Trailblazers in Architecture to receive the 2026 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal at ACSA’s 114th Annual Meeting

For Immediate Release:

Washington, D.C., January 30, 2026 — The Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts (TSD) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) are pleased to announce Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Grafton Architects, as the recipients of the 2026 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal. Farrell and McNamara will deliver the closing keynote at ACSA’s 114th Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 28, where they will also be presented with their award. The Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal is awarded by the organization’s Grand Chapter to professionals with a record of high distinction in design in the field of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or the Allied Arts.

The duo, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founded Grafton Architects in 1978 following their graduation from University College Dublin in 1974. The Dublin-based architecture studio has completed projects across Europe, South America, and North America, with notable projects including the London School of Economics, the University Campus at UTEC Lima, the Anthony Timberlands Center in Arkansas, and the Urban Institute of Ireland in Dublin.

Grafton Architects have won numerous awards, including the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies van der Rohe Award. Farrell and McNamara are Fellows of the RIAI, International Honorary Fellows of the RIBA, elected members of Aosdána, the eminent Irish Art organization, and were selected as the 2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates.

Set against the backdrop of Chicago’s architectural wonders and rich history, the ACSA 114th Annual Meeting: Convergence/Divergence will provide opportunities for scholarly exchange March 26-28, 2026.