Award Nominations

2020 Preservation Award Nominations are Closed

See our 2020 Preservation Achievement Award Winners

Below is our Awards nomination process:

Download the nomination packet below.

The goal of the Preservation Awards is to honor the hard work project teams put into preserving our shared heritage and telling the stories that need to be told. 

The Verb After 3

The Verb Hotel, 2016 Preservation Achievement Award winner. Photo by Adrian Wilson. 

Each year the Boston Preservation Alliance presents the Preservation Achievement Awards to recognize a group of exemplary historic preservation projects or activities in Boston. The Alliance honors outstanding preservation projects of all scales and representing all time periods, including 20th century. Projects that will be considered for award recognition include but are not limited to:

•    Rehabilitation or restoration that preserves Boston’s architectural or cultural heritage
•    Adaptive reuse of existing historic resources
•    New construction in harmony with Boston’s built environment
•    Parks, landscapes, and natural areas that have been preserved or restored
•    Exterior lighting, accessibility, and landscape design highlighting historic resources
•    Innovative energy efficiency and/or climate preparedness integration into historic fabric
•    Educational efforts that enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of Boston’s historic built environment

The Alliance’s Award Selection Committee selects winners based on criteria such as:

•    Impact on a neighborhood’s character, public realm, and revitalization 
•    Quality of execution and materials
•    Creative or innovative solutions to preservation challenges
•    Contribution to the public’s understanding and awareness of historic resources, preservation, and the historic character of Boston

Submission Guidelines

To be considered, all nominations must include the following additional materials:

  • Please provide the information requested in the attached spreadsheet as it should appear on awards materials. Please include ALL project team members, adding rows as needed. If your project is selected for an award, the Alliance would like to congratulate all project team members and invite them to participate in the recognition. Inclusion of project team members in promotional materials is at the discretion of the Boston Preservation Alliance. 

  • Print-ready color images of at least a 300 dpi resolution. Images can be mailed on a CD or flash drive or shared via DropBox or similar file-sharing platform. Images must be JPG or PNG files. 

  • Images must show all facades of the building or structure, as applicable, or all angles of the site. Please provide as many images as possible and divide into “Before” and “After” sections.

  • For adaptive reuse/rehabilitation/restoration projects, before and after images are necessary to demonstrate the quality of the project. 

  • Photographer credits and/or copyright permissions for each photograph.

The Fine Print

  • Submissions are due no later than March 31, 2020.

  • No application fee is required.

  • Nominations may be submitted via hard copy or electronically (preferred).

  • Submissions are limited to properties and programs within the City of Boston. Projects outside the city limits of Boston will not be considered.

  • Projects must have been completed between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019.

  • All photo and digital image submissions become the property of the Boston Preservation Alliance for use in print or digital form to promote this Awards event and/or any future Alliance activities. 

  • Please note that we present the awards to project/property owners. Project team members are also recognized as appropriate and to the greatest extent possible at the discretion of the Boston Preservation Alliance.

Winner Expectations

The Boston Preservation Alliance is proud to partner with award recipients to promote the best of historic preservation in Boston. The owner/developers and project team members of winning projects are expected to:

  • Partner in promotion of the award through social media and other channels

  • Aid in acquiring additional photographs, materials, and information about the project as needed

  • Participate in the filming/recording of interviews as needed to be used at the Awards Ceremony and in promotional materials at the Alliance’s discretion

  • Attend the Awards Ceremony on October 15th at the Revere Hotel 

Please respond with as much detail as possible to all three of the following:

  1. What is the history or significance of the structure or site?

  2. Please describe any unique strategies used or challenges that were overcome in order to complete the project.

  3. Please describe why you are nominating this project for a preservation award. Explain why this project is distinctive and how it positively contributes to the City of Boston. 

Completed nominations are due Friday, March 20, 2020

Materials and questions should be directed to: 

Alison Frazee, Assistant Director
afrazee@bostonpreservation.org  
617.367.2458 x204

The Otis House
c/o Alison Frazee
141 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02114

 

“The quality of our architectural heritage, its pedestrian scale—we have some of the greatest streets in this nation.”
— Howard Elkus —
“We all want progress in Eastie, but we do want to see history preserved.”
— Meg Grady, East Boston resident —
“There’s a reason why this bridge is still here. It means something to Bostonians.”
— Greg Galer —
Thank you to all our corporate members, including: