Innovation and inspiration for Architects and Designers

Ahmad Bukhash

Ahmad Bukhash first received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Wentworth Institute of Technology from Boston in 2002. Following the completion of his Bachelor degree, he then received the prestigious monbukagakusho scholarship from the Japanese Government in collaboration with the UAE ministry of higher education to continue his Architectural Master Studies in Japan at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, which he completed in 2006. After his graduation Bukhash returned to the UAE and was employed by Dubai Properties Group from 2007 until 2014 as the Director of Urban Planning and Design.

During his work career, Bukhash identified the need for developments to reflect their surrounding culture and embody the spirit of place through modern abstractions and reinterpretations of traditional archetypes. This instigated him to establish his own architectural design practice in 2009 named ARCHIDENTITY. The main purpose behind the firm’s establishment was to define a unique architectural identity suited to the present age. Bukhash was awarded the Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic Excellence in 2010 and remains heavily engaged in the field of Architectural Education as a Member of the Dubai Advisory Committee for the Architectural Program Development at the American University of Dubai.

In the near decade since launching his firm, he has guided the nine-member team to complete projects across Dubai including the kindergarten school extension for Dubai Japanese School, residential villa developments in Al Barsha and Umm Suqeim, as well as an art installation project created in collaboration with Architectural Digest and Bentley Motors. In addition to the same his firm is the only local firm to be exclusively awarded the Design of a Pavilion within Dubai Expo 2020 dedicated to the EXPO LIVE Initiative.

Some of the achievements of the firm since its establishment include:

FORBES MAGAZINE 2015 “top 50 business leaders inspiring the UAE”

ARCHITECURAL DIGEST MIDDLE EAST 2017 “top 50 Designers in the Middle East”

ESQUIRE MAGAZINE 2018 “The Esquire 100”

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT MAGAZINE 2018 “top 45 most influential architects in the middle east”

ARCHITECURAL DIGEST MIDDLE EAST 2018 “top 50 Designers in the Middle East”

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT MAGAZINE 2019 “top 50 most influential architects in the middle east”

ARCHITECURAL DIGEST MIDDLE EAST 2019 “top 50 Designers in the Middle East”

IDENTITY MAGAZINE 2020 (id 50) “Celebrating 50 Individuals that have made positive contributions to design and architecture across the MENA region”

ARCHITECURAL DIGEST MIDDLE EAST 2022 “top 50 Designers in the Middle East”

Kai Uwe Bergmann

Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA is a Partner at BIG who brings his architectural expertise to proposals around the globe, including work in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kai-Uwe heads up BIG’s business development–which currently has the office working in over 40 different countries. He also oversees BIG’s Urban scales projects and supports BIG’s Landscape projects. He is registered as an architect in the USA (13 states) and Canada. Kai-Uwe most recently contributed to the resiliency plan BIG U to protect 10 miles of Manhattan’s coastline. First envisioned through the Rebuild by Design competition to develop proactive responses to Superstorm Sandy, it is now being constructed with a completion date in 2026. Further projects include Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Queens Park, Smithsonian Master Plan, Pittsburgh Master Plan and Miami Beach Square. He complements his professional work through previous teaching assignments at the University of Pennsylvania, IE University in Madrid, and his alma mater the University of Virginia. Kai-Uwe formerly was on the Board of the Van Alen Institute, participates on numerous international juries and lectures globally on the works of BIG.

Arjan Pit

Arjan joined UNStudio in 2020, bringing with him extensive international experience in complex master planning and architectural projects in Europe, China and the Middle East.

He has a broad interest and understanding of cultural diversity proving to be a valuable asset in UNStudio’s global presence and reach. Arjan has led multiple high profile projects ranging from masterplanning and urban strategies to architecture projects including public buildings, industrial complexes and mixed-use high rise through all stages of design and construction. He is specialized in design strategy with a track record in optimization of complex master planning and architectural projects.

Currently Arjan leads the practice of UNStudio Middle East, dedicated as the local liaison for developments in the Middle East. With his all-round experience Arjan is able to oversee and advise stakeholders on all key levels of developments.

