Akshat Bhatt

Principal Architect, Architecture Discipline
India

Akshat Bhatt is the Principal Architect at Architecture Discipline, a New Delhi-based multi-disciplinary architecture practice he founded in 2007. He graduated from the TVB School of Habitat Studies in 2002, following which he studied at The University of East London under Peter Salter & Michelle Roelofsma. He has also worked with Penoyre & Prasad, and Jeff Kahane & Associates in London.

His work spans varied typologies from residences and workspaces, to retail and hospitality interiors, to large-scale urban and commercial assignments. His portfolio also includes explorations in public art and installations, furniture, and product design.
Architecture Discipline aspires to create environments that foster happiness and a sense of optimism for the future, bringing value to the lives and work of people. Its work is driven by a context-driven, rational approach of ideation, which is then defined and developed by a highly technical outlook with a focus on longevity and flexibility.

Over the last 18 years, Bhatt has taught at three architecture schools in New Delhi, actively engaging with the city’s academic community.

Alice Hampson

Founder & Director, Alice Hampson Architect
Australia

Alice Hampson is the Principal of Alice Hampson Architect, which she established in 1993 after graduating from the University of Queensland in 1988 with First Class Honours. Her notable academic achievements include winning the A E Brooks Travelling
Scholarship, 1988; James Hardie Design Award; Karl & Gertrude Langer Memorial Prize for Design, Queensland Institute of Architects Memorial Medallion (QIA) and Board of Architects Award (Design Studies), BHP Australian Student Biennale Awards (finalist) and Concrete Masonry Association Competition (First Prize); University of Queensland Architecture Department Drawing Prize and Board of Architects Prize – Bachelor of Architecture.

After entering practice Alice won awards for architecture, heritage, and public art. They include: group awards for “John Herbert Memorial Award and Gold Heritage Award” for Hot Modernism: Building Modern Queensland 1945-1975, 2017; Silver Award for Stories of our Built Heritage for Brisbane Art Deco, National Trust Queensland, 2015; Finalist, Public Art, Design Institute (Qld) 2005; Best Use of Lighting and Commendation, for Stage Set, DIA Awards, 2002; High Commendation Art & Architecture, RAIA (Qld), 2005.

In various years, Alice was a tutor in Architectural Design at the University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology. She was a founding member of Designing Women Talk Series, founded the Architext Website, Brisbane; served on committees for Alvar Aalto Exhibition, Queensland Museum and Carlo Scarpa – Castlevecchio Museum Drawings Exhibition, Old Government House, QUT.

Alice has taken a prominent public role in Queensland and Nationally: as a writer, editor, competition chair and juror, speaker and board member, councilor, and office-bearer of professional and official organisations.

Asha Sairam

Principal, Studio Lotus
India

Asha Sairam is a Principal at Studio Lotus, a New Delhi-based multidisciplinary design practice founded in 2002. Spanning the domains of Masterplanning, Architecture, and Interior Design, the work of the award-winning practice is grounded on the principles of Conscious Design—an approach that celebrates local resources, cultural influences, an inclusive process, and keen attention to detail.

Presently, Asha leads the Hospitality Design vertical for the practice. A 40 Under 40 honoree at the Perspective Global Design Awards 2019, she is an active member of the Indian design fraternity, regularly participating in panel discussions and conferences, representing the practice on a global stage.

Studio Lotus’s work is internationally recognized—winning, among others: World’s Best Holiday Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival, the Creative Reuse category at INSIDE Awards, the DOMUS Italia Award for Restoration and Adaptive Reuse, the Grand Jury Prize at the Design for Asia Award, the Prix Versailles Special Prize for Restaurant Interiors, the Social Good category and people’s favourite at the AZ Awards by Azure, the Public Amenity, Commercial Buildings category at the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture, making it to the longlist at the Dezeen Awards as well as India’s AD 100 list for seven consecutive years, and a nomination in the Aga Khan Awards cycle 2013. The practice’s projects and writings have been published extensively in newspapers and magazines globally.

Chan Ee Mun

Architect, WOHA
Singapore

Chan Ee Mun is a Director at WOHA. He obtained his Master of Architecture from the National University of Singapore and has been associated with the architectural practice since its inception. Ee Mun is driven by his intrinsic interest in Tropical Urbanity and its change-making potential in shaping responsive architectural solutions to modern issues of density and climate change. His work is characterised by its people-centric approach which is spatially engaging, programmatically vibrant and environmentally responsive. Acknowledged as a leading young architect in “20 under 45” by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, Ee Mun has led and completed award-winning projects in key development sectors including residential, commercial, conservation, institutional and hospitality. He speaks at local and regional forums and has been engaged in academia as a visiting design tutor, lecturer and external examiner at local art and architectural institutions such as the National University of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Elaine Yan Ling Ng

Founder, The Fabrick Lab
Hong Kong

Elaine Yan Ling Ng, nicknamed the ‘techno fairy’ by Elle Deco, is the founder of The Fabrick Lab, which brings together textiles, electronics, biomimicry, interiors and installations. A British Chinese materialologist, Ng graduated from Central Saint Martins in London where she earned her MA Design in Textile Futures with distinction. An alumna of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Management in Leadership, she is a TED Fellow and has been globally recognized, by multiple design awards, including AD100 The Game Changer by AD Italia, The Influencer by INDE. Awards and received The Emerging Talent Award by Design Anthology, GGEF’s Eco Innovator Award, Swarovski’s Designer of the Future Award and Tatler’s Gen T Award. She has worked with Nissan Design Europe and Nokia Design Beijing and is one of the top 50 brightest connectors, creative visionaries, influential innovators and disruptive talents in Hong Kong.

Ng’s magical approach towards materials is inspirational, and at Art Basel Hong Kong 2019 she was commissioned by UBS to create an original work designed to instigate conversations about sustainability with data, art and design. Ng’s work has since been exhibited at Art Basel, Design Miami/ Basel, the V&A and the Science Museum in London, The Triennale Design Museum, the Textiel Museum, Tilburg, the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, the Espace EDF Art Foundation in Paris, and the Wuhao, Beijing and Moleskine Global galleries.

In 2020, Ng was appointed Nature Squared’s Chief Material Innovator, and her mission is to turn waste from shells and other materials such as abandoned termite nests, grass, seeds and even stones into sustainable construction material, using the example of biowaste in the medical industry.

Elaine designs for the greater good, rather than simply for beauty or function.

Florian Heinzelmann & Daliana Suryawinata

Founders & Directors, SHAU
Indonesia

Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann are founders of SHAU Rotterdam-Bandung (www.shau.nl, instagram:@shauarchitects). SHAU works on multiple scales and typologies with a cultural-environmental agenda. Their work includes public spaces, vertical housing, visionary masterplans and microlibraries.

Among other awards, SHAU has received Architizer A+ Awards 2020 & 2017, INDE.Awards 2018 ‘Influencer’ category, Small Firm of the Year in Sustainable Architecture from the American Architecture Prize 2017, Silver Prize from Lafarge-Holcim Award Asia-Pacific 2017 and was shortlisted for Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2019. Prior to establishing SHAU, Daliana and Florian studied at the Berlage Institute Rotterdam. Florian was a project architect at UNStudio in Amsterdam. He was a researcher, master course tutor and Solar Decathlon project manager at TU Delft and completed his PhD research on Adaptive Daylight Systems at TU Eindhoven. He is currently a Visiting Senior Fellow at National University of Singapore, Department of Architecture. Daliana worked for OMA, MVRDV and West8 and taught master courses at The Why Factory TU Delft with topics ranging from ‘Superkampung Jakarta’ to ‘World Wonders’.

SHAU won The Influencer for its project Microlibraries at INDE.Awards 2018.

Goy Zhenru, Dessy Anggadewi & Sam Loetmann

Director, Indonesia lead, Thailand lead, Goy Architects
Singapore, Indonesia & Thailand

The opportunity to design a farm stay in Indonesia was the spark that led Goy Zhenru to establish Goy Architects in Singapore in 2015. She was soon joined by two former colleagues – Bali-based Indonesian architect Dessy Anggadewi and Chiang Mai-based Thai architect Sam Loetman – and the trio now work together remotely with a deep dedication to vernacular architecture and craftsmanship in Southeast Asia.

The regional approach allows for the cross-pollination of ideas influenced by the team’s respective social contexts and built environments. The studio experiments with local artisanal building products and explores ways to adapt them to modern use. A pop-up material research office in Chiang Mai was established recently to support close collaboration with local artisans and to experiment with the vernacular. The hope is that the studio will grow in each of the three countries, with each office focusing on its respective regional crafts and materials while tapping project opportunities.

The regional approach has fostered a nimble approach to operations. The team operates on cloud-based BIM software (ArchiCAD) to allow for syncing of design models from any location. The use of mobile apps such as BIMX allows design collaboration as well as access to design models by clients and builders. The team finds that this not only allows for more holistic design discussions on site, but also for language barriers to be overcome.

James Calder

Global Director of User Strategy, ERA-co
Australia

James Calder, an early pioneer in activity-based workplace design and a leader in workplace strategy for the digital age, is Global Director of User Strategy at start-up consultancy ERA-co. James works globally and has a deep understanding of workstyles, organizational cultures and extensive experience in project delivery particularly around innovation. His project list includes Macquarie at Shelley Street and 50 Martin Place, NAB at 700 Bourke Street, Atlassian at TechCentral, Brookfield’s HO in New York and Mitsui Fudosan’s new workspace in Tokyo.

James has developed workplace strategies and specialist fitouts and buildings for lawyers, accountants, management consultants, media and technology organizations, investment and retail banks, governments and universities. He also works for real estate owners and developers to design the next generation of buildings for the tenants of the future. James is a practitioner, facilitator, author and educator interested in all facets of strategy, design and workplace optimization.

Jefa Greenaway (Wailwan|Kamilaroi)

Founder & Director, Greenaway Architects
Australia

Jefa Greenaway is Director of Greenaway Architects, a Senior Lecturer (University of Melbourne)/Honorary Fellow (Deakin University), and a regular design commentator across many platforms. He’s championed Indigenous led design thinking for 25+ years as a registered architect in NSW/VIC, as co-founder of Indigenous Architecture + Design Victoria, as co-author of the International Indigenous Design Charter, and as Regional Ambassador (Oceania) of INDIGO (International Indigenous Design Network). His practice is a founding signatory of Architects Declare Australia, he is co-curator of the Australian exhibition at La Biennale Architettura di Venezia 2020/21 and was recently included in the Qantas 100 Inspiring Australians and was a 2020 inductee into the Design Institute of Australia’s (DIA) ‘Hall of Fame’ signifying an outstanding contribution to Australian design.

Judy Cheung

Co-founder, Cheungvogl Architects
Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Cheungvogl is the architecture workshop of Chui Lai Cheung and Christoph Vogl.

Cheungvogl was part of the ‘Picturing “Home-for-All”‘ Exhibition, curated by Toyo Ito, Riken Yamamoto, Hiroshi Naito, Kengo Kuma and Kazuyo Sejima at the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Imabari, Japan in 2011.

In 2017, Cheungvogl was named one of “20 designers and brands that define our tomorrow” alongside OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture, led by Rem Koolhaas), Snøhetta and Olafur Eliasson by Frame Magazine, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

In 2017, Cheungvogl was awarded First Prize in the international competition for the Yeoui-Naru Ferry Terminal and Masterplan in Seoul by a jury chaired by Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA and Alejandro Zaera-Polo, AZPML/Foreign Office Architects (FOA).

In 2018, Cheungvogl received the FRAME Award 2018 Jury Prize for the open exhibition and multi-space gallery around a robotic system within the restoration of the 110-year-old UNSECO heritage Au Pont Rouge in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Leone Lorrimer

National Practice Leader, GHDWoodhead
Australia

For over 30 years Leone has been a recognisable presence in the architecture and design profession. Her projects have won numerous awards in Australia and internationally. She has been a leading design professional, a mentor and an executive director of two major international practices, as well as working as client to some of the world’s most famous architecture and design practices. Leone has recently been appointed as National Practice Leader for GHDWoodhead.

Luke Yeung

Principal, Architectkidd
Thailand

Luke Yeung leads Thailand architectural studio Architectkidd along with Udomsak Komonvilas and Jariyawadee Lekawatana. Based in Bangkok, Architectkidd’s designs make use of innovative tools that are sensitively applied to local materials and construction techniques. This combination leads to architectural projects that are bold and inventive but also closely connected with the local conditions of South East Asia.

Working within the context of South East Asia’s growing cities, Architectkidd is known for articulating materiality as a way to bring humanistic and social qualities into the built environment.

Raj Nandan

Founder & CEO, Indesign Media Asia Pacific
Singapore/Australia

Rajesh Nandan is the Founder, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of the design industry’s premier regional media house, Indesign Media Asia Pacific. After acquiring his first magazine at the age of 22 in 1993, Raj continued to launch a suite of magazine titles throughout the 1990s that would become the foundation for his boutique publishing house in 2000 under the flagship title, Indesign.

In 2010, the company moved further throughout Asia with digital and print titles in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong – including welcoming India to the fold in the very near future. The root of his success lies in Raj being a very early proponent of the potential for digital platforms to support our region’s creative talent.

