The Vision Awards Jury

The Vision Awards Jury comprises practitioners and thought leaders from the worlds of architecture, design, technology and media, each with a special connection to reimagining our built environment. The jury includes leaders who are bringing forward-looking architecture to the public today, either through their extraordinary designs, built projects or imagery. For entrants and winners, this is an opportunity to get your work in front of people who are shaping the future of architecture — from concept to completed work.

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Keely Colcleugh

Founder and CEO, Kilograph

Keely is the founder of Kilograph and Kilograph SL. She is a designer with more than 20 years experience in the fields of architectural design, visual effects, brand design and exhibition design. Keely is member of the executive committee at the A+D museum, past president of the ASAI and serves on the juries of Architizer and the Architecture Master Prize awards annually.Read less

Andres Ramirez

Founder, PLANESITE

Andrés F. Ramirez is a Colombian writer, curator, film-maker and cultural producer, working in the realm of architecture, urban planning and media. He is the co-founder and Managing Director of PLANE–SITE, an agency devoted to the production and dissemination of original content about the built environment. At PLANE–SITE , he leads a wide-range of projects –from exhibitions and publications, to design competitions and international conferences. Andrés is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning at UCLA.Read less

Katherine Chia

Co-Founder, Desai Chia Architecture

Katherine Chia FAIA is a founding principal of Desai Chia Architecture. Since 1996, she and her partner & husband, Arjun Desai, have established the firm’s reputation for authentic design, creating inspiring environments expressive of light, materials, and spaces that foster collaboration. Desai Chia’s projects have been published extensively and received many accolades including numerous AIA Design Awards and American Architecture Awards, numerous Interior Design Best of Year Awards, and an AIA Institute Honor Award. In 2018, ARCHITECT Magazine ranked Desai Chia Architecture #19 in the nation for Design. The book “The Women Who Changed Architecture” by Princeton Architectural Press included Katherine and her work in the chapter titled “Raising the Roof.”
Katherine grew up in New York State and Belgium. She earned her Master of Architecture degree from M.I.T. and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, she worked for Maya Lin on numerous art and architecture commissions. She is a Trustee Emerita of Amherst College, a board member of the International Center of Photography, a board member at the Center for Architecture, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.Read less

Steven Holl

Founding Principal, Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl has realized projects both in the United States and internationally including the Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle, Washington (1997); the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland (1998); Simmons Hall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2002); the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri (2007); the Horizontal Skyscraper, Shenzhen, China (2009), the Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, Herning, Denmark (2009); the Linked Hybrid, Beijing, China (2009); Cité de l’Océan et du Surf, Biarritz, France (2011); Reid Building at the Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland (2014); the University of Iowa, Visual Arts Building, Iowa City, Iowa (2016); the Lewis Arts complex at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (2017); Maggie’s Centre Barts, London, United Kingdom (2017); the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (2018); the Glassell School of Art for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas (2018); The REACH, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (2019); Hunters Point Library, Queens Public Library, New York (2019); the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas (2020); Cofco Cultural and Health Center in Shanghai, China (2021), the Rubenstein Commons at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey (2022), and Meander Housing in Helsinki, Finland (2024).
Steven Holl received the 2016 VELUX Daylight Award in Architecture, the 2014 Praemium Imperiale International Arts Award for Architecture, the 2012 AIA Gold Medal, the 2010 RIBA Jencks Award, and the first ever Arts Award of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards in 2009.
Steven Holl is a tenured Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He has also taught at the University of Washington, Pratt Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania.Read less

Sean Shen

Architect, ZJJZ Atelier China

Sean Shen, co-founded ZJJZ -- a Shanghai based architecture design studio -- with Xuanru Chen and Yu-ying Tsai in 2017. The studio focuses on design solutions for different spaces, while studying the creative uses of the space. Its areas of expertise encompass cultural and public projects such as art galleries, libraries, community centers and hotels. ZJJZ has also played an active role in the rural development of China.Read less

