founder of Randić and associates, Rijeka
Saša Randić was born in 1964 in Rijeka, Croatia. He graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture in 1990. In the following period he joined the Post-graduate Program at the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam, where he got his MA in 1992, being among the Institute first generation. From 2003 to 2007 he was President of the Croatian Architects Association, where initiated various researches on transformational processes in the Croatian territory, such as the Congress of Croatian Architects in 2004 and 2007. He was editor-in-chief of the ČIP, the magazine of the Croatian Architects Association from 2008 and in 2009 he started a blog about architecture and design. Together with Idis Turato, Saša Randić founded Randić-Turato Architects in 1993 in Rijeka, Croatia. In 2009 he founded the architectural office Randic and Associates. Saša Randić has lectured at Harvard University GSD, ETH Zurich, Berlage Institute Rotterdam, Institute for Advanced Architecture Barcelona, Rotterdam Biennale, TU Munich, and Buenos Aires Biennale. At present he teaches at the Split School of Architecture.
https://randic.hrpartner in CCO architects, Copenhagen
Mikkel Hermann Sørensen has been an important partner in the development of CCO Architects over the last 15 years. As a partner, he has been a driving force in the development of the office and its approach to design. Mikkel Hermann Sørensen has been responsible for a large number of CCO"s most important projects and competition proposals, including the NØAS School in Copenehagen, the Carlsberg Campus UCC in Copenhagen, the Nærheden School, the Green Lighthouse in Viby and the City Hall in Lund, Sweden. Mikkel has worked on a variety of international and local projects, mainly in the concept development and design phase. As an architect, Mikkel has a special interest in solving tasks with programmatic complexity and he uses his strong analytical skills to assess which functions and needs should be weighted and prioritized in the building program and architectural solution. Mikkel was educated at SIAL Institute MIT Melbourne, Kunsthochschule Berlin and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen. Before joining CCO, he worked at JDS Architects and Svendborg Architects.
Link: https://www.ccoarch.com/
CEO in Napur Architect, Budapest
Marcel Habil Ferenzs is the owner and managing director of Napur Architect. He has been a member of the Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Arts since 2012. At Napur Architects he was involved in architectural design and gained decades of experience as a lead designer in turnkey projects from concept to completion. He has been a professor at Obuda University since 2015. In his career, he has been awarded more than twenty times, including the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence World Gold Winner Singapore, the Prima Primissima Award in the Hungarian Architecture category, Archilovers „Best Project of the Year”, Archhello „Best Cultural Project of the Year” ect. He won the first prize six times in international and national competitions. Awarded works: Duna Arena, New Ethnographic Museum Budapest, National Athletics Stadium Budapest, Mathias Corvinus University Budapest. He was the author of the Hungarian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 and co-author in 2010.
Link: https://www.napur.hu
founder and design partner in A-fact, Milan
Pierluigi Turco is a qualified architect with more than 10 years of professional experience in Italy, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. After studying in Palermo (Unipa), Vilnius (VGTU) and Paris (ENSAPM), he moved to London where he obtained a MArch in Sustainable Environmental Design at the Architectural Association School of Architecture. After graduating, Pierluigi worked at SOM in London as an Associate Designer where he was involved in major projects in the construction phase and concept design as well as competitions. In 2019, Pierluigi moved to Kuwait to take up a position as Senior Designer at PACE - Architecture Engineering and Planning. He led a studio for a number of educational and cultural projects, including PAHW, and won a competition to design three prototype schools for the Kuwaiti government, which were awarded “Best Future Project” by the AIA Middle East. In 2022, Pierluigi co-founded A-fact architecture factory with Giovanni Sanna and Andrea Rossi to continue developing architecture projects and master plans. Pierluigi is currently head of the A-fact office in London, which opened in 2023. Pierluigi is also frequently invited as a guest lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Milan (School of Architecture), and the UCL School of Architecture in London.
partner 51N4E, Brussels
Dieter Leyssen is architect and urban sociologist. He holds a master in Architecture from KULeuven and City Design and Social Sciences from LSE. Since 2019 he is partner at Brussels-based international practice 51N4E, where he is responsible for projects in civic design and adaptive infrastructure. He currently teaches urban design at KULeuven and UHasselt. He enjoy projects that deal with messy urban realities that can serve as a resource for building a more equal, democratic and pleasant environment for as many people as possible. In 2017 he decided to complement his training as an architect with that in urban sociology at LSE. In parallel, Dieter started the Acte studio, where he oversee various projects and programs. Both in teaching and in practice, he find a lot of energy in working together and learning from people of different backgrounds and different skills
VEDRAN PEDIŠIĆ, founder of Sangrad+AVP, Zagreb
Vedran Pdišić was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1969. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb in 1996. From 1997 to 2003, he worked at the Tehnika design institute, and from 2001, as a chief designer. Since 2003, he has been leading the architectural office Sangrad, and since 2008 Sangrad+AVP together with Erick Velasco Farrer. He is the winner of several domestic and international awards, including the Viktor Kovačić Association of Architects in 2006 and 2014, the Vladimir Nazor award in 2014, and the architecture medal of the Croatian Chamber of Architects in 2018. Among the large number of projects stand out: the Bus Station in Slavonski Brod, the School Building and "Kajzerica" in Zagreb, the Student Dormitory in Varaždin, the Sports Hall of Tituš Elementary School, the Središće Educational Complex, the American International School in Zagreb, the Student Canteen with Pavilions in Zadar, Kayak canoe club in Slavonski Brod. His works have been published in a number of domestic and foreign books, reviews and professional magazines.