Sarah Bader

Principal and Representative in Japan, Gensler
Japan

As Representative in Japan for Gensler’s Tokyo office, Sarah leads local and global teams as they create design solutions that meet both the aesthetic and business requirements for clients around the world. Previously, she spent three years as a Co-Managing Director of the firm’s Chicago office. Sarah’s strengths include analysing strategic business goals and leading teams in the creation of world-class programming, space planning, conceptual development, and design development. As a project director, Sarah has spent two decades taking projects from concept through execution with an exceptional ability to understand issues and provide custom, client-focused solutions. From new high-rise hospitals in the heart of a city’s bustling downtown, to familiar and intimate workplace design, Sarah sees design from multiple viewpoints and creates distinctive and compelling solutions for her clients

Shashi Caan

Founding Partner, SC COLLECTIVE & GloWD
United States of America/United Kingdom

Shashi Caan is a distinguished thought leader for architectural design internationally. As a practitioner, design futurist, educator and author, her dedication to furthering human betterment through and by design is reflected in her 30-year design career.

With a focus on design facilitation for imaginative and responsible outcomes, she leads GloWD (Globally We Design) Platform and THE SC COLLECTIVE, the innovatively structured firm which she co-founded in 2002. Shashi was US Designer of the Year (2004), and appointed JDP Design Ambassador to Japan (2013). Prior to starting her own firm, she was formerly Associate Partner and Design Director with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), in New York and Chair of Interiors at Parsons The New School for Design. With her service to the global design community, she served two terms as President of IFI, the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (2009-2011, 2011-2014).

Her seminal book, Rethinking Design and Interiors: Human Beings in the Built Environment, has been translated into multiple languages.

Tiana-Jane Furner

Architectural Graduate, BVN
Australia

Tiana-Jane Furner is an emerging Graduate of Architecture, whom is one of the very few Indigenous practitioners within the Built Environment. Specialising in the Social Agency Stream at the University of New South Wales, Tiana was one of their leading students. With her strong advocacy for social issues, she received the Byera Hadley Travel scholarship for her thesis on How can architecture help reduce the re-offending rate in Australia?

Since starting at BVN Architecture in 2019, Tiana has worked closely with Indigenous Principal Kevin O’Brien. This has allowed her to explore the deep importance of the Designing with Country framework. She has worked on a range of building typologies such as Houses, Hospitals, University Housing and Performing Arts facilities.

Wendy Leung

Director and Head of Australia, M Moser Associates
Australia

Wendy Leung is a Director and Head of Australia for M Moser Associates. Wendy joined M Moser in 1992 and has worked with a wide range of international corporates, to deliver innovative and progressive working environments across APAC.

With an established strength in integrated project delivery, Wendy has lead teams to successfully deliver large complex projects in emerging markets. She is also a leader in sustainability and is a LEED and Greenstar accredited professional.”

Whare Timu (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa)

Associate Principal, Te Matakirea Lead, Warren and Mahoney
Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Whare Timu is a senior design lead and cultural advisor with over 15 years’ experience across a range of sectors in the built environment. He leads Warren and Mahoney’s Advanced Indigenous Design Unit – Te Matakīrea, to help develop a platform made of an authentic indigenous presence and voice within the practice and deliver to the wider community.

Whare is deeply rooted in in his Māori culture. Te ao Māori (Māori view) and tikanga Māori (protocol) play a crucial role for him, both personally and professionally, to be able to bring people together. He has a deep understanding of tikanga Māori and is practiced in whaikōrero and kapa haka. His experience comes from a diverse range of projects and developments, including papakāinga (intergenerational housing), large scale typology housing, cultural-driven public architecture, and infrastructure. His capability in highlighting cultural impact with partners and clients enables him to undertake specific roles as cultural advisor and stakeholder design manager, creating outcomes and objectives for the benefit of all partnerships.

As a practitioner, Whare brings his practical knowledge, along with his indigenous background, and shares his insight for various academia purposes. He has strong relationships with some of our most reputable colleges, universities and institutions across the country and across the Pacific, including Princeton University in New Jersey. He is a regular writer and convenor for various publication such as Architecture NZ and CTI Fresh Thinking for Princeton. He has recently contributed perspective and insight to BRANZ Built magazine and Australasian Leisure Management on the incorporation of indigenous architecture and authentic design into our projects and how we can create a gateway to facilitate this from the outset. He has ongoing relationships with some of the Aboriginal communities and has recently contributed to Architecture AU regarding the place and process of Indigenous awards – and how to embed indigenous content, conversation and perspective into the broader context of architectural recognition.