Suchi Reddy

Principal, ReddyMade

Suchi Reddy, FAIA, is an architect and designer exploring neuroaesthetics—the impact of design on perception and well-being. As founder of Reddymade, she integrates neuroscience and architecture to create environments that foster connection, rest, and empowerment. Guided by her philosophy, “form follows feeling,” her work spans public art, healthcare, and research on neurodiversity. Notable projects include A Space for Being, an installation with Google demonstrating consciousness. A professor at Columbia University and frequent lecturer on design and wellbeing, she champions design’s role in shaping empathetic, equitable, and enriching environments.Read less

Sanjay Puri

Principal, Sanjay Puri Architects

Sanjay Puri is the principal architect of Sanjay Puri Architects, a firm that was established in 1992 & has won over 360 international awards. Sanjay graduated in 1988 from the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai & has been on the jury of several competitions including the World Architecture Festival , Architizer New York, Inde Awards Australia, Dezeen Awards U.K. & Architectural Review Awards U.K. Sanjay has been a speaker at numerous architectural & design events in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Singapore, Barcelona, Venice & Milan. With a current firm strength of 108 architects & designers, Sanjay Puri Architects have ongoing projects in 54 Indian cities currently. The current projects include master planning, Architecture, Interior design, event design & product design across various typologies. Read less

Carlotta Cominetti

Co-Founder, VirginLemon

Carlotta is the Co-founder of Virginlemon, a visual communication studio specialised in architecture, winner of the 1st Architizer One Rendering Challenge.
She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Politecnico di Milano in Italy. In 2013, she moved to Paris to begin her career and worked for several design firms as concept developer and 3D artist.
Since then she collaborates daily with Architects, developers and artists worldwide to create expressive images and animations, and joined global CGI events as a speaker on the topic of narrative in architectural visualization.Read less

Arjun Desai

Co-Founder, Desai Chia Architecture

Arjun Desai AIA is a founding principal of Desai Chia Architecture. Since 1996, he and his partner & wife, Katherine Chia, have established the firm’s reputation for authentic design, creating inspiring environments expressive of light, materials, and spaces that foster collaboration. Desai Chia’s projects have been published extensively and received many accolades including numerous AIA Design Awards and American Architecture Awards, numerous Interior Design Best of Year Awards, and an AIA Institute Honor Award. In 2018, ARCHITECT Magazine ranked Desai Chia Architecture #19 in the nation for Design.
Arjun grew up in New Delhi and Mumbai, India. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, he worked at SHCA/NY on numerous civic projects in New York and Washington, D.C. He earned his Master of Architecture degree from M.I.T. and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennington College.Read less

Brodie Kerst

Architectural Videographer, Brodie Kerst Productions

Brodie’s job has always been to capture and communicate the story behind architecture and design in a way that is visceral and emotional, so that everyone can begin to understand the importance of the built environment.Read less

Sabina Blasiotti

Creative Director, Sabi Space

Sabina Blasiotti is a London-based architectural designer with roots in Pescara, Italy, where she grew up. Sabina's passion for design led her to London, where she graduated from the University of Westminster (BA) and Bartlett UCL (MArch). Sabina gained valuable experience working at renowned architecture firms, including BIG in London and Kengo Kuma in Tokyo, Japan, before founding her own practice, Sabi Space. Sabina's work is a testament to her intuition, extensive research, and passion for taking on challenging projects. Her projects have garnered international recognition, including accolades from Azure Magazine, Architizer, and UCL, and have been exhibited in prestigious venues such as the Royal Academy, Sir John Soane's Museum, and RIBA HQ. Sabina's commitment to design and architecture goes beyond her professional work. She is currently continuing her studies and teaches as a guest critic and lecturer, taking on the responsibility of promoting progress within the field.Read less

Hamid Hassanzadeh

Founder and CEO, Parametric Architecture

Hamid Hassanzadeh is an architect, entrepreneur, and researcher dedicated to advancing the intersection of technology and architecture. As the Founder & CEO of ParametricArchitecture (PA), he has built one of the most influential platforms in the field, connecting designers, architects, and enthusiasts worldwide through cutting-edge computational design, AI, and digital fabrication. Today, PA reaches over 20 million people monthly, serving as a hub for design innovation and thought leadership. Beyond PA, he established PAACADEMY, an educational initiative offering specialized training for architects and designers eager to master computational tools. Through workshops, interviews, and conferences, Hamid helps professionals navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of digital architecture. As the host of PA Talks, he has interviewed some of the most renowned architects and designers, fostering discussions on innovation, design methodologies, and the future of architecture.Read less