Andrea Sensoli

Growing up in central Italy, Andrea Sensoli elected Florence for his studies in architecture. Fascinated by
Eclecticism and Freedom, founding principles of Humanism, he wanted to find them in the town that had
been the “Cradle of the Renaissance”.
The city was an inspiration because of the great combination of heritage and modern lifestyle, but Andrea
found himself very attracted by the Florentine Avant-Garde movements. He was fortunate to have been
tutored by Professor Pierluigi Spadolini, late exponent of the so-called “Florentine School “and famous
architect himself, author of “LA NAZIONE” newspaper HQ and Florence Congress Palace.
Under his mentorship, Andrea completed his honours degree in 1993.
Early years as an Architect
With so much passion for modern design, Andrea sought the opportunity to work with some of the biggest
names in the industry, such as Claudio Nardo and Studio Archea. Eventually, he decided to take his
creativity to the next level by starting his own business. Initially, he worked on developing retail and
residential projects. Very soon, this young and dynamic interior designer attracted the attention of some
of the biggest names in luxury retail, including Gucci, Sergio Rossi, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and
Alexander McQueen. Within a short time, Andrea Sensoli made himself known as one of the finest
architects in the field.
In 2002 he settled the design firm ASZ partners, with offices in Florence and Milan.
Developing Corporate structure
In 2008, aiming at Internationalising the office, Andrea decided to form a partner office with three other
architects. They shared the belief to consider this practice as a way to make a difference in the world by
creating fine architectural designs that people could enjoy occupying every day. According to Andrea
Sensoli, it is essential to give life the purpose of leaving a mark on our interpretation of the time we live
in.
The corporate structure developed by Andrea and his partners in the name of ASZarchitetti opened their
first international branch in Dubai and met the local culture to express their architectural vision.
Combining the approach to a larger project scale with so much success in increasing the number of clients
among luxury brands, the company expanded to China from 2010 to 2015 and is currently looking out to
Riyadh and Tehran.
Recently ASZarchitetti founded SUPERFUTUREDESIGN*, whereas the sister company overtakes and
develops the creative activity of the group.
Secret of Success
Andrea Sensoli and his team consider their design workshop family and home. It is the place where they
discuss ideas, always trying to look at things from a different angle. Their success is a result of their hard
work and over 20 years of innovation in creativity, which is a blend of cultural heritage and the necessities
of the modern lifestyle. They believe that an architect’s design should represent the culture of the place
where it stands. It is a combination of many different factors that span from efficiency to communication,
and, once synthesised with the local environment, they will always give ‘beautiful’ results.
Andrea Sensoli’s life as an architect spans over a period of twenty years. His merit is to have strived for
his vision in an extremely difficult conjuncture, leading a brand that has been able to carve its name all
around the world within the finest structures used by the biggest names in the fashion industry as a
symbol of pride and heritage. His roots in Florence, Italy, have allowed him to interpret the projecting
spirit of the Renaissance into the future lifestyle, producing genuine and meaningful designs, still looking
forward to a higher degree of expression.

Baharash Bagherian

Baharash Bagherian is the CEO of URB and has masterminded designs of various sustainable cities currently under construction. As an award-winning designer, Baharash Bagherian has over 18 years of experience with a focus on master planning sustainable communities.

Prior to establishing URB, Baharash Bagherian had worked in various senior roles for architectural practices & developers leading multidisciplinary teams. Having gained and harnessed invaluable knowledge, URB was founded with a sense of purpose to accelerate the world’s transition towards sustainable developments.

As a visionary changemaker, Baharash Bagherian leads the team at URB to develop the highest standards of destinations, through his unique expertise as well as sustainability know-how. He also heads the world’s first incubator for sustainable cities, an initiative by URB, which aims to foster a collaborative ecosystem of sustainable innovators at all levels.

Headquartered in Dubai Design District, URB are currently planning the next generation of sustainable cities which are pushing the boundaries of urban planning, whilst educating people that such cities are commercially viable to construct and operate.

Alastair Common

With over 20 years of professional experience since 2002, he has been working in the façade industry and have obtained a wealth of knowledge through experience gained in Italy, Ireland, UK, Middle East and India. A large portion of employment has been technically based where he learned the grass routes through, arguably one of the industry’s best, Permasteelisa, in their Italian based head office.  Whilst in the UAE he had the privilege of working on world famous projects such as the Yas Viceroy Hotel, Sowwah Square, Shining Towers and Rosewood Hotel. His career has steadily progressed from humble beginnings in the design office, to Project Manager, to Senior Project Manager, to now being Technical Director with undoubtedly the world’s most prolific architectural aluminium systems company.

Mr. Common plays an important role in Schüco  involving Product Management and development for systems specifically for the Middle East region.

Dima Al Srouri

Dima is a city strategist and a creative thought leader, building bridges through urban planning,
design & sustainability. She has experience in multi-scalar, interdisciplinary and complex projects. She
brings a wealth of knowledge from professional practice in the public & private sectors as well as
academia on the science of cities, sustainability, circular development & sustainable business
models. Dima has worked on the planning & implementation of spatial framework plans & 2030
visions at a city level as well as large mixed use Master Plans with multi-modal transport hubs, where
she created tangible sustainability strategies. Dima served as a judge for Gulf Sustainability Awards,
an expert practitioner for the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Youth
program, and on the advisory board of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah. She participated in
several conferences and panels on sustainable development both locally & internationally. She is
currently a lecturer in Urban Planning & Development at the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi &
Director of a boutique consultancy for sustainable development, Biospheric City Lab, based in Dubai
Design District.

Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan

In 2006, Abulhasan founded together with Joaquin Perez-Goicoechea, AGi architects. Since then as co-director, he has completed several projects in the fields of building, urban design, planning, and interior & industrial design, and has been honored on several occasions internationally.

Dr. Abulhasan has extensive experience in the design and implementation of new communities and has worked on numerous high profiles master planning projects in Europe and the Middle East. His area of research is in sustainable developments in arid climates and focuses on the perception of light in buildings.

Mark Powell

Mark is the Head of Architecture for Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture & Tourism. He is a past Branch President and longstanding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a former member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservators.

He has studied and worked in the field of Architecture for over 25 years and has extensively worked on numerous complex and demanding projects in the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sectors.

For the past fifteen years, Mark has worked in The United Arab Emirates and gained an extensive knowledge of regional vernacular architecture and the modern heritage of Abu Dhabi particularly with regard to his work on Qasr Al Hosn (the ancestral home of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family) and The Cultural Foundation (a significant modern heritage landmark of Gropius origins). Mark has also worked extensively on Guggenheim Abu Dhabi with Gehry Partners and on other significant cultural initiatives such as Louvre and Berklee Abu Dhabi.

Mark’s studies are encapsulated within his Architectural sketchbooks, which he was delighted to have exhibited in the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Architectural Biennale in 2014.

Prior to joining The Department of Culture & Tourism Mark has worked for numerous international high profile Architectural Practices in the UK. He has been internationally recognised by his peers, for the rehabilitation of Liverpool’s oldest city centre cultural building, The Bluecoat, which was conserved and extended as a contemporary arts centre in 2005.

The works which Mark has undertaken, have been formally recognised by UNESCO as being an exemplar approach to rehabilitating a World Heritage Site. He is delighted to have been recognised by his peers for these works, which obtained a High Commendation in the ‘Mies van der Rohe’ award at the World Architecture Festival, in Barcelona 2008 and for his association with the Qasr Al Hosn Musalla, which was recognised as the best Religious building at the World Architecture Festival Awards in 2019 and best Urban Landscape in 2021.

David Lessard

David Lessard is a Partner and Design Director at H+A; an architecture and interior design studio specializing in healthcare, hospitality and wellness. He is currently leading a global portfolio of projects across the Middle East, Asia and Africa – most notably the transformation and expansion of the Avani Hotel Seychelles and Ritz Carlton Al Wadi in Ras al Khaimah. Widely recognized for his contributions to the region, David is a celebrated designer, critic and conference participant – emerging as a thought leader, mentor and advisor on all matters related to hospitality and healthcare design alongside H+A partner Stas Louca. Over the course of his career, David has developed an affinity for timeless design that is sensitive to context, culture and environment – a human centric approach to projects that enhances the places they occupy.

Raya Ani

Named one of the most influential architects in the Middle East since she established her own studio in Dubai in 2014, Raya Ani is a multidisciplinary architect and urban designer with more than 30 years of international experience, having worked in Baghdad, Boston, Dubai, Germany, and New York City. She received her bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Baghdad University with distinction and her masters in Architecture from MIT, where she was awarded the prestigious Harvard/MIT Aga Khan scholarship.
As the 2017 President of the American Institute of Architects-Middle East Chapter, she launched AIA Middle East in Iraq to empower Iraqi architects through a global platform. Her interests in melding innovation, sustainability, and technology, and her drive to empower and lead by example has resulted in her becoming the founder and design director of RAW-NYC Architects, an award-winning interdisciplinary studio based in New York City and Dubai.
Through the canvases of her designs, Raya explores the powers of architecture as a pivotal tool for empowerment and transformation, inspiring architects and creatives across the world. Her work on the marshes of Southern Iraq in 2013, which had received the AIA-ME honor award, was aimed at inspiring the indigenous people of the Marshes to restore the deteriorated ecosystem. In 2016, Raya was shortlisted out of forty-three leading women architects in New York to participate in an international competition to convert a women’s prison in Manhattan into an international hub for women empowerment. Raya Ani, while leading RAW-NYC’s ‘Live and Let Live’ interdisciplinary team, designed the winning competition entry for the masterplan of the micro-nation of Liberland, creating and empowering a self-sufficient, sustainable community based on innovation and technology.
She has participated in a series of workshops as a volunteer to help build schools and homes for children in Tanzania. The well-acclaimed competition entry for the Bamiyan Cultural Center in Afghanistan, which won the merit award at the AIA International Region Awards in Prague, reaffirms her commitment to empower communities through design.
Raya was bestowed upon the title of Fellow American Institute of Architects for her excellence in design and outstanding contributions in the field of architecture. This fellowship, which is esteemed as the highest honor in the American Institute of Architects, celebrates Raya’s boundless creativity, innovation, and dedication.

