BOTS PRESERVATION AWARDS

Two awards are available…

SESAH BEST OF THE SOUTH: PRESERVING SOUTHERN ARCHITECTURE AWARD 

​​Each year the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) selects a recipient for the Best of the South: Preserving Southern Architecture Award. Established in 2006, the Best of the South (BOTS) Award honors a project that preserves, rehabilitates, or restores a historic property – including a building, a structure, or a complex of buildings and/or structures – in an outstanding manner, and demonstrates excellence in research, design, and execution. Projects with a public interpretation component are encouraged, but not required. Eligible projects for the BOTS Award must be located in the twelve-state SESAH region – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Criteria for consideration

  • Significance of the property type within its particular context (national, regional, state, local);
  • Quality of execution;
  • Anticipated benefits to the property itself, its context, and/or preservation knowledge;
  • Degree to which the project saved a historic property from likely demolition.
  • Special consideration will be given to projects which highlight or preserve the heritage of traditionally underrepresented communities or groups.

Call for Nominations

SESAH invites nominations, including self-nominations, for the 2025 BOTS Award. Projects completed in 2024, 2025, or 20256 (before nominations deadline) are eligible for consideration.

The deadline for submitting nominations is August 1, 2026

The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony at the 2026 SESAH Conference held September 30 – October 3 in Savannah, Georgia.

Nominations should consist of:

  • no more than two pages of project description
  • (if applicable) a detailed description of how the project highlights/preserves the heritage of traditionally underrepresented communities or groups
  • illustrations and any other material supporting the description, including a project budget and timeline
  • a cover letter that identifies the owner of the property, the historic and current use of the property, and the names and contact information of all the major participants of the project (including email addresses)

The nomination should be sent by email as a single PDF document, or as a link to a single PDF posted on Google Drive or Dropbox to the Chair of the BOTS Award Committee, Jimmie Tucker, bots@sesah.org

 

SESAH BEST OF THE SOUTH:  EXCELLENCE IN PRESERVATION EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND OUTREACH

To honor projects that document and educate the public about a historic property – including a building, a structure, or a complex of buildings and/or structures – in an outstanding manner, that enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of the built environment, and that demonstrate excellence in research, design, and execution.

Projects in the twelve-state SESAH region – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia – that were completed within the last 3 calendar years.

Criteria for consideration

  • Quality of the project documentation, research, and/or educational components;
  • Significance of the property type or cultural site within its particular context (national, regional, state, local);
  • Excellence in research;
  • Innovation in subject area, research, methodology, and/or product;
  • Anticipated benefits; and
  • Degree to which project enhances the public’s understanding of the built environment.
  • Special consideration will be given to projects which focus on the heritage of traditionally underrepresented communities or groups.

Call for Nominations

SESAH invites nominations, including self-nominations, for the 2025 BOTS Award. Projects completed in 2023, 2024, or 2025 (before nominations deadline) are eligible for consideration.

The deadline for submitting nominations is August 1, 2026

The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony at the 2026 SESAH Conference held September 30 – October 3 in Savannah, Georgia.

Nominations should consist of:

  • a project description of 800-1000 words;
  • illustrations and any other material supporting the description (including a copy of the artifact itself, if appropriate), a project budget and timeline; and
  • a cover letter that identifies the owner of the property, the historic and current use of the property, and the names and contact information of all the major participants of the project (including email addresses).

The nomination should be sent by email as a single PDF document, or as a link to a single PDF posted on Google Drive or Dropbox to the Chair of the BOTS Award Committee, Jimmie Tucker, bots@sesah.org

 

Past BOTS Awardees