Krista Jahnke

Architectural Photographer, Krista Jahnke Photography

One of Canada’s leading architectural photographers, working with renowned architects and designers throughout North America.Read less

Alex Hogrefe

Creator, Visualizing Architecture; Co-founder, Design Distill

Alex is the creator of visualizingarchitecture.com, a website that explores architectural graphics and representational techniques. He is also the co-founder of Design Distill, an Architectural 3D rendering studio located in Boston, MA that specializes in highly diversified projects ranging from large city and university master planning images down to bespoke interior spaces. These days when he is not in his Boston office, Alex can be found up on the Maine coast developing his carpentry skills.Read less

Filip Kurasz

Founding Partner and Art Director, ELEMENT

Filip Kurasz is a dynamic creative, juggling roles as an artist, art director, and architect. Inspired by childhood passions and fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, has co-guided ELEMENT Studio to the forefront of Archviz over the past decade and now became a proud co-founder of the World Visualization Festival - WVF. His knack for pushing boundaries earned him titles like Architectural Visualizer of the Year 2023 and nods from the Architizer A+ Awards. When he's not crafting masterpieces, Filip enjoys tackling obstacle races and finding joy in family adventures. Always striving for the next creative challenge, he brings a touch of lightheartedness to everything he does.Read less

Bless Yee

Project Architect, DLR Group

Bless Yee was the Non-Student Grand Prize Winner of 2020’s One Drawing Challenge, and was one of the winners of Dezeen's 2021 Redesign the World competition. She is an architect, artist, and educator based in Washington, D.C. Currently, Bless is an Project Architect in the Cultural & Performing Arts Sector at DLR Group and is an adjunct professor at Parsons the New School for Design. She has also worked at Snøhetta, Handel Architects, and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. In her personal work she is developing methods of layering hand drawing and physical models with digital tools to depict compelling narratives of social issues.Read less

Jakub Figel

Founding Partner, ELEMENT

Jakub Figel is a powerhouse connecting the worlds of art and architecture. His entrepreneurial drive leads him down unconventional paths, co-founding the World Visualization Festival (WVF) and spearheading ELEMENT Visualization Studio to become a recognizable figure in Archviz for over a decade. Jakub’s achievements include prestigious titles like Architectural Visualization Studio and Visualization of the Year 2023 and a Special Mention at the Architizer A+ Awards.Read less

Amanda Ferber

Founder, Architecture Hunter

Considered by Feedspot as the #1 among the top 125 architectural influencers in the world, the Brazilian architect Amanda Ferber is the founder of Architecture Hunter, one of the largest architecture pages on Instagram in the world, with almost 3 million followers. In 2018, the architect was featured on the cover of the Italian magazine Beesness as 'the architects’ influencer”, representing young women in the business world. In 2019, at the age of 24, Amanda entered the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
During her academic life, Amanda worked at studioMK27, led by the internationally renowned Marcio Kogan, as well as on important architecture platforms. Besides being a jury member of different international architecture awards, and the ambassador of Morpholio, Amanda has traveled the world giving lectures on how to turn Instagram into a strategic tool for architects and designers. @amanda_ferber @architecture_hunterRead less

Dan Hogman

Architect, SmithGroup

As an architect, artist, and educator, Dan has developed the capacity to blend digital and traditional media in developing architectural concepts and has exhibited with the SFMOMA, the AIA, and numerous private galleries. Apart from his multidisciplinary design practice, Dan serves as faculty at the AAU San Francisco teaching design and drawing studios.Read less

Bennett Oh

Content Creator, Archi Hacks

Bennett is the content creator at Archi Hacks and Arch Hive, two organizations dedicated to reinventing the early stages of architectural career paths. Through these platforms, he provides a means for architects and designers to showcase their work and discover new opportunities. Bennett's past experience includes employment at offices such as BIG, OMA, and 3XN, where he was involved in numerous conceptual and built works around the globe.Read less

