AA Prize for Unbuilt Work 2026 shortlist revealed

From 66 entries, 24 have been shortlisted by the jury in the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work, which seeks conceptually rigorous, inventive responses to contemporary architectural issues. The prize promotes debate and to generate ideas about architecture by rewarding compelling work in its conceptual stages.

A New School of Architecture - HSP

Acting in the Meantime - Eliza Ng

Are You Being Served? - Eliza Innes

Asyndeton: Unseen Fantasies of Reality - Pei Kai Tan

Beneath the Shadows of Palm: Blueprints for Rural Palm Oil Territories - Danielle Lee

Biography of Design - Design Foundry

Building Community Resilience in a Disrupted World - IDA Alliance

Built Back Better: Urban Resilience for the Township of Lismore - Carmelo Nastasi

Ex Libris Singapore - Lily Éire Parsons

Flinders Island Community Vet - Bence Mulcahy

Friends of the Void - Jamie Bond

Gutless Wonder - Yasmin Fennessy

Kidscapes - Kali Marnane and Tess Martin in collaboration

NSW Pattern Book - In Common Studio

P2 Contemporary - Cicely Brown, Finn Holle and Sophie Shaw

Patterns of Footscray - Card

Play, Her Way … - Sophia Di Giandomenico

ReVault 2.0 - Supermanoeuvre

Richmond Sportslink - Bates Smart

Roads that Separate, Walls that Connect: Civic Propositions for Parramatta Road - Keita Sugimoto and Thomas Papetti

Spectral Dialogues - Katie Taylor

The Art of Darkness - Scar

The Greater Sydney Building Society - Billy McQueenie

Walyalup/Fremantle - What If - Whadjuk Balardong Elder Robyn Collard with Simon Pendal Architect

The 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work jury comprised Ingrid Bakker of Hassell; Kirsteen Mackay from the Office for Design and Architecture SA; Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales; Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters; and Georgia Birks, associate editor of Architecture Australia, as jury chair.

The winner of the prize will be announced on 2 February 2026 on ArchitectureAu and in the Architecture Australia magazine.

The AA Prize for Unbuilt Work is organised by Architecture Media, and supported by presenting partner Adelaide University.