And the CEBRA award 2026 goes to…
New architect Theodore Davies-Jones, a fresh graduate of Aarhus School of Architecture, receives the CEBRA award for his ambitious graduate project, ‘This Is Not Accessible’.
A new generation of architects has just graduated from Aarhus School of Architecture. At the end of every graduating semester, the CEBRA award is presented to a graduate for a project that, in a convincing manner, through its entire course of study, has managed to challenge the field and boundaries of architecture. The project should be investigative and curious in its development, seeking to push the boundaries of the traditional approach to creating and perceiving architecture and space, as well as it should point to the future rather than the past.
‘This Is Not Accessible’ by Theo Davies-Jones turns the entire notion of “accessibility” on its head. What many practising architects regard as a problem or a regulatory constraint is explored here as a field of opportunity and as creative fuel for the design process.
Drawing on collaboration with and interviews of users at the renowned Egmont Folk High School for people with disabilities, Theo investigates the possibilities of accessibility-driven design and, in the process, develops new methods of representation, including unconventional models for those who do not perceive the world as neurotypical individuals or as fully able-bodied people.
The project receives the CEBRA award for forging its own path and for exploring possibilities where others see limitations – while doing so from a socially relevant perspective and for the benefit of people who are far too often overlooked.
This results in a harbour project at Pier 2 in Aarhus featuring facilities for swimming, sauna, and social gathering – a logical consequence of the programme’s rich sensory potential. The project develops seven design dogmas based on the experiences and insights of the participating individuals with disabilities. These principles inform every aspect of the proposal, from its spatial organisation and relationship to water to its approach to social interaction, comfort, autonomy, and sensory navigation.
The project receives the CEBRA award for forging its own path and for exploring possibilities where others see limitations – while doing so from a socially relevant perspective and for the benefit of people who are far too often overlooked. That this approach also results in a project of such aesthetic quality, creativity, and originality is nothing short of a small miracle.
The award is symbolically Le Corbusier’s legendary eight-volume ‘Oeuvre Complète’ – the product of an exemplary and highly innovative artistic career – along with, in all humility, our own publications 'CEBRA files 04' and 'We Build Drawings'.
Congratulations on your achievements, Theo!
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