The Jane Drew Prize is an architecture award given annually by the Architects' Journal to a person showing innovation, diversity and inclusiveness in architecture. It is named after the English modernist architect Jane Drew.
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Background
The Jane Drew Prize began with discussions in 1997 between the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Women Architects Group and the Arts Council of England. The new prize was launched in January 1998 with a ceremony held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The award was created to recognise promotion of innovation, diversity and inclusiveness in architecture. It was named after the English architect Dame Jane Drew (died 1996) who, among other achievements, had tried to set up the first all-women architecture practice and had been the first female full Professor at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nominations were invited by the RIBA, after which a jury selected the winner who received a prize of £10,000. The 1998 winner also received a sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi.
Problems were encountered with the initial award, primarily in finding suitable candidates that met all three criteria. A forum was held on 19 May 1998 where the four shortlisted candidates (client Jane Priestman, artist Martin Richman, landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson and architectural practice Fashion Architecture Taste) were asked to give a ten-minute presentation. The evening was described as "tedious" and Gustafson didn't even turn up. The award was finally presented to Gustafson on 4 June after strong disagreements and near-resignations amongst the judging panel.
The prize has subsequently come under the jurisdiction of the Architects' Journal. Winners are chosen by the AJ Women in Architecture Judging Panel. According to the 2013 entry guidelines, the prize recognises a "contribution to the status of women in architecture".