The goal of the AIA Ohio Early Professional Friendly Firm program is to celebrate firms who offer exceptional support and opportunities for their early professionals. Additionally, the program seeks to foster a dialogue within firms across the state with the objective of creating new policies and practices that promote innovation, development, and progressive workplaces for the future members of the design profession.
An early professional is defined as someone who is part of the architectural staff and fills one of the following roles: architectural students, recent graduates, unlicensed emerging professionals within 10 years of graduation, or architects licensed within the last 10 years.
There are two designations possible for a firm to receive. The Early Professional Friendly Firm Designation and the Early Professional Friendly Firm Plus+ Designation.
- EP Friendly Firm Designation is earned by receiving a passing score of 70% (75 points) or above on the 2025 EP Friendly Firm questionnaire
- EP Friendly Firm Plus+ Designation is earned by receiving a score of 80% (85 points) or above on the 2025 EP Friendly Firm questionnaire
AIA Ohio is pleased to announce that the following firms earned the Early Professional Friendly Firm Plus+ Designation in 2025:
- Bialosky
- Buehrer Group Architecture and Engineering
- DS Architecture
- Elevar Design Group, Inc.
- GBBN Architects, Inc
- HSB Architects + Engineers
- IKM Architecture
- Meyers + Associates
- Moody Nolan
- Phillips Sekanick Architects, inc | PSA Architecture
- PIVOTstudio
- R.E. Warner & Associates, Inc.
- RWA Architects, Inc.
- The Collaborative
- ThenDesign Architecture (TDA)
- Thomas Porter Architects
- WSA Studio
Additionally, AIA Ohio is pleased to announce that the following firms have earned the Early Professional Friendly Firm Designation:
- +Detail
- App Architecture, Inc.
- BBCO
- BSHM Architects Columbus
- BSHM Architects Youngstown
- CBLH Design
- ESM Architects
- GUNZELMAN architecture + interiors
- Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold, Inc.
- JPA Architecture
- MA Design
- Perspectus Architecture
- PMBA Architects, LLC Cincinnati
- PMBA Architects, LLC Perrysburg
- Reztark Design Studio
- Richard L. Bowen & Associates, Inc.
- TC Architects
These EP Friendly Firm designations are a one-year designation, with the option to renew the designation annually. Firms are expected to maintain the policies and practices they have implemented at the time of submission throughout the designation period. Applications for the EP Friendly Firm program will be accepted annually, from February 1 to March 15.