NSW Prizes and Honours Awards 2022

The Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter Prizes and Honour Awards were announced on 2 December, celebrating the achievements of individuals and practices across the state’s architectural community.

The top honour, the President’s Prize, was awarded to Dillon Kombumerri for his work connecting architecture with Country. Kombumerri, a Yugembir descendent from the Gold Coast, is a principal architect with the Government Architect NSW. He is also the co-author of the state’s Connecting with Country Draft Framework, which aims to use cultural knowledge to shape the built environment.

NSW Chapter president Laura Cockburn said Kombumerri has demonstrated “extraordinary leadership” over a number of years, in helping to drive the profession to richer, more holistic outcomes through the adoption of country-centred design.

Rachel Neeson received the Marion Mahony Griffin Prize, which is awarded annually to a female in the architecture field. Neeson was commendable for her body of work and her efforts to “open the door” for a generation of women architects, Cockburn said.

The David Lindner Prize, awarded to an emerging architect for their ideas for solving challenges facing cities, went to Adam Swinburn, for his project, “A Reference Scheme For A Future Urban Australian School”.

“Our Prizes and Honours program has honoured endeavours across the breadth of our profession and provides recognition of individual excellence in research, education, advocacy, community and social aspects for practitioners,’’ said Cockburn.

View the full list of winners below.