[1] The medal is sometimes referred to as the Sulman Award and now recognises excellence in public buildings in either New South Wales or in the Australian Capital Territory.

The medal was designed by George Rayner Hoff (1894—1937), sculptor and teacher, famed for his sculptures in Sydney's Anzac Memorial.

Sulman was an enthusiastic about town planning, and it was intended that the Medal was for "a building of exceptional merit that contributed to the streetscape".

In the 1950 Year Book of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Sir John Sulman Medal and Diploma was defined as being "awarded annually for a building of exceptional merit in one of the following classes: (1) Public and Monumental, (2) Educational and Ecclesiastical, (3) Commercial and Industrial, (4) Recreational, (5) Domestic and Residential.

The building must have been erected in New South Wales within the previous five years and must be readily accessible and visible.