AIA Honors The Bay “One Park for All” with a 2026 Regional & Urban Design Award!
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) honored Agency Landscape + Planning, Sweet Sparkman Architects, its design team, and the Bay Park Conservancy with a 2026 Regional & Urban Design Award for The Bay “One Park for All”! Agency’s Gina Ford and Sweet Sparkman’s Karl Bernhard were in San Diego last night to celebrate and accept the award.
The Bay is a living demonstration of 21st century sustainability principles, a memorable community gateway, and a loving reflection of Sarasota’s unique natural and cultural context. Since opening in October 2022, the park has hosted over ONE MILLION guests with a 97% return rate. The Bay has fostered over 4 million connections with the public through tours, workshops, volunteer activities, and more! The Bay features wide promenades, coastal walkways, and generous lawns. The combination of promenades, boardwalks, and shaded areas fosters inclusive use. Today, 55% of the Phase 1 area of the park is covered with native species. Thriving through three major weather events — the Bay withstood a direct hit from Hurricane Milton, an early test of the design’s resiliency.
We are grateful to the leadership of The Bay and our broad and diverse team of collaborators: Jon F. Swift Construction / HASKELL, Sweet Sparkman Architects, Kimley-Horn, Studio Ummo, Sasaki Associates, Moffatt & Nichol, Cummins Cederberg Inc, Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, HR&A Advisors, Kathy Blaha Consulting, Stutler Strategies, Monstrum, Engineering Matrix, Inc., Wilhelm Brothers, Snell Engineering, The Urban Conga, and past Agents: Eamonn Hutton, Matthew Macchietto, Tatyana Moscicki-Tsapley, and Estello Raganit.
Image credit: Ryan Gamma and The Bay Park Conservancy.
Congratulations to the other award winners! Learn more about the project at our project page, or by reading the AIA award press release here.