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Victorian Graduate Prize

The Graduate Prize is awarded annually by the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects providing recognition and encouragement for architecture graduates as they embark on their professional careers. Celebrating student design excellence, the prize is awarded to the most outstanding design project carried out in the final year of the Master of Architecture degree or equivalent.

For questions related to Victorian Chapter prizes and scholarships, please email [email protected].

PRIZE AIMS

  • Encourage a better understanding of becoming an architect
  • Promote a positive outlook regarding the profession’s support for graduates
  • Promote registration
  • Involve practices in the training and professional development of graduates
  • Support the transition from education to the profession

ANNOUNCEMENT AND PROMOTION​

The Graduate Prize winner will be announced at the Victorian Chapter end-of-year event which celebrates Victorian member achievements including new Life Fellows, Fellows, Australian honours recipients, President’s Prize, Graduate Prize and Student Ideas Prize winners.

The Victorian chapter will promote the prize, projects and winners through various mediums including the Victorian Chapter social media platforms, eNews and Institute Website.

PRIZES

Graduate Prize Winner

  • Certificate
  • 1 year of Institute membership (must be redeemed within 2 years of receipt of prize)
  • Complimentary ticket to Victorian Chapter end-of-year event

Commendation(s)

  • Certificate

2026 ELIGIBILITY

The Graduate Prize is based on a graduate’s final year design project.

Universities:

  • Each university can nominate up to four students.
  • Each university is responsible for coordinating their shortlisting process, informing the nominated students and the Victorian Chapter.

Entrants:

  • Have graduated in the second semester of 2025 or first semester of 2026
  • Entries can be individual or joint submissions (teams up to 2 graduates)

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Each graduate is to submit:

  • 1 x 5 min pre-recorded video presentation of the project
  • 1 x 200–300-word statement outlining the project’s design intentions including project title
  • 2 x high-res A2 presentation panels

Graduates are reminded not to identify themselves or their universities in any submission materials (including video presentation). You are required to provide your contact details in your submission email to the Victorian Chapter. Entries cannot be submitted via your university email address. Every file submitted must be clearly labelled with your project name.  Entries emailed to the Institute will not be accepted. To enter use the following portal.

 

ENTER THE 2026 victorian graduate prize

JUDGING CRITERIA

  1. Clarity of the project’s intentions
  2. Materialisation and resolution relative to scale and complexity
  3. Conceptual rigour, imagination, experimentation
  4. Response to salient issues for architecture in the contemporary and/or future context, as identified by the project i.e., this could include impact on cultural, sustainability, equity, or other social, economic, or political factors
  5. Contribution to wider architectural practice or discourse
  6. Demonstration of relevant research
  7. Communication of ideas

JUDGING PANEL

An independent jury will judge all graduates’ work against set criteria, selecting one overall winner and awarding up to three commendations. The jury will consist of:

  • Victorian Chapter President
  • Representative from previous year’s Victorian Architecture Medal winner
  • Previous year’s Victorian Emerging Architect Prize winner
  • A non-Victorian nominee from the National Education Committee

For questions related to Victorian Chapter prizes and scholarships, please email [email protected].

2025 Victorian Graduate Prize Winner Jasmine Lam with Jack Swann, Fender Katsalidis
July 2026 Information pack sent to universities
Aug 19 2026 Deadline for university nominations to Vic Chapter
Sept 1 2026 Deadline for nominated student submissions
16 November 2026 Winner announced at Victorian Chapter Honours Event

2025 Jasmine Lam, (Melbourne University)
2024 Kim Huang (RMIT University)
2023 Kate Donaldson (Melbourne University)
2022 Jeremy Bonwick (Melbourne University)
2021  Ashlee Murphy (Deakin University)
2020 Victoria King (Melbourne University)
2019  Louis Nuccitelli (RMIT University)
2018  Bradley Mitchell (RMIT University)
2017  Tommy Aik Heng (Melbourne University)
2016  Will Priestley (Melbourne University)
2016  Megan Jones (Deakin University)
2016  Cameron Newnham (RMIT University)
2016  Hilary Duff (Monash University)
2015  Andrew Lim (Monash University)
2015  Xuân Sơn Nguyễn (RMIT University)
2015  Kurt Jury (Melbourne University)
2015  Aaron Cody (Deakin University)
2014  James Bowman Fletcher (Monash University)
2014  Georgina Karavasil (RMIT University)
2014  Mikhail Rodricks (Melbourne University)
2014  Albert Fraval (Deakin University)
2013  Brandon Gardiner (Deakin University)
2013  Ben Shields (Melbourne University)
2013  Simon Linardi (RMIT University)
2013  Edwina Brisbane (Monash University)
2012  Holly Farley (Deakin University)
2012  Lucy Warnock (Melbourne University)
2012  Joshua Morrin (RMIT University)
2011  Martin Scott (Deakin University)
2011  Joanne Nataprawira (Melbourne University)
2011  Danielle Peck (RMIT University)
2010  Jessica In (RMIT University)

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