For Annabelle Shaw, architecture is much more than the physical structures that define our city. It is an emotional landscape that should offer comfort, safety, and a sense of belonging. Since beginning her Bachelor of Architectural Design at Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA), Annabelle’s perspective has grown from admiring the aesthetics of a building to understanding the profound societal responsibilities architects hold.

Driven by a desire to respond to the world’s most pressing challenges, the Wood Marsh Architecture Prize winner has found her passion in addressing the housing crisis through thoughtful, community-led design.

Responding to the housing crisis

A defining moment in Annabelle’s studies was the “Recommission” studio led by Pia Socias. This studio focused on the planned demolition of 44 public housing towers in Melbourne. Rather than accepting demolition as the only path forward, the studio challenged students to find alternative solutions that avoided displacing residents.

Annabelle researched international precedents, such as the Lacaton & Vassal project in Bordeaux, which successfully added space and improved amenities to existing social housing without forcing residents to move. This research-heavy approach taught her that architecture must be handled with care, especially when dealing with the lives and homes of vulnerable communities.

Destigmatising through design

In her final semester, Annabelle participated in the "House of God" studio, led by Jack Lee which explored the adaptive reuse of churches across Melbourne. Her project focused on a site in Canterbury, an affluent suburb with a lack of medium-density and social housing.

Choosing to design public housing for this location was a deliberate act of advocacy. Annabelle aimed to destigmatise social housing by creating a space that encouraged “accidental interactions” between residents and the broader community. By integrating public libraries, childcare, and shared walkways, she envisioned a future where thoughtful design bridges social divides and provides residents with a sense of agency over their own homes.

A global outlook with the Wood Marsh Prize

Winning the 2025 Wood Marsh Architecture Prize has provided Annabelle with a transformative opportunity to take her research global.

“The Wood Marsh Architecture Prize was established to give emerging architects the opportunity to explore beyond the studio — to challenge convention and develop their own point of view,” said Roger Wood and Randal Marsh, founders of Wood Marsh. “The recipient, Annabelle Shaw, will investigate global housing models that prioritise care, diversity and collective agency, and how these ideas might translate into the Australian context.

We are proud to partner with the Department of Architecture at Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) to support the next generation of architects in developing thoughtful, enduring and meaningful work.”

With the Wood Marsh Prize funding, Annabelle is preparing for a study trip across Europe to visit cities like Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna. Vienna is a city renowned for its successful social housing policies since the 1920s.

"I’m excited to talk with the residents who experience these buildings day-to-day," Annabelle explains. "They are the ones who can tell us what works, what was overlooked, and what accidental successes have emerged in their daily lives."

Her goal is to bring these international insights back to the Monash Urban Lab. She is particularly interested in projects that allow residents to personalise their spaces, such as using modular walls and simple foundations that let a house truly become a home.

Building a future with purpose

As she progresses into her Master of Architecture, Annabelle remains focused on retrofitting and breathing new life into existing buildings. She believes that working with the constraints of current structures is often where the most interesting and successful architecture happens. Supported by mentors and studio leaders who pushed her to find her own voice, she is ready to help shape a more equitable and sustainable urban future.

"The highlight of my architecture studies at Monash is definitely being able to find my passion," Annabelle says. "The Woodmarsh Prize has given me an additional sense of confidence in my work and a sense of hope that I have the opportunity to make a real difference."