The AAI is delighted to announce the winning projects from the 2026 Maurice Craig Award.
The Maurice Craig Award is geared towards architectural graduates who have completed their fifth year of study. Graduates from all universities on the island of Ireland are eligible. The jury for the 2026 AAI Awards assessed the submissions for the Maurice Craig Award and chose one winner, and two special mentions. The Jury were seeking strong architectural ideas, that consider community, sustainability and the environment, as well as excellent architectural communication and presentation skills.
Comhghairdeachas to the winners, and our sincere thanks to all the graduates who entered. The winners will be invited to our annual awards night, and their work will be published in our annual awards publication, alongside comments from the jury. We look forward to celebrating with you.
Winner
Functional Follies; The liminal utility square, by Louise Kelly, University College Dublin
Special Mentions
While the following two projects received Special Mentions:
‘Through The Looking Glass’ Architecture and Cinema – Cathal Moran, University of Limerick
From Underuse to Retrofit Capacity – Adam Quinn, Technological University Dublin
Adjudication + Jury
The adjudication occurred in City Assembly House Friday, April 17th 2026. Many thanks to our generous hosts, The Irish Georgian Society.
We also want to thank the jury for their generous commitment to this process and their insightful commentary and debate. We hope that it will make for an interesting read.
Critic and Chair:
Phineas Harper – London-based writer, founder and cultural leader.
Irish Architects:
Conor Sreenan – State Architect and Principal Architect at the Office of Public Works (OPW).
Ben Mullen of Ben Mullen Architects
International Architect:
Petra Marko – CEO of the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava (MIB) and Architect and placemaking expert dedicated to creating people-centric cities and public spaces.
Distinguished Non-Architect:
Jeanette Lowe – Visual artist examining the relationship between people, place, culture, and the evolving city.