At a recent celebratory dinner, Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design and Landau | Zinder Architecture each received important honors from a key regional professional organization. The First Annual Design Awards of the Central New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects were presented at a gala ceremony and dinner function at the historic Nassau Inn in Princeton, New Jersey.

The Central New Jersey AIA’s Awards Committee was created to honor and acknowledge excellence for section members and architecture within the region. Of five awards presented that evening, Princeton-based JZA+D earned one and Landau | Zinder Architecture – a practice specializing in Judaic architecture – received a second.

In the Open category, Landau | Zinder Architecture won for the Telyas Chabad Jewish Center, a 17,000-square-foot, innovative community center in Clinton, New Jersey, that combines learning environments and community amenities with a sunlit sanctuary for worship. The project serves as a home for the activities and education programs of Chabad of Hunterdon County and hosts regular worship services for central New Jersey’s Jewish community at large.

In the Small Projects category, JZA+D won for creating and co-organizing the major, multi-day event Sukkah Village 2021, in partnership with area nonprofits and other sponsors. Held at multiple sites across downtown Princeton for a 10-day period coinciding with the Jewish holiday Sukkot, the event aimed to raise awareness of the power of design to address key social issues, such as housing insecurity, hunger, climate and refugeeism. High-profile firms and student competition winners designed sukkahs for public display and to be auctioned off as a fundraising component. The event’s programming included panels, tours, a film screening, and an arts and crafts gathering. Sukkah Village has also previously received a prestigious, national Faith & Form Award.

Accepting the awards on behalf of JZA+D and Landau | Zinder Architecture was Joshua Zinder, AIA, LEED AP, a founder and partner in both practices. A recent past president of AIA New Jersey, Zinder also currently serves on the executive board of the AIA National Small Firms Exchange and on the AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community Board. He also services AIA Central New Jersey as a trustee and serves on the board of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Mercer County.

“It was a wonderful night at the Nassau Inn, and our entire team is deeply honored,” Zinder said. “The awards were a highlight, of course, and we were delighted to share a spotlight with co-honorees Clarke Caton Hintz and DIGroupArchitecture. Another big highlight of the night was hearing my friend and mentor J. Robert Hillier, Lh.D., FAIA, deliver the keynote address about his work and legacy.”