Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series (CAASS) 2026
One of Australia’s longest-running architectural speaker series.
Join architects, designers, graduates and industry leaders across four Wednesdays this September at the National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra.
The format
A talk. A drink. The kind of conversation that could end in a new project.
CAASS is a deliberately curated mix of established voices, headline practitioners, and first-time speakers chosen for what they’re building right now.
Each Wednesday there will be a formal opening, the talk, then thirty minutes in the NFSA courtyard with the speaker still in the room. That’s where the real work happens.
The curation code
Sixteen years. Two co-convenors.
Every CAASS lineup is built on three rules. Gender parity, every year. A mix of emerging voices and headline practitioners. And a deliberate bias toward first-time CAASS speakers because the conversation has to move.
It’s why the audience keeps coming back. It’s why the speakers keep saying yes.
The 2026 lineup
Four speakers will be announced in staggered drops through August, beginning with the headline practitioner. Curated, as always, by the team that has shaped the series for over a decade and a half.
Tickets
Three ways in. One series.
Single night
-
One speaker. One Wednesday.
-
Talk + courtyard networking.
-
NFSA Theatre seating.
-
Available while seats hold.
Season pass
-
All four Wednesdays.
-
Guaranteed seat each week.
-
Priority access to courtyard networking.
-
Invitation pathway to EmAGN breakfast.
Livestream
-
HD broadcast from NFSA Theatre.
-
Submit questions live.
-
Replay access for 7 days post-event.
-
For those outside Canberra.