Richard Fenne

Richard is the Regional Executive Chair and Director of the Dubai Studio at Woods Bagot and is an award-winning RIBA and ARB registered Architect with 20 years of wide-ranging international experience.

Since joining the Woods Bagot Dubai studio in 2011 Richard has led some significant and notable projects including the Dubai Exhibition Centre, IRENA HQ building, Masdar City Square and Etihad Eco Residences at Masdar City, along with high profile mixed-use, lifestyle and commercial developments in the region.

In addition to providing regional leadership he also engages at a global level as a Board Director, developing business strategy, championing sustainability and driving innovative Workplace Architecture. Through his experience Richard strives to bring thought leadership, commercial acumen, design excellence and a collaborative and engaging approach to every project, maximizing the outcome for our Clients.

Vignesh Kaushik

Vignesh Kaushik is Regional Director of Design Technology at Gensler in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Greater China region. He  leverages his passion for people enablement, process development, and technology innovation to lead digital transformation in the firm’s practice that spans complex retail, hospitality, residential and workplace projects of various scales across sectors. The core mission of the high-powered community he leads is to create an advanced, sophisticated, and futuristic experience for our designers and clients through infinite computing possibilities in generative design, computational systems, visualization, and software development.

A recognized thought leader, he has published over 15 research papers in various technology conferences and is a frequent speaker at national and international forums related to Generative Design & BIM. He also serves on the board of the Computational BIM workgroup organized by the Govt. of Singapore to chart its roadmap for adoption of Integrated Digital Delivery by 2020.

Vignesh believes in the power of mentorship and gives back through services that impact architecture students to help shape their career paths.  He has taught advanced computational design in many institutions in SE Asia and truly believes in the business of crafting incredible human experiences – through design, technology and Emaar Hospitality  storytelling.

Esra Lemmens

Esra Lemmens is a Design Strategist at her namesake, The Esra Lemmens Agency and
focuses on empowering contemporary Designers across the globe accomplishing
clear business objectives. Due to her vast experience in the global design industry,
Esra has the upper hand in terms of knowledge and her innate artistic sense. This, in
turn, allows her to observe the implementation of new mindsets and approaches
concerning how designers can be empowered best.
She is established as an ambassador for contemporary design, and this has enhanced
her award-winning leadership skills. Her expertise in design management and design
communication also bring something more to the table. Her impactful talents such
as strategy building, and organization capability are a result of her all-encompassing
encounters with key players in the design industry. Lemmens’s work has an
international presence, leveraged by ongoing lectures and workshops at prestigious
design institutes. All-in-all, Esra is a versatile combination of organizational potential
and substantial know-how of a complex industry.

Will Plowman

Will studied architecture at the University of Newcastle and London Metropolitan University, graduating in 2007. When he joined Foster + Partners in 1999 as an intern, Will notably worked on the Trafalgar Square Masterplan and 30 St Mary’s Axe. He went on to gain valuable experience elsewhere in the industry, working in South America, Australia and the Middle East, re-joining the practice in 2011. Will has worked on a broad spectrum of projects ranging from masterplans to luxury projects with a keen focus on hospitality. He currently leads the Foster + Partners Dubai office, overseeing the design and delivery of Lana Hotel by Dorchester Collection. In his spare time, Will enjoys travel filled with adventure, photography and triathlons.

Juan Roldan

Juan Roldan is a Spanish architect and educator. With architecture studies in Madrid (ETSAM MArch 2004) and London (Bartlett School of Architecture UCL, London 1999). Roldan is an Associate Professor of Interior Design at the American University of Sharjah. Roldan was appointed curator of the first edition of the d3 Architectural Festival 2020 (d3 in partnership with RIBA Gulf). In 2019, he was awarded the International Charles Correa Chair by the Charles Correa Foundation at Goa College of Architecture (India).His latest written research, “Outdoor Rooms and Domesticated Landscapes in the UAE,” was published in Interior Provocations (Routledge, 2020).

James Inedu George

James Inedu-George (Rolex Mentor and Protegee program 2017 Nominee) is an awardwinning architect that practices in Africa and Internationally. He serves as the design head of HTL in Nigeria. He studied architecture at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. His architecture is based highly on the mining of typologies from the current uses of the MegaCity, and the reengineering of global cities for maximal efficiencies with these typologies. He has lectured and exhibited severally in Universities and Biennales globally, some of which are: The University of Pennsylvania, Florida International University and the University of Florida amongst others. He participated in the 2017 FRAC biennale, exhibiting a 120-page manifesto called the interruptive
manifesto. He recently was also the African Architect in Residence at the University of Gainesville Florida.