Winka Dubbeldam

Principal Partner, ARCHI-TECTONICS NYC

Winka Dubbeldam, March, MsAAD, is the founder and partner of the WBE certified New York firm Archi-Tectonics NYC, LLC with offices in the US, the Netherlands and China. Dubbeldam is widely known for her award-winning work, recognized as much for its design excellence as for its use of smart building systems, sustainable materials, and innovative structures. Archi-Tectonics has designed many mixed-use & residential buildings and commercial spaces, including Wellness, Art Galleries and Retail including the Ports1961 flagship stores in London, Paris and Shanghai among others. Archi-Tectonics won the Asian Games Invited Design Competition in Hangzhou China, with a 116 acre Eco park, 5 buildings, and 2 Hybrid stadiums, which opened in 2023, now after the games it is a cultural / recreation space for the city of Hangzhou. The Asian Games Design won 8 awards among which the CTBUH Innovation Award, the Architizer A+ Innovation Award 2024, and the Luban Award 2023. The 512GW Townhouse won the SARA Excellence Award [2024] the AIA honor award and the RTF award [2020] among others.
Dubbeldam was also the Chair [2013-23] and Miller Professor at the Weitzman School of Design’s Department of Architecture and Director of the Advanced Research and Innovation {ARI] Lab at the University of Pennsylvania where she has gathered an international network of innovative research and design professionals. She previously taught at the graduate architecture programs at Columbia-. Cornell- and Harvard Universities, and was named one of the Design Intelligence 30 Most Admired professionals in their Field 2015. Currently Dubbeldam is the External Examiner at the Architectural Association and Bartlett UCL London, and on the AIANY Committee, and on the jury for the ULI and PLAN Awards. This year she was named Advisor to Bogotá’s Mayor for the Bogotá Architecture Biennale 2025. She has spoken on innovation and sustainability internationally, including a TED talk, the recent UIA World Form for Architects in Copenhagen 2023, and at Cop 28 in 2023.
The work is published in numerous international architecture and design periodicals, as well as in the four monographs; Winka Dubbeldam, Architect (010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 1996), AT-INDEX (Princeton Press, NYC, 2006), Archi-Tectonics (DAAB publishers, 2010), and “Strange Objects” with Actar, Spain [2021], with a new monograph with Park Books coming out this Fall.Read less

Andy Shaw

Managing Partner, AMA Design; Chair, RIBA Gulf Chapter

Andy Shaw RIBA is an architect based in Dubai. Andy is passionate about how combining innovative technology such as AI and sustainable design can improve the built environment for all citizens.
He is the Managing Partner at AMA (www.ama.design). AMA is a boutique design studio, designers of the landmark ‘Yacht Club’ in Dubai Harbour, the Nobu Hotel and Residences in Abu Dhabi, and over 2000 homes for the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority. He is currently working on large urban PIF projects in Riyadh, KSA and new hotel resorts and housing communities in the UAE.
He is the Chair of the RIBA Gulf Chapter, from 2019 till 2025, helping to grow the design community and create events including the regionally focused Sustainability Series, and led the team delivering the Sustainability - Past, Present and Future exhibition in London and Dubai during COP28.
He has been using AI technology to further the design process in the studio, and has his AI generated work featured in the RIBA Journal and Building Design Magazine. He has lectured about AI and city design at the Big 5, various tech conferences and run panels and workshops in Design Week, INDEX and Everything Architecture focused on AI and the future of construction industry.
He is active online and in practice promoting architecture for the benefit of all the community of designers and citizens.Read less

David Godshall

Co-Founder, Principal, Terremoto

David Godshall is a landscape architect, horticultural theorist and the co-founder and design director of the TERREMOTO office in Los Angeles, which he founded with Alain Peauroi in 2012. Over the past twelve years, TERREMOTO has grown quickly and established itself as a driving force in the world of landscape architecture. David’s strategic approach to design is inherently rooted in philosophy and the idea that ecology, horticulture and landscape have transformative physical and spiritual impacts upon humans and non-humans.Read less

