On Friday 6th March, the NSW Chapter held our 2026 International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Meers Hall at the Art Gallery of NSW, a fantastic morning celebrating women in architecture over two locations: Sydney and Newcastle.
With a Welcome to Country offered by Dr Shannon Foster of Bangawarra, we then heard from Elizabeth Carpenter, who officially announced the winner of the 2026 Marion Mahoney Griffin Prize.
The Marion Mahoney Griffin Prize was awarded to Annie Tennant. Annie has demonstrated broad commitment to the profession through service on industry committees and advisory panels, including roles with NAWIC, the Australian Institute of Architects, university advisory bodies and public art panels. She contributes regularly to industry forums and lectures and supports others through mentoring and advocacy for greater inclusion within the profession. Her contribution reflects the spirit of this award: sustained, cross-disciplinary and impactful, delivered with quiet confidence and humility.
Annie gave an insightful discussion exploring her journey within the profession, which was followed by an engaging Q&A with Gemma MacDonald. Awarded annually to acknowledge a female in the field of architecture for a distinctive body of work, Annie is a worthy receipient of this year’s prize. Established in 1998 by the NSW Chapter, it aims to acknowledge the significant contribution of women to the profession across a number of industry platforms including architectural education, journalism, research, professional practice and theory, as well as for built architectural work.
Thankyou to the NSW event partners: Lysaght, AWS, Siniat, Leif Products, and Richard Crookes Construction.
The NSW Regional Committee also held two events. On Friday 6th March over 60 local practitioners and students gathered for breakfast, hear talks and visit two site tours completed by female architects, Prudence Bowe Architects (Lake Macquarie) and Sarah Truscott Architect (Canberra).
Special thanks to Krause Bricks who sponsored the event, it was great to hear from Kane Jensen about the company’s history and see some showroom product samples in person. The event began with an overview of the regional committee and upcoming events, followed by the sponsor’s address, and the winner of the 2025 Marion Mahony Griffin Prize was also announced.
Julie Napier, owner and builder, spoke about her experience working on the project that her daughter had designed, Sarah Truscott of Sarah Truscott Architect (Canberra). The project responded to the existing workers’ cottage with a deliberate and sensitive extension, incorporating thoughtful material considerations and passive cooling.
Prudence Bowe, Prudence Bowe Architect (Lake Macquarie) spoke about One Queen Street, a heritage listed miner’s cottage, and the challenges around designing a sympathetic extension that honors the unusual roof form of the existing building. Prudence also touched on her own experience in a post-covid world, juggling motherhood and business. It was valuable to hear about the projects and their specific challenges before visiting them in person and reflect on the contributions women have made to the architectural profession.
The following Monday, an online event was held to allow all regional practitioners to participate. Carolyn MacFarland, Austin MacFarland Architects (Wingham) and Sara Pearson, Pearson Architecture (Lismore) presented their projects First Steps Count Community and Childcare Centre and Goonellabah Houses respectively, both award winners at the recent NSW Regional Awards. Carolyn and Sara also reflected on the communities in which they reside and their individual paths to regional practice. The event was attended by many regional practices including people from Wagga Wagga, Far North Queensland, Northern NSW and the ACT.
– Annie Tennant, winner of the 2026 Marion Mahoney Griffin Prize for women in architecture.