Winners revealed: 2024 Australian Institute of Architects

Five early-career architects from across Australia have been selected winners of the 16th Australian Institute of Architects' Dulux Study Tour. Founded in 2008, the tour celebrates the importance of first-hand experiences of architecture around the world.

Emma Chrisp, Flynn Carr, Jamileh Jahangiri, Mike Sneyd and Simona Falvo will embark on a 10-day tour of Tokyo, Berlin and Madrid in June 2024.

Jury chair and Australian Institute of Architects' national president, Stuart Tanner, commended each applicant who submitted. "We saw a profound level of expertise, talent, enthusiasm and unwavering commitment to the architectural profession demonstrated by each submission," he said.

Emma Chrisp's awareness of the potential for connection and wellbeing through spatial design and architecture is a pivotal attribute. Her understanding of the potency of thoughtful and considered environments demonstrates an intellectual awareness of how people are moved by architecture.

Her strong people-focused approach is a key component of her commitment to quality, enriching outcomes. Her willingness to impart knowledge via the observation and assessment process was evident in her role as a juror for the Victorian Architecture Awards in 2023.

Emma's involvement with practice in predominantly educational projects has given her an excellent understanding of what makes good space for people. Her burgeoning thinking around how cities might become more community-focused is highly relevant in societies grappling with exponential growth and climate change.

As a generalist architect based out of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Northern Territory, Flynn Carr has put into practice his passion for addressing inequality, cultural issues and climate change in remote communities. Carr studied architecture at the University of South Australia, achieving a bachelor and a master's degree. He completed a student internship at Foster and Partners, London before relocating to Alice Springs in 2016 to work with Susan Dugdale and Associates. While progressing from graduate architect to project architect and now associate at the practice, Carr has made significant contributions to several projects in Central Australia, including the Akeyulerre Healing Centre, the Northern Territory government's Room to Breathe remote housing program, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation (Congress) Health Hub. As an active member of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects and NT EmAGN, and an elected NT Chapter Councillor advocating for Alice Springs, Carr promotes conversations regarding regional and remote architecture through his practice and continuing professional development.

As the founder of Studio Orsi, a research- and design-focused architectural studio based in Seaforth, New South Wales, and a sessional academic at the University of Sydney, Jamileh Jahangiri has made significant contributions to the architectural profession in Sydney and beyond. Having completed her bachelor degree at the University College of Omran and Toseeh (UCOT) in Iran, and her master's of architecture at the University of Sydney, she has practised in Iran with Maher and Associates, and in Australia with Gran Associates, TKD Architects and Cox, where she was project lead.

In 2023, Jahangiri was appointed as the Australian Institute of Architects' Alternative Council Member to the International Union of Architects - Region IV. She has also been an active member on the Institute's National Climate Action and Sustainability Committee, Sustainability Working Group, NSW Cities Committee, and EmAGN NSW, as well as the Northern Beaches Council - Strategic Reference Group. Through her teaching and numerous published works, Jahangiri supports and nurtures future built-environment professionals.

Working in the remote, hot and highly sensitive environment of the Kimberley, Mike Sneyd has shown resourcefulness and inventiveness to arrive at solutions that create social uplift in regional communities. He understands that the primary responsibility of architecture is to people.

Sneyd's recognition of the vital intersection between architecture in the Kimberley and First Nations cultural exchange is clear in his healthcare project work and his involvement on regional advisory groups. His dedication to the profession is evident in his commitment to resourceful and people-centred development, despite the challenges of tight budgets and a volatile climate.

Although Sneyd's work occurs in an isolated context, its broader impetus is instructive for the entire profession: observing the absence of community amenity and then initiating a solution is both generous and courageous.

In her influential role as a design educator, Simona Falvo imparts not only technical skills but also a comprehensive understanding of the prospects and challenges awaiting her students as they enter the architectural profession. Her dedication to nurturing intellectual rigour in her practice and among her students reflects her commitment to cultivating a mindset that values critical thinking, creativity and attention to detail.

Falvo's ability to bridge the gap between architectural practice and education, facilitated by her involvement in the Study Tour, will contribute to the holistic development of future architects. It will inspire students, allowing them to witness the dynamic interplay between theory and practice, empowering them to become well-rounded professionals poised to tackle the challenges and shape the future of the architectural landscape.

Stuart Tanner, national president, Australian Institute of ArchitectsAnna Svensdotter, Australian Institute of Architects representativePete Wood, national commercial business manager, DuluxChristina Earls, colour and commercial marketing manager, DuluxEdwina Brisbane, national EmAGN president representativeKaty Moir, previous Dulux Study Tour recipient