Ema Peter

Founder, Ema Peter Photography

Based in Vancouver, Ema Peter Photography was founded in 2005 to bring Ema’s creative vision to architectural photography. Ema’s training in both the visual arts and photojournalism, with experience at the Magnum Photo Agency in Paris, created the foundations for her approach to lighting and composition.
With over 20+ years of experience and shear determination, she has photographed internationally renowned projects and received countless awards.
Ema deeply believes that a space has life and she makes it her mission to harness that character in every photograph.Read less

Mengyi Fan

Director of Visualization, SHoP Architects

Mengyi is currently the Director of Visualization at SHoP Architects. She has worked in multiple roles of expertise in the architectural field with a focus on the New York metropolitan area, ranging from lighting design for major infrastructural projects to creating exhibitions that utilize social media as a design tool.
For the last 11 years at SHoP Architects, Mengyi has played a role in almost every project at the firm, using visualization and emerging technology as design tools to realize SHoP’s architectural vision. Notable projects include Barclays Center and 111 W57th Street in New York, Uber’s new headquarters in San Francisco, and Detroit Hudson’s downtown revival.
She is also a co-organizer of 3DNY, working together with architecture, visualization and VFX studios to promote diversity and facilitate conversations among different fields.Read less

Luca Bussolino

Partner, Head of Strategy & Innovation, Carlo Ratti Associati

Luca is a trained architect and licensed engineer. He completed his Master in Architecture in September 2018, obtaining a double master degree with honors at Politecnico di Torino and Politecnico di Milano. Luca joined CRA in December 2018. Since late 2019 he is part of the Strategy and Innovation team.
In 2022 he became Head of Strategy and Innovation for the firm, managing the team in charge of developing future projects and the long-term strategy of CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati. During his studies, he spent one year in Paris, at ENSA La Villette, and a semester at TU Delft, in The Netherlands. He holds a post-degree Diploma in Innovation Management from the highly selective Alta Scuola Politecnica which led him to deal with themes ranging from design thinking to industry 4.0. In June 2019, he completed his second humanitarian project in Cambodia, managing the process from needs evaluation to fundraising and building construction of a multi-family house in Sihanoukville.Read less

Georg Windeck

Architect, Professor of Design & Construction, Rhein Main University of Applied Science

Georg Windeck is a German-American architect, practicing in New York and Berlin, with a focus on high end residential and institutional projects. He has been teaching at Cooper Union, SVA and IIT Chicago, and recently received a position as chair of Design and Construction at Rhein Main University in Wiesbaden, Germany.Read less

Vivien Liu

Founder, StudioUNIT

Vivien received her Masters of Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded the prestigious Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design. After 15 years in architecture, Vivien discovered a passion in photographing the urban density and built environment of Hong Kong and around the world.
She was accoladed due to her trained architectural eye that translates space into captivating visuals, gaining her a massive organic following on social media as well as the title of Best Female Photographer by #legend in 2017. In her early days, her work has consistently appeared on 10-Best features from popular publications such as ArchDaily, HK Tatler, TimeOut and South China Morning Post. Today, she is creating productions for leading architecture firms and developers on world-class, iconic buildings, including one by a Pritzker-winning architectural office.Read less

Paul Clemence

Founder, Archi-Photo

An architect by training, today Paul Clemence is a visual artist focused on capturing the poetic, intangible side of Architecture. Clemence is known for his use of light and abstraction to create unforgettable, expressive images of iconic Architecture. He has documented iconic structures all over the world by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Renzo Piano, Bjarke Ingels, Lina Bo Bardi, Luis Barragán, Oscar Niemeyer, Ruy Ohtake, Herzog & de Meuron, SANAA, Peter Zumthor and many others. He exhibits regularly in the international fine arts circuit, from classic B & W prints to cutting edge large scale photographic urban installation, participating in events such as Fuori Salone in Milan, ArtBasel/DesignMiami, India Architecture Dialogue, and the Venice Architecture Biennale. A published author, Clemence’s volume Mies van der Rohe’s FARNSWORTH HOUSE is one of the most complete photo documentation of that landmark modern residential design, and a selection of that photo essay is part of the Mies van der Rohe Archives housed by MoMa, New York. He is widely published in arts, architecture and lifestyle magazines like Gagosian Quarterly, Metropolis, Wallpaper, ArchDaily, Architizer, The Design Edit, Dezeen, Designboom, Architects & Artisans, and Everett Potter’s Travel Report. ARCHI-PHOTO, aka “Architecture Photography”, his Facebook photo blog quickly became a photography and architecture community, with over 1.100,000 followers worldwide. Clemence is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.Read less

