The winners were announced in an evening awards ceremony at Chin Chin Sydney, hosted by Artedomus and The Local Project. Get ready to meet your 2026 Winners and Commendeds.
More than 150 people from across Australia attended the Awards Ceremony at Chin Chin Sydney, hosted and MC’d by Artedomus’ Phil Brenton (managing director) and The Local Project’s Aidan Anderson (CEO and founder).
In his opening remarks, Phil reflected on the purpose and impact of the awards, saying, “Four years ago, these awards started with a simple idea: to create a platform that celebrates great design and actively supports emerging designers at those critical early moments in their careers.
“Each year, the calibre of entries continues to exceed our expectations. And each year, we hear from past winners about what the recognition has meant to them – new projects, new collaborations, and the confidence to keep pushing forward.”
In his opening remarks, Aidan recognised the awards’ five jurors “whose insight, expertise and time” have been critical to the success of the awards. We give special thanks to jurors Chris Haddad of Archier, Yasmine Ghoniem of YSG Studio, Alice Blackwood of SURFACE Edition and Artedomus, Millie Thwaites of The Local Project, and Thomas Coward of Artedomus and New Volumes.
And now to the winners of The (2026) Emerging Designer Awards:
Residential Architecture award
WINNER
Atelier Marks Gaal for Yowani
Rosedale, NSW
The jury said: “Yowani is a worthy winner of the Residential Architecture category for its rare clarity of experience, where material, light and planning combine to make a home of refuge, gathering and deep connection to landscape. A holistic and reductive design approach trims the architecture back to its most potent form, leaving a building that is distinguished by restraint, grounded in experience and closely tied to its coastal headland setting. Beauty, consideration and a maturity of execution mark Atelier Marks Gaal as emerging designers to be celebrated.”
COMMENDED
Gritt Studio for Karijini House
WA
The jury said: “We were impressed by the holistic approach taken to this project, and the way the design narrative delivers a distinct architectural outcome – one that feels, as much as it looks, cohesive. From form through to material palette, Karijini House elevates the architectural conversation, positively shaping both the external and internal experience of the home.”
Residential Interior award
WINNER
Jessica Alice Design for Filly House
Margaret River, WA
The jury said: “Filly House finds a quiet balance between restraint and heroism. In a world where interiors can so often shout for attention or retreat into silence, this project speaks with just the right amount of conviction. Its gestures are deliberate, its restraint purposeful, and every element feels considered rather than prescribed. The result is an interior that feels both quietly resolved and unexpectedly bold.”
COMMENDED
Studio Shields for The View
Yarra Valley, Vic
The jury said: “Ruby Shields is a practitioner doing genuinely exciting work. The View is a home that allows character and personality to come to the fore, tempered by just enough restraint that every element sits comfortably within the whole.”
Commercial Interior award
WINNER
Occupy Studio for Rowie HQ
Byron Bay, NSW
The jury said: “Rowie HQ is a brilliant example of workplace design. Not only has Occupy Studio met Rowie’s briefing requirements with ease, but the design response elegantly distils the fashion brand’s laid-back identity into a practical and inviting space. A restrained material palette, deft spatial planning and a considered approach to natural light come together in a beautifully executed project.”
COMMENDED
SCAR STUDIO for Church of Nazarene
Mount Waverley, Vic
The jury said: “What stood out to us was the scale of this project and the quality of resolution SCAR has achieved in its execution. From the locally made bespoke glass artwork, to improved wayfinding, and a custom lighting strategy, SCAR has considered every aspect of the spatial experience to transform the Church of the Nazarene into a welcoming community hub.”
Product Designer award
WINNER
Marlo Lyda of Marlo Lyda Studio
Sydney, NSW
The jury said: “Marlo Lyda is a worthy winner because she demonstrates what emerging design should aspire to be which is materially intelligent, culturally curious, environmentally conscious and deeply human. Her work finds possibility in the overlooked and transforms it into objects with beauty, function and meaning. She is building a practice that extends beyond making objects to shaping conversations and community around design. She has a distinctive voice, a rigorous material practice and the potential to influence the direction of Australian design.”
COMMENDED
Jasper Herzstein of Herzstein Design
Melbourne, Vic
The jury said: “Jasper earned the Commended accolade for the strength and simple ingenuity of his design submission. His approach to ideation and concept development was evident in the quality of the final outcome, which skilfully considered form, scale, proportion and the presence of the maker’s hand.”
Now in its fourth year, The (Emerging) Designer Awards and its presenting partners Artedomus and The Local Project remain committed to celebrating the achievements of Australia’s emerging design community. The awards recognise practitioners in their first five years of business – a critical career moment when industry accolades and international media exposure can make a real and tangible difference to a person’s career trajectory and business growth.
The winners of this year’s awards have each received a comprehensive video feature and valuable media exposure on The Local Project to an audience of 4.9+ million. The winners’ editorial features will be published on The Local Project in weeks to come. Stay tuned as we bring these inspiring, industry leading practices and projects to you via socials, email and The Local Project’s global platform.
While the 2026 awards have now concluded, The (Emerging) Designer Awards will return in early 2027. Subscribe for updates, and start planning your 2027 entries now.