https://sangrad-avp.comfounder of Studio Synthesis architecture&design, Podgorica
Dr. Sonja Radovic Jelovac, interdisciplinary architect and doctor of science in environmental design and planning at the University "La Sapienza" in Rome. She deals with research in the field of ecological urbanism, resilient adaptive urban design and strategic planning. She has over 23 years of design experience, while she applies an experimental transdisciplinary approach through work in the architectural bureau Studio Synthesis architecture&design, of which she is the founder and leading architect. She is also the founder and member of the scientific board at Scientific Institute "Panarchy 11 - Research for Resilience" Architecture. In the role of curator of the Montenegro pavilion at the 16th Architecture Biennale in Venice, she conceptualizes the theme "Emerging Resilience. Reimagining voids through sharing values". She was a commissioner of the Balkan Architecture Biennale, BAB 2019, BAB 2021, BAB 2023. The projects The Two Villages (2024) and Betula Design Center (2022) were nominated for the Mies Van Der Rohe Award. For the Contemporary Chalet Jelovac, she won the Architecture MasterPrize, German Design Award Winner, special recognition at the S.ARCH conference in Hong Kong, then CEMEX Building Award, Loop Design Award, BigSEE Award and other important recognitions and awards at the salons of architecture and urbanism in the region. She is one of the co-founders of the Women"s Architectural Society ŽAD in Belgrade and a member of the jury of numerous competitions.
founder of Ofis arhitekti, Ljubljana
Špela Videčnik studied architecture at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana and London. Together with Rok Oman, established OFIS arhitekti in 1996. The office is based in Ljubljana and Paris. In their beginnings in 2000 they won the prestigious "Young architect of the year" award in London. Many of their projects have been nominated for Mies van der Rohe award. They have won several national and international competitions and awards, of which we can mention: 2009 Silver IOC/IAKS medal for football stadium in Maribor, 2006 European Grand Prix for Innovation Award, 2005 honorable mention at the Miami Bienal for Villa extension in Bled. They were also awarded with ArchDaily Building of the year 2009 for Farewell Chapel. Špela Videčnik is currently teaching on Harvard GSD and Boston MA. She has been lecturer at the MCH in Madrid, ETH in Zurich, RIBA in London, University of Beijing.
founder of Peter Pichler architecture, Milano
Peter Pichler was born in Bolzano, Italy in 1982. He studied Architecture at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, where he graduated with distinction in the masterclass of Zaha Hadid, as well as in the United States at the University of California (UCLA). During his studies, Peter joined renowned architecture offices like Zaha Hadid Architects in London, Delugan Meissl in Vienna, and OMA / Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam. After his graduation, he worked as a project architect for Zaha Hadid Architects in Hamburg. In 2015, he founded Peter Pichler architecture in Milan together with his wife Silvana Ordinas. Peter believes that architecture must have a strong bond with the culture and history of a specific place. He is interested in the analysis and research of vernacular architecture, materials, and elements that combined with technology, can express a contemporary interpretation of the past. He was nominated for young Italian talent by the National Chamber of Architects in Italy and was a finalist at the Gold Medal of Architecture Prize of the Triennale di Milano, and at the Dezeen Awards for Emerging Architect of the Year. He is a winner of “40 under 40” among the Best Emerging Young Architects & Designers in Europe selected by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
https://peterpichler.eufounder and director of Barcode Architects, Rotterdam
Dirk Peters is the director and founder of Barcode Architects. He is involved in all of the firm"s projects and has extensive experience in the design and execution of major international projects. He is an advocate of creative rationalism, where designs are both iconic and realisable. He currently leads all of the firm"s projects, including the urban design vision for the new Rijnhaven in Rotterdam and the prestigious new Dresden city centre. Dirk is also responsible for the design of the multifunctional residential complex and the sustainable Kensington Block in Hyde Park. Dirk was the lead partner for the sustainable residential project Bartok in Arnhem, which was awarded the Heuvelink Prize, the Sluishuis in Amsterdam, which won the European Property Award and the MIPIM Residential Building of the Year, the international projects Bibliothèque Alexis de Tocqueville in Caen and the landmark project Taiwan Tower. He is also responsible for the award-winning city plans in Mannheim and Dresden. Peters holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Delft University of Technology and is a regular guest speaker in the field of architecture and urban planning