Grafton Architects win the RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2020

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Grafton Architects and professors in "Architectural Design" at USI Academy of Architecture, are among the first women to win the medal. This is the highest award for architecture in the UK, personally approved by the Queen. The prestigious appointment confirms the high level of the Academy's educational offerings and helps to establish its leading role in the world of schools of architecture.

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have designed and built several schools and buildings for institutions and universities, especially in Ireland, including the Dunshaughlin Civic Offices, the offices of Dublin City University, the Parson's Building, Trinity College in Dublin, the Government Department for the Office of Public Works in Dublin. In Italy they have designed the new building of Bocconi University in Milan and in Peru the campus of UTEC - Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología in Lima.

In the past they received several international honours including: Toulouse School of Economics; Kingston University Town House; Institute Mines Telecom Campus, Paris-Saclay. Together with Shaffrey Associates they won the competition for the new Dublin Library and were chosen to design the new faculty of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in Holborn, London. In 2018 they were entrusted with the artistic direction of Biennale di Architettura di Venezia. 

As emphasised by the magazine "Dezeen" (see link), Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara are the fourth and fifth woman in 171 years of history to receive this prestigious award. The ceremony will be held in the beginning of 2020.