Hassan Ragab

Media Artist / Interdisciplinary designer / Architect, HSNRGB

Hassan is an interdisciplinary designer, architect and conceptual artist exploring the intersection of art, technology, and humanity. His work delves into themes of identity, heritage, and the evolving role of creativity in a rapidly changing world. Combining generative AI with traditional design processes, he challenges conventional aesthetics while raising questions about the societal and cultural implications of technology. Driven by a desire to provoke thought and inspire dialogue, Hassan’s practice focuses on using innovation as a tool to reimagine how we perceive ourselves and the environments we create.Read less

Marcelo Coehlo

Director, MIT Design Intelligence Lab

Marcelo Coelho is director of the MIT Design Intelligence Lab and faculty at the MIT Department of Architecture. Spanning a wide range of media, processes, and scales, his work explores how we embody and physically interact with computation, creating new forms of expression and collaboration between human and machine intelligence.
Marcelo’s work has been exhibited internationally, including places such as the Rio 2016 Paralympic Ceremonies, Times Square, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and Ars Electronica, and can be found in museums, private collections, and billions of products sold all over the world. Recognition for this work includes two Prix Ars Electronica awards, Design Miami/ Designer of the Future Award, Red Dot Design Award, and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award.
Marcelo holds a doctorate degree from the MIT Media Lab and is also a Design Tech Innovation Fellow at Cornell University. He teaches graduate and undergraduate studios in industrial design, human-computer interaction, and artificial intelligence.Read less

Ar. June Chow

Principal Architect, Founder, JUN Architect

Licensed architect based in Malaysia and AI specialist with expertise in Generative AI for architecture, urban design, and conceptual visualization. Trainer and consultant for architectural firms and academic institutions on AI-driven design workflows. Speaker at local and global forums and workshops on AI in architecture. Active on LinkedIn as one of the top 100 AI Creators.Read less

Duy Phan

Senior Visualizer, ERA-co

Duy is an artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Born and raised from the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, Duy brings a unique perspective to his work, which focuses on capturing the essence of unbuilt architecture through portraiture.
Duy's dedication to his craft is evident in his experimentation with different techniques and styles, as he strives to keep up with the industry's top performers. Duy's hard work has garnered him numerous prestigious industry awards and accolades. He is also passionate about sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise, serving on critique panels at the University of Melbourne and delivering insightful guest lectures at RMIT University.
During the week, Duy works as an illustrator at ERA-co, where he uses his expertise to bring new and exciting ideas to life. When he's not hard at work, Duy enjoys exploring the beautiful parks and gardens of Victoria, as well as maintaining a healthy work-life balance to fuel his creativity.Read less

Hamza Shaikh

Creative AI Lead, Gensler

Hamza Shaikh is a creative AI leader at Gensler, pioneering a human-first approach to generative artificial intelligence in design. With a multidisciplinary background as a digital artist, architect, and published author, he brings a proven track record of driving creative innovation at scale. His work focuses on integrating AI into the design process and storytelling, ensuring that emerging technologies enhance rather than replace human creativity and design.Read less

Natasha Sandmeier

Assistant Adjunct Professor, UCLA

Natasha Sandmeier is an educator and leads the postgraduate Entertainment Studio at UCLA Architecture & Urban Design, and is Program Director of the MS.AUD. Her academic work and research straddles the worlds of architecture and visual storytelling. She was the Executive Director of the A+D Museum, Los Angeles from 2022-24. She is the author and editor of Little Worlds (London, 2014); a monograph of projects and essays re-examining the role of the architect within contemporary architectural culture. Natasha is an architect (NL registered) and founding partner of Office UR (OUR).Read less

