BNIM Projects Advancing Community Through Healthy, Connected Spaces Recognized at the 2026 AIA Central States and AIA Kansas Awards

BNIM was honored to receive recognition at the AIA Central States and AIA Kansas Excellence in Design Awards this year!

Congregation Beth Shalom Synagogue Addition received an Honor Award for Architecture from the AIA Central States Region and a Merit Award for Urban Architecture from AIA Kansas. Missouri State University’s Roy Blunt Hall Addition received an Honorable Mention Award for Architecture from the AIA Central States Region and an Honor Award for Urban Architecture from AIA Kansas. Reconciliation Services was recognized with a Merit Award for Preservation/Adaptive Reuse from AIA Kansas.

The Congregation Beth Shalom Synagogue Addition creates a sacred and welcoming space to serve as the heart and spiritual home of the Congregation, supporting prayer, stewardship of values, and bridging meaningful connections between generations. For nearly two decades, the Congregation had utilized the existing building’s multi-purpose social hall as a temporary sanctuary. Congregation Beth Shalom worked with design partners Preston Scott Cohen and BNIM on a new Synagogue Addition, thoughtfully envisioning and designing a dedicated space for worship and community.

Roy Blunt Hall Addition at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, houses the College of Natural and Applied Sciences Program and serves as a hub for the College. The Phase 1 addition (completed in September 2025) and Phase 2 renovation, (estimated to be completed in summer of 2026), brings together the three primary departments Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability (SEES), and the Center for Resource Planning and Management within a cohesive hub, while improving the flexibility and usability of spaces within Roy Blunt Hall.

Reconciliation Services (RS) has served the urban core of Kansas City since 1987, driven by dignity, community, and advocacy to address needs for affordable food access, safe gathering spaces, and building positive connections. The renovation of Reconciliation Services represents a reinvestment by RS in its programs, neighborhood, and history. The transformative project supports RS in its work creating living-wage jobs, increasing social and mental health services, and increasing equitable access to programming that connects neighbors and strengthens community engagement.