Mihir Sanganee

Mihir spent the majority of this early career on-site – overseeing the quality of the work being delivered.

He combined this practical experience with his personal design capabilities and created his studio, Designsmith.

His portfolio includes array of luxury residential, F&B, hospitality, retail and commercial projects in Middle East.

Paul Nulty

Paul Nulty founded Nulty in 2011. He is an award-winning architectural lighting designer and has been involved with a wide variety of prestigious projects in a career spanning over 20 years. Combining creativity with an eye for detail, his theatrical lighting background provides him with a unique understanding of the relationship between space and light.

Paul leads the practice in a collaborative way to ensure it continually evolves and refines its service, knowledge and innovation. He is a professional member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), a professional member of the Society of Light and Lighting (MSLL) and a Professional member of the Institute of Lighting Professionals (ILP).

Nulty has studios in London, Dubai, Bangkok, Pune and Miami, and works with some of the world’s foremost architects and interior designers. Collaboration is at the heart of the practice; improving life through light, no matter what the scale, is its goal. A Nulty project is defined by its originality and attention to detail.

Professor Dr. Sabih Gatea Khisaf

Prof. Dr. Sabih has extensive experience in the design and construction of civil and heavy civil infrastructure projects such as Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, A13 DBFO Project in London, Metro operation, London Underground (Tube Lines, London). Program management for the development of multi-mode transit systems (e.g. Abu Dhabi’s US$ 32-billion Integrated Public Transport Program), as the Civil Infrastructure Design Manager, Metro Design, Doha Metro and currently, Infrastructure Design Lead MENA Region with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.

Prof. Dr. Sabih is well known within the GCC region for his contribution to the construction industry in the region, he is a regular contributor to the regional industry events as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter or as Conference Host.

Prof. Dr. Sabih is a EUR ING Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (UK).

He is Institution of Civil Engineers Trustee Board Member VP International and Chairman of the ICE’s UAE Committee.

He sits on several Universities Industry Advisory Boards advising and supporting the universities in their education activities. He is an Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University and is a Non-executive Board member of the university’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction in Dubai.

Rashiq Muhamad Ali

Rashiq is an interdisciplinary designer with a primary focus on architecture and the built environment. Through a research-oriented process, rooted in emergent technologies and parametric design practices, Rashiq strives towards a more human centric design.

He has a professional experience spanning over 19 years, across five countries.

Having graduated from the Architectural Association with a Master of Architecture and Urbanism from the AA Design Research Laboratory (2008) in London and a Bachelor of Architecture from Sushant School of Art and Architecture (2002) in New Delhi, he went on to work with Zaha Hadid  Architects on projects in Europe, Middle East, and China before moving on to 10 Design in Hong Kong. He has been involved in projects of various scales and typologies, ranging from large scale MLPs ( Urban Design) and hi-rise towers to smaller-scale residential, interior design projects, and temporary pavilions.

Rashiq has a passion for mentoring young architects and has been involved with the academic side of the profession, having lectures and/or  been an invited jury member in various universities in Europe, Far east and the Middle East.

Sam Graham

Sam Graham is a Managing Director of RLB in the Middle East, based in our Dubai office. He is responsible for the overall management of the regional practice with a focus on project leadership, business development and client relationships. Since joining RLB in 1998, Sam has been providing expert advice to our clients with a specific expertise in executive cost consultancy, feasibility analysis, conceptual cost planning, commercial management and cost management of major projects.

With over 18 years’ experience, including 7 years in the Middle East, Sam’s knowledge covers a variety of sectors including retail, commercial, residential, industrial, health, hotels and leisure. Recent projects include major city developments Msheireb Downtown Doha, Lusail City and Dubai Hills.

Sam received his qualifications in Construction Economics from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Sandra Woodall

Sandra is a passionate environmentalist, architect, urbanist, researcher, and mentor who has lived and worked in the UAE for over 25 years. She is a Fellow of the RIBA, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Academy of Urbanism. She leads tangram’s award-winning MENA region studio who were recognised as the “2019 Architecture Firm of the Year” by the Middle East Economic Digest.

Sandra drives sustainable solutions across the practice and has received a multitude of accolades which include six sustainable design awards for five different projects over a period of just four years.

