Celebrating our win at the 2026 Master Builders Excellence in Construction Awards

We’re thrilled to share that Building Engineering has been awarded Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $10M–$20M at the 2026 Master Builders Excellence in Construction Awards for our Santa Maria College Mary Aquin Centre in Northcote.

Held on Friday night at Crown Palladium, the awards brought together more than 800 members of Victoria’s construction industry to celebrate excellence across the sector. With more than 140 project entries in this year’s program, we’re incredibly proud to see the Mary Aquin Centre recognised amongst some of the state’s leading projects.

Delivered for Santa Maria College in collaboration with Williams Ross Architects, the Mary Aquin Centre is a three-level contemporary learning facility designed as the central hub for the College’s Year 9 and 10 students.

The project seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor learning environments while responding sensitively to Santa Maria College’s heritage-rich campus. Flexible classrooms connect with landscaped outdoor areas, including a podium courtyard, garden beds, seating and a Yarning Circle, creating spaces that encourage collaboration, connection and contemporary learning.

A defining element of the project is its highly detailed façade, incorporating fluted precast concrete panels with brick snaps and a specialised seven-coat render system,  the first applications of its kind in Melbourne. The works also included significant campus-wide electrical infrastructure upgrades, all delivered within a live and fully operational school environment.

The award is a fantastic recognition of the precision, craftsmanship and collaboration that went into delivering the Mary Aquin Centre, and of the commitment of our project team, subcontractors, consultants, client and project partners throughout construction.

The evening was made even more special when our Project Manager, Amani Eljari, was named one of only seven nominees for Young Builder of the Year.

The Mary Aquin Centre marked Amani’s first project leading a team as Project Manager, making this recognition particularly significant. From managing the complexities of construction within a live school environment to maintaining strong communication and relationships throughout delivery, Amani’s leadership was integral to the project’s success.

Santa Maria College Principal Joanne Rock reflected on Amani’s contribution:

“From project commencement through to final completion, Amani demonstrated exceptional professionalism, reliability, and dedication to excellence. Most importantly, the quality of workmanship delivered was excellent. Attention to detail, adherence to high construction standards, and pride in their craft were consistently evident across every aspect of the development. The finished result reflects their dedication to producing work of the highest calibre.”

To have both the project and Amani recognised on the night is an achievement we are extremely proud of, and it reflects the people, partnerships, and commitment to quality that underpin every Building Engineering project.

Congratulations to Amani and our entire Santa Maria College project team, and thank you to Santa Maria College, Williams Ross Architects, our consultants, subcontractors and industry partners who contributed to this outstanding result.