Barbara Buser Recognized With the 2026 Jane Drew Prize for Her Work In Circular Construction

Written by Antonia Piñeiro
Published on March 03, 2026

The AJ and The Architectural Review have named architect Barbara Buser as the winner of the 2026 Jane Drew Prize. The prize, named after English modernist architect and urban designer Jane Drew, is part of the W Awards and the W Programme, which recognise women's contributions to the architectural profession. Swiss-based architect Barbara Buser is known as an innovator in the field of recycling and reuse, and as an expert in circular construction, recognised for pioneering repurposing practices in Switzerland. The award, therefore, recognises not only her contribution to architecture itself, but above all her efforts to reduce the industry's environmental impact through socialisation initiatives. The recognition follows Anne Lacaton's award in 2025, as well as other prominent figures in the field, such as Kazuyo Sejima in 2023, Farshid Moussavi in 2022, and Yasmeen Lari in 2020.

Barbara Buser is a Swiss-based reuse innovator. An architect and urban planner known for pioneering recycling and repurposing in construction, she graduated in architecture from ETH Zurich in 1979 and later obtained additional certification in building energy studies. She began her career working in Africa for a decade, and in 1996 co-founded Bauteilbörse, a used building components exchange platform in Switzerland. She subsequently became a pioneer in the concept of rescuing components before they become waste and preparing them for reuse, a practice Bauteilbörse continues today. In 2001, she promoted Zirkular, a specialist planning service that tracks and maintains a catalogue of reusable components sourced from buildings, demolition sites, and donors across Switzerland, matching supply with demand.

According to The Architect's Journal, the Jane Drew Prize is awarded to an architectural designer who, through their work and commitment to design excellence, has raised the profile of women in architecture. The prize is named in honour of Jane Drew, an English architect recognised as an advocate for women in a male-dominated profession. Drew graduated from the AA in 1929 and started her own practice after the Second World War. Previous winners include Anne Lacaton (2025), Iwona Buczkowska (2024), Kazuyo Sejima (2023), Farshid Moussavi (2022), Kate Macintosh (2021), Yasmeen Lari (2020), Elizabeth Diller (2019), Amanda Levete (2018), Denise Scott Brown (2017), Odile Decq (2016), Grafton Architects founders Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara (2015), Zaha Hadid (2014), Kathryn Findlay of Ushida Findlay (2013), and Eva Jiřičná (2012).

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The news was announced alongside two other recognitions. The AJ and The Architectural Review also named British artist and curator Lubaina Himid as the recipient of the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for Contribution to Architecture, which recognises individuals from fields adjacent to architecture who have made a significant contribution to architecture and the built environment. In addition, the design and research initiative Stalled! won this year's W Awards Prize for Research in Gender and Architecture. Stalled! is dedicated to implementing safe, accessible, and inclusive bathroom and locker room prototypes and guidelines that address the intersecting needs of people of different genders, races, religions, and abilities.