Over the decades, her work spans from delivering one of the last traditional built coral stone and Indian teak new build projects undertaken in the UAE at Sharjah’s Arts and Heritage Area in the 1990’s; the first green-roofed Government building in Dubai in the 2000’s; a state-of-the-art campus of support facilities for the Emirates Nuclear Energy Programme designed using the principles of traditional desert urbanism, in the 2015. And today, with tangrams expansion across North Africa, she is currently designing a nationwide Hospital of the Future Programme, connecting smarter, digitised, intelligent ecosystems within and across cities to deliver a network of “Hospitals without Walls”, that remodels and redefines healthcare delivery. Introducing a new digital identity that is accessible to all to supplement a reduced and peeled back cost, physical, carbon, water, and waste intensive building footprints, and by using AI and advanced technologies as an exponent of sustainability, offers digitised, patient centric care in virtual hospital facilities located in the Metaverse.

Sharifah ElEssa

Ms. Sharifah Al Essa holds an architectural engineering degree with honors and wants to build the change we want to see in the world. She has been a creative creator, a champion public speaker, and a life-saving innovator whose words and designs inspire everyone. She is also a multi-awarded professional, having won first place for her innovative, impactful designs.

Siddharth Peters

Born in Dubai, Siddharth has had a unique understanding of the local design culture and its evolution. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a specialty in Business and Technology and has been passionate about marrying the two fields ever since.

As Co-founder of Love That Design, Siddharth has shone the spotlight on technology as a catalyst to drive community growth, collaboration & learning across the entire value chain in the Design and Construction industry.

Love That Design showcases award winning ID projects regionally and globally and in turn brings to light the entire supply chain responsible for it (Designers, Project Managers, Contractors, Manufacturers, Suppliers & Clients).

Andrew Mason

FRICS Chartered Surveyor with +30 years international high-level experience particularly for Private and High-Corporate clients, Government and Family Office. Specialities are design and engineering contract drafting, management of multi-finance complex projects, dispute resolution, strategic consulting and international real estate.

Chris Smeaton

As the Digital lead of InSite International, Chris is responsible for transforming the way we design and advise, to help clients become future-ready. Working with professionals across the business to enhance the way they design and implement integrated solutions across core digital competencies, including visualisation, data analytics, digital modelling, computational design, information management and solution development.

Chris applies his years of experience with relevant industry and technical know-how, to help clients fundamentally rethink their planning, strategy, and business processes, create connected digital platforms and improve their analytics and collaboration. Lead the business in the way we work, how we share knowledge, collaborate and communicate to improve whole life performance on every project delivered to clients.

Arthi Balasubramanian

Born in Chennai, India, Arthi studied Architecture at Anna University before moving to the UK to obtain her Post Graduate degree at the University of Sheffield in 2005. With over 15 years’ experience in architectural practice, she has worked for a number of renowned architectural studios in the UK, leading several prestigious and award-winning heritage projects during that time. Shortly after moving to the UAE, Arthi worked as Lead Design Manager for the Department of Culture’s complex masterplan and modernization of the Cultural Foundation Building at Al Hosn, which was successfully delivered in September 2019 to wide acclaim.  In her previous leadership position, she was responsible for overseeing the design and delivery of all regional projects. Her passion is design and renovation of cultural buildings, especially projects that bridge local heritage with contemporary architecture.

Prof. Albert Fakhoury

President of CIAAD: The Council for International Accreditation of Architecture & Design, and Director of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation & Sustainability at the Canadian University- Dubai, Professor Albert S. Fakhoury has been the Chair and Professor of Architecture & Interior Design at the American University in Dubai between 2010 and 2017. He taught Architecture and Design courses at Notre-Dame among prestigious universities.

In October 2015 he was elected Executive Board Member of IFI (The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers). Under his leadership several programs achieved academic and professional accreditations such as NAAB, CIDA & NASAD. Albert S. Fakhoury is the Chair of the International Network Committee of IDEC: Interior Design Educators Council since 2015.

He figures regularly at the Power List of the best architects and designers awards worldwide. He chaired and served on many International Jury Panels worldwide in recognition to his wide expertise and high academic credentials.

Prof. Albert S. Fakhoury was the keynote speaker at International venues, conferences, congresses and universities. Additionally, he is a recognized accreditor chairing many International Accreditation panels for the review and accreditation of Architecture and Design Programs.

His outstanding performance in 2016 granted him the highest of the laureates in Design when he received the International Design Award (Best Architect and Designer) for 2016.

As a leading Architect & recognized Designer, Albert S. Fakhoury contributed to many key and landmark projects in the US, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Europe ranging from Hospitality to Commercial and Residential but also Urban and Landscaping Design.

His high management skills and prime projects in Consultancy & turn-key solutions were recognized by distinguished awards.

Prof. Albert S. Fakhoury is a recognized Stage and Set Designer a field that comprises his passion and that he developed further through his Doctoral studies. His national and international set-designs for podiums, pageants, events, plays and exhibitions are reflecting harmony, unique solid concepts and inspiring vision.

