discipline of forms, where buildings are shaped by history and function as much as by aesthetic intention. The firm’s approach, as described in the announcement, allows for a synthesis of classical composition with modern and vernacular influences—often with the inflection of the tropics and Mediterranean.

Their work is described as balancing tradition and invention, with the goal of instilling “a sense of comfort and delight” in the inhabitant. In other words, their architecture is not only about formal rigor; it is also about human experience—about the ways in which space can feel familiar, ordered, and alive.

Their work has been recognized with numerous awards and publications. In 2023, the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) honored them with the Arthur Ross Award for their body of work in the classical tradition. In 2024, Marieanne Khoury-Vogt received the Barranco Award from the Urban Guild for her work as Town Architect in Alys Beach.

The Seaside Institute notes that their work has “inspired fellow architects, urban designers, developers, and community leaders” to value the role of architectural design both in individual buildings and in urban placemaking. The award thus recognizes not only built work, but a sustained influence on the profession and on the larger community.

The SEASIDE Prize Weekend will take place February 6–8, 2026, in Seaside, Florida, with events and symposia focused on resiliency, sustainability, and legacy. The awards ceremony will be held on February 7, 2026, at The Chapel at Seaside, hosted by Seaside founders Robert and Daryl Davis. Registration is now open. 

While the prize recognizes national and international impact, it is also notable that Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt have lived and raised their family in Walton County for years. Their decision to make this place their home adds an additional layer of meaning to an award that celebrates the power of architecture to shape community.