Shelley McNamara

Shelley McNamara, born in 1952, is a distinguished Irish architect and academic known for her innovative contributions to the field of architecture. She graduated from University College Dublin in 1974 with a Bachelor of Architecture and has been a pivotal figure in architectural education since 1976, teaching at her alma mater and various other institutions.

In 1978, McNamara co-founded Grafton Architects with Yvonne Farrell, a practice that gained international acclaim in the early 2010s for its striking and spacious designs, particularly in higher education. The firm is celebrated for its ability to create buildings that are both substantial and inviting, reflecting a deep understanding of space and function.

Grafton Architects has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal in 2020. Their project for the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología in Lima, Peru, was honored with the RIBA International Prize in 2016, recognizing it as the best new building globally that year. In 2021, the firm was awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize for the Town House at Kingston University.

In a remarkable achievement, McNamara and Farrell were jointly awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2020, the highest accolade in architecture, underscoring their significant impact on the profession and their commitment to excellence in design.