Meet the judges

Every year, the Grand Designs Australia Magazine: House of the Year Awards is professionally judged, scored and awarded based on design context, client brief, process and delivery. The Awards focus on good client outcomes as a point of difference among Architecture Awards and pride themselves on this. 

Our judging panel is comprised of four distinguished professionals each year, and will often change with each Awards season to introduce fresh perspectives and provide a diversity of input from industry. This year's judging panel is outlined below.

Anthony Burke (Grand Designs Australia TV Host and Editor At Large)

Anthony Burke is a professor of architecture and television presenter, who is best known for being the host of Grand Designs Australia since 2024. He is also currently a professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). 

A graduate of Columbia University in New York (GSAPP), and UNSW, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of California Berkeley from 2002-2007 before returning to Australia as an Associate Professor and subsequently held the position of Head of Architecture, and Associate Dean International in the faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at UTS from 2010-2020. Having lived in Stockholm, Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco, Anthony is based in his home town of Sydney.  

Elizabeth Carpenter (Chapter President, NSW Institute of Architects)

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Sydney with First Class Honours. She has extensive professional experience in Australia and south east Asia having led many multi-award winning projects for all levels of government and private clients. 

Highly respected within the profession, Elizabeth is actively involved with advocacy and has served both on the NSW Australian Institute of Architects Chapter Council and on various committees. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and is currently sitting on the Department of Planning, State Design Review Panel.

Candice Halliday (Principal Architect, CNA Studio)

Candice Halliday is the Principal Architect and founder of CNA Design Studio, based in regional New South Wales. With over a decade of experience, she is known for designing sustainable, inclusive spaces that respond to both people and place. Her work spans residential, education, health, aged care, commercial, and interior design sectors, shaped by her time in diverse practices across Canberra and Newcastle.

A registered Building Design Practitioner and specialist in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Candice is a national advocate for accessible, high-performance design. As the 2026 National President of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Emerging Architects and Graduates Network (EmAGN), she champions equity, mentorship, and regional engagement.

Amandine Simonetti (Principal, Amandine Simonetti Architecture and Interior)

Amandine is a registered Sydney-based architect with 15 years of experience. She holds a Master of Architecture from the School of Architecture and Landscape in Bordeaux, France. She has worked internationally before settling in Australia Alongside her professional practice, she tutors at the UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, sharing knowledge and inspiring future architects. Amandine leads her own practice, Amandine Simonetti Architecture and Interior, and enjoys collaborating with other studios across Australia to expand her design reach and engage with a diverse range of projects.