Marwa Al Taffag

Engineer Marwa Obaid Al-Taffag, an architect, holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Ajman University and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the American University of Sharjah.

She has 8 years’ experience in the federal government in the fields of architecture, building and construction, urban planning and infrastructure. In addition to being a board member of the Emirates Society of Engineers, a member of the advisory board of the College of Architecture at Ajman University and a founding member of the Emirates Urban Planning Association. She obtained many accredited certificates, most notably, a diploma in government innovation from Imperial College of London, a diploma in the Fourth Industrial Revolution from Oxford University, in addition to obtaining a certificate of a scientific researcher accredited by the International Quality Learning Institute, and she also holds a certificate of a strategic innovation leader certified by the Global Institute for Innovation GINI.

Cristiano Luchetti

Cristiano Luchetti is an architect, researcher, and educator with more than 25 years of experience in both professional practice and academia. Since 2012, Cristiano has taught and researched architectural and urban design for UAE universities. He is currently an Associate Professor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah and a Ph.D. candidate at the Universita’ Politecnica delle Marche in Italy. In his professional activity, Cristiano carries out consultancy for large-scale projects in the Middle East’s residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors. He is Associate Editor Middle East of Compasses Architecture & Design and regularly writes about the architecture and urbanism of the Arabian Gulf. In 2018 he co-curated the Egyptian pavilion at the Architecture Venice Biennale, and in 2021 co-authored the book “Desert:Space – Architecture for Emptiness.” He recurrently serves as a juror for the most prominent international competitions and awards.

Dr. Georges Kachaamy

Dr. Georges Kachaamy is the Director of the Center for Research, Innovation, and Design (CRID) at the School of Architecture, Art, and Design, the American University in Dubai. He has served as the chairperson of the Department of Architecture under which the program has received the NAAB Accreditation. He is a professor of architecture, a registered architect, a certified VR Sketch trainer, a GRAVITY SKETCH Certified Instructor, an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, an affiliated member of the UAE Society of Engineers, and a former member of the Order of Engineers & Architects in Beirut. He was the recipient of the Japanese Government Monbukagakusho Scholarship and received his doctorate from the University of Tokyo in Japan.

As an academician, Dr. Kachaamy’s research interest relates to future and virtual environments, space planning, design, phenomenological theory in architecture, and evidence-based spatial experiments. He is mostly known for his vision towards futurist architecture that deals with Gravity Defiant Architecture (GDA) a.k.a. Airborne Architecture. He has more than 12 years of academic experience where he received the American University in Dubai President’s award for teaching excellence, the President’s Award for Institutional Effectiveness, the Provost’s Award for Creativity in Design and the Visual Arts. In addition, he served on the board of the AIA Middle East Chapter as the Director of Continuing Education.

As a practicing architect, he has over 15 years of experience between Dubai, Tokyo, and Beirut. He worked on different national and international urban and architectural designs. His work spans from universal spaces for meditation to the urban conservation and design studies for cultural heritages and urban developments. His latest contribution was the design of the Executive MBA educational facility on AUD campus.

Moreover, Dr. Kachaamy has won international prizes from renowned organizations such as the International Union of Architects, UIA (Union Internationale des Architects) and for the past ten years he has published many articles and has been involved in architecture, art talks, and exhibitions. In 2018, 2019, and 2021 he was invited by the European Cultural Center to exhibit his architecture project “Rising Oases” and artwork “Unconscious” at the Palazzo Bembo and Mora in the context of the Venice Biennale. In addition, his works and contributions have featured on multiple media outlets such as CNN, TIME Magazine, MBC1, Skynews Arabia, SAMA Dubai, Dezeen Magazine, ArchDaily, ASCE Magazine, Middle East Architect, MTV, and Future TV.

Vikita Shahani

Vikita Shahani is an architect with a passion for sustainable, human-centric design. Her career spanning over a decade has given her the opportunity to work with both public and private sector entities across projects to include master plan communities, mixed-use and urban scale developments.

A project very close to her heart is the Expo 2020 Dubai where she worked from its inception to delivery on various facets to include strategy, public realm and visitor experience planning, site operations, smart mobility, design and project management for special initiatives of varying scale and typologies.

Currently, she works with Love That Design (LTD), a Dubai-based digital intelligence and global platform for the design and construction community. She was brought on board to oversee the company’s strategic growth, industry partnerships and development both regionally and internationally.

In addition, she speaks at universities to aspiring architects and mentoring young women pursuing a career in architecture and design.

