Next generation takes centre stage at the 2026 CIBSE ANZ Young Engineers Awards
Four standout talents crowned in Sydney as industry leaders rally behind the engineers shaping a circular, resilient built environment.
The future of building services engineering was on full display last night as students, graduates, industry leaders and mentors from across Australia and New Zealand gathered at L’Aqua, Sydney, for the 2026 CIBSE ANZ Young Engineers Awards.
The awards shine a spotlight on the emerging talent driving the profession forward – and this year’s finalists made a compelling case that the industry’s future is in very capable hands.
Circular thinking takes the spotlight
Entrants rose to this year’s theme, Circular Economy – Paying it forward for the future generation, submitting video pitches that tackled the real-world challenges of circularity in the built environment. The result was a powerful showcase of bold ideas and practical innovation set to help shape a more sustainable future.
Setting the tone for the evening, keynote speaker Harriet Smith, Manager for Responsible Products & Materials at the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), unpacked what circularity looks like in practice – and how the decisions the industry makes today will deliver more sustainable outcomes for generations to come.
CIBSE ANZ Young Engineers Network (YEN) Chair Enda Seyama-Heneghan then took the stage to introduce the award categories and reveal this year’s winners.
Meet the 2026 winners
Mark Griffin Award – Student of the Year:
James Wahbe – Undergraduate Electrical Engineer, Goldfish & Bay / University of Technology Sydney
Haris Moraitis Award – Graduate of the Year:
Alice Meacher – Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Arup
Jack Pirie Award – Young Engineer of the Year:
Liam Kearns – Principal Mechanical Critical Systems Engineer, Cundall
Jeff Robinson Award – Engineering Advocate of the Year:
Peter Young – Principal | Mechanical Section Manager, Northrop Consulting Engineers
Watch their winning pitch videos here and discover the ideas, insight and passion that won over the judges.
A field of exceptional talent
Competition was fierce across every category, and CIBSE ANZ extends its warmest congratulations to the 2026 runners-up:
Mark Griffin Award – Student of the Year
• Dylan Chand – Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Auckland
• Hai Ninh Nguyen – Master of Building Science, Victoria University of Wellington
Haris Moraitis Award – Graduate of the Year
• Tim Gong – Graduate Engineer, Arup
• Muhammad Izzul Hakimi Bin Roslan – Inspection Officer, CAMS Assethub and RMIT University
Jack Pirie Award – Young Engineer of the Year
• Awaran Nepal – Project Engineer, Fire and Hydraulics, WSce
• Josh Young – Mechanical Engineer, Auckland Aquatic Services Lead, Beca
Jeff Robinson Award – Engineering Advocate of the Year
• Anthony Calderone – Technical Director, Built Environment, Mott MacDonald
• Steven Lam – Mechanical Engineer, Mott MacDonald
To every winner and runner-up: congratulations on an outstanding achievement. CIBSE wishes you every success as your careers take flight.
Looking ahead: resilience and a milestone 40th
Closing the evening, CIBSE ANZ Vice Chair and event co-host Jennifer Elias announced the theme for the year ahead: Future-proofing through resilience.
“It’s a natural next step. A building that is designed for reuse, adaptation and a changing climate is a building that is still doing its job for the generation after ours,” she said.
“Over the coming year, much of CIBSE’s technical content will focus on resilience. And as CIBSE ANZ heads towards its 40th anniversary in 2027, I can’t think of a better group to carry that work forward than the people we’re recognising tonight.”
Thank you
A huge thank you to our sponsors, event partners, judges, CIBSE Committee volunteers, finalists and everyone who joined us to celebrate. Your time, expertise and support make these awards possible and open doors for the next generation of building services engineers. We can’t wait to see you all again next year!