Olin McKenzie

Design Partner, SOM

As a designer, Olin McKenzie is influenced by his experience of cities—the spaces, patterns, and buildings that contribute to the novelty and wonder of urban living. His architectural sensibility is invested in restraint and clarity, and by the belief that layered work can be most powerfully achieved through an economy of design moves.
When he joined SOM in 2006, Olin initially worked in the education sector, with projects including the Raffles American School in Iskandar, Malaysia, and student activity and athletic facilities for Kuwait University. He went on to design dynamic and influential transportation projects, including Brightline, which encompasses three passenger rail stations in South Florida, and the Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan.
A human scale and distinct visual identity are throughlines in Olin’s work. From the curving glass facade which masks the structural columns at Pendry Manhattan West to the locally sourced timber screens that enable passive shading and air flow at the Raffles American School, Olin is known for finding unexpected formal and material solutions that enrich a building’s function and surroundings.Read less

Linna Choi

Founder/Partner, OUALALOU+CHOI

Linna Choi is a co-founding Principal of OUALALOU + CHOI, an architecture and urban design practice with studios in Paris and Casablanca. Linna holds a Master in Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Yale University. She has served as a studio professor at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, Rhode Island School of Design, Rice University, and the Università Iuav di Venezia School of Architecture. Linna is the recipient of numerous design awards, including the Rice Design Alliance Spotlight Prize, In/Arch Award, WA Award, AR Emerging Architecture Award, and was named as one of the “100 Architects of the Year” by the Korean Institute of Architects. With her partner Tarik Oualalou, Linna has published a monograph of the office’s work entitled "Territories of Disobedience" which examines the office’s body of work in the past twenty years.Read less

Thomas Schaller

Artist, Schaller Architectural and Fine Arts

Thomas W. Schaller is an internationally acclaimed artist, architect, and author based in New York City. In 2024 he was named the recipient of the Arthur Ross Award in Fine Arts by the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, the 2024 Raphael Award, winner of the Ogden Pleissner Award by both the American Watercolor Society and the Salmagundi Art Club, and First Place Award winner in Watercolour International. A two-time winner of the prestigious Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize, he also won the First Place Award in the Architizer One Drawing Competition. He is the author of three books, including the AIA Award-Winning Architecture in Watercolor. His latest, Architect of Light is published by Penguin Random House. His best-selling DVD, The Power of Design is published by Streamline Media. And his interactive online mentorship program “Design and the Power of Imagination” is hosted by Terracotta LLC. Tom is a signature member of many art groups around the world and is represented by Gallery 71 in New York City.Read less

Simone Lapenta

Design Director and Director of Visualization, RIOS

Simone Lapenta is a Design Director and the Director of Visualization at RIOS, a global design collective based in Los Angeles. At the intersection of design and digital storytelling, Simone brings visions of unbuilt places to life, crafting striking narratives that seamlessly blend a refined digital aesthetic with evocative realism. Originally from Rome and with over 15 years of experience, Simone weaves cultural resonance and technical clarity into every image. His work reveals the essence of a space before it is built, inviting viewers to experience how it will look and feel and strengthening the aesthetic language and expressive power of architectural interventions.Read less

Ismail Seleit

AI Influencer, Foster + Partners

Ismail Seleit is a design architect at the industry-leading Foster and Partners, specialising in design technology. With extensive experience in architecture and computational design, Ismail has contributed to diverse projects, ranging from design competitions to the realisation of buildings on various scales.
Actively supporting design teams, Ismail leverages his expertise in BIM and Computational Design to navigate complex challenges. His primary focus is on enabling project teams to achieve efficient, informed, and collaborative design outcomes. Collaborating across departments, Ismail works to implement innovative methodologies to manage the design process from urban planning to product scale.
Simultaneously, Ismail engages in applied research, exploring new opportunities for implementing cutting-edge design workflows. His research specifically focuses into the integration of generative AI image-generating tools, with a keen interest in the combination of Stable Diffusion and ControlNet. This unique approach offers various techniques for generating controlled image compositions based on diverse user-defined inputs.
Beyond his architectural pursuits, Ismail is an ambient-electronic music producer, with a focus on film scores. He has composed and produced soundtracks for architectural short films and contributed to the music and sound design of various independent films. Ismail's passion for creative thinking, coupled with his dedication to design problem-solving, continues to drive his multifaceted and innovative endeavours.Read less