Ralph Shelbourne

Ralph Shelbourne brings over 30 years of international hospitality design experience to The Red Sea Development Company having designed a wide range of projects from large scale masterplans to individual buildings, from new build resorts to the renovation and repositioning of centuries old historic buildings. Ralph’s previous experience covers comprehensive areas of hotel, mixed use, residential, retail, urban, theme park and resort design architecture and planning having worked in over 25 countries with many of the worlds leading hotel brands and property developers.

Ralph was a Founding Principal of FSC Architects in Hawaii, a specialist international hospitality design practice where he took the firm from inception into an award winning practice including Best New Business 2012 and the US Federal Governments award of Exporter of the Year for the State of Hawaii in 2013.
Prior to FSC Architects, Ralph was a Director of WATG in both their London and Honolulu offices for 15 years during which he led the Designs of several projects including the three hotels at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, the first destination resort in The Sultanate of Oman, The Hyatt La Manga Club in Murcia, Spain and the El Nido Pangalusian Boutique Resort in Palawan, The Philippines, the latter being the recipient of several eco-tourism awards. He also led several masterplanning projects including Vilamoura XXI in Portugal, Halong Star, Vietnam and also one of the largest materplanning designs by WATG for AmazuluLand, a 17,500 hectare new city for 300,000 residents near Durban in South Africa including a Paramount Theme Park.

Ralph holds a BA in Architecture from De Montfort University in The United Kingdom.

Nikita Chellani

For as long as I can recall, I have been quite the enthusiast for design – be it right from the base to the final construction, and on-site execution. My education, along with internships and jobs have held further enhanced my passion for design. I pride myself on my strong spirit for the field and dedication under pressure increasingly fueling my performance.

Interior design is a form of art, where I see an empty room as a canvas waiting to be adorned.

I am easily inspired by the diversity in materials, textures, fabrics, and colours available to fit my concepts, and love to experiment and pursue unique combinations to accomplish my vision.

Having been born and bred in Dubai, I have witnessed the rapid evolution of today’s cosmopolitan city. To be a part of this intricate community has been nothing short of a dream, and I hope to continue marking my creativity across the landscape.

Islam El Mashtooly

Senior design lead OBMI- founder of Design & More think-tank.

Islam El Mashtooly is an architect, urbanist and educator, who embraces a design philosophy which has the human condition at its heart. He is committed to architecture that supports and enhances communities, with a philosophy emphasizing harmony within context, alongside the climate, culture, and traditions of the MENA region.

His contribution to urban design has been acknowledged both regionally and internationally.

In 2015 Mashtooly was awarded Middle East Young Architect of the Year and the Outstanding Individual in the Middle East Consultant Awards.

Twelve months on, his project entitled Uptown Makkah won the Residential Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin. The year was rounded off for Mashtooly with an AIA ME Honorable Award for his Egyptian Science City project. The 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, held in 2018, saw him curating the Egyptian National Pavilion.

Mashtooly has retained his position in the top 50 Most Influential Architects in the Middle East for five consecutive years. He has continually been nominated for regional and international architecture awards, winning the United International Architects Award in Baku, and the Competition entries – Future Projects at World Architecture Festival in Amsterdam for his Baghdad Design Center.He was nominated for two consecutive years to win The Mohamed Makiya Prize for middle eastern architecture personality.

His work embodies a sense of the architecture vocabulary that fuses urbanism and design. Ambitious to dive into a contemporary rational interpretation that embraces sensibility, variety and sensitivity, his architectural vernacular has humanity at its heart with community, connectivity and the natural world organically evolving from a base in the personal.

Sajiv Shrivastva

Mr Shrivastva joined Al Milad in July 2013 and has been instrumental in developing the firm into a strong global player in the Natural Stone Industry, extending its distribution network into North America, India, China, Vietnam, Ukraine, Russia and Kuwait. In the UAE Sajiv has worked with Omniyat on their Opus Dorchester Hotel, Anwa and Sterling projects respectively as the premier Natural Stone Supplier.
Sajiv is keen on advocating on behalf of the Construction Industry and has also taught the Natural Stone Institute Continuing Education Program in the UAE to over 500 designers/architects including Gensler, Woods Baggot, Zaha Hadid, American University of Sharjah and American University of Dubai etc as an effort to better the understanding of Natural Stone within the Design Community.

Prior to this Sajiv was a New York based Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley.

Sajiv graduated from Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University respectively.

Andy Shaw

Andy Shaw RIBA is an architect based in Dubai. 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, a Nobu hotel in the UAE,  and over 1700 homes for the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority. He is currently working on new hotel resorts and housing communities  in the UAE

He is the elected Chair of the RIBA Gulf Chapter, helping to grow the design community and create events including the regionally focused Sustainability Series, technology showcases and upcoming Architecture Festival.

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.

Andy is passionate about how combining innovative technology and sustainable design can improve the built environment for all citizens, whilst addressing the emerging climate emergency.