Jury citation
Amanda Eessa and Mary Anne Yosef, the joint winners of the 2026 Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture, provide an exemplar of how to collaboratively advance architecture – encouraging engagement and dialogue among their colleagues while promoting the virtues of architectural design.
Eessa and Yosef, who commenced at Western Sydney University as one of the first cohorts of the university’s architecture program at a time that coincided with COVID-19 lockdowns, went on to co-found the Beyond Architecture Student Club (BASC) while also participating in SONA (for which Yosef served as Western Sydney University’s 2024 representative). At BASC, Eessa and Yosef established and edited the architectural publication In Due Time as a platform for student work and voices.
Their collaboration and support for one another show the benefit of working together to shape a strong culture centred on connection, encouragement and genuine peer support. In addition to leading their community, they have themselves actively contributed to exhibitions and co-written articles for The Sydney Morning Herald and the NSW Chapter’s Architecture Bulletin. Eessa was also a finalist in the 2024 NSW Housing Pattern Book Design Competition.
The jury applauds Eessa and Yosef’s outstanding contribution to the advancement of architecture among their student cohort, the wider community of Western Sydney, and beyond.
Jury
David Wagner (chair) – Australian Institute of Architects National President Elect | Atelier Wagner
John Ting – John Ting Architect
Ellie Munn – GHD Design
Kirsten Day – University of Melbourne