Melike Altinişik
Architect and Designer – MAA-Melike Altınışık Architects
Melike Altınışık, an award-winning architect and designer, is dedicated to developing innovative and visionary projects towards architecture, urbanism and design. She leads her international architecture practice, Melike Altınışık Architects- MAA, with offices based in Istanbul, Turkey and in Seoul, South Korea. She has been listed in RIBA’s book ‘100 Women: Architects in Practice’ (2024).
Her training allows her to lead projects of varying scales from masterplans, high-rise buildings and cultural centres to bespoke interiors, installations and product designs, from initial concept to execution.
MAA’s work has been commended with several awards, winning projects with advanced technology and innovation, such as the futuristic 369m supertall, the Istanbul TV-Radio Tower in Istanbul, Turkey, and the world’s first pioneering Robot and AI Museum (RAIM) in Seoul, South Korea.
Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir
Founder, Designer, and Contractor – Minarc
Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir, Assoc. AIA, IIDA, is an Icelandic-born, Los Angeles-based designer and co-founder of the award-winning firm Minarc, established in 1999. With a reputation for pushing the boundaries of contemporary design, Erla has earned international recognition for a practice that holds sustainability and creativity in equal measure.
Her designs are characterized by a fluency between indoors and out, where light, materiality, and landscape become active elements of the space rather than a mere backdrop. With a background that bridges architecture, interior design, and construction, she brings a rare end-to-end perspective to every project, alongside a belief that good design should be as responsible as it is beautiful. Outside the studio, she finds inspiration in travel and in the people she loves most.
Jenchieh Hung
Architect, Artist, and Educator – HAS Design and Research
Jenchieh Hung is a world-renowned architect, educator, and founder of the Thai firm Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research. Known for innovative architectural methods and critical design thinking, he examines nature, materiality, urban culture, and contemporary living, positioning his practice among leading voices in Asian architecture. Internationally recognized, he became the first Thai juror for the RIBA International Awards: Asia Pacific.
He also served as guest editor of the ARCASIA Journal, offering critical perspectives on contemporary Thai architecture’s global emergence. In academia, he holds a lifetime honorary professorship and serves as professor/visiting professor at Tongji University and Chulalongkorn University, and as adjunct/visiting professor at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.
Notable projects include the Museum of Modern Aluminum Thailand, Simple Art Museum, High Line Bangkok, Aluminum Grotto and Public Ground, The Glade Bookstore, Forest Villa, and Casa de Zanotta.
Nuru Karim
Founder & Principal Architect – NUDES Architecture
Nuru Karim, Founder and Principal of the award-winning architectural design studio NUDES, brings over 25 years of experience in the field of architecture. He received his Master’s in Architecture and Urbanism from the prestigious Architectural Association (AA), London in 2006. His formative academic journey included education and travel across London, Mumbai (where he graduated as a Gold Medallist from KRVIA), and Montreal (McGill University).
His practice at NUDES operates at the intersection of art, architecture, and computational design, leveraging advanced digital tools to address pressing social, cultural, and environmental challenges. In 2021, Karim was among the 200 Visionaries globally invited by the Louis Vuitton Foundation to participate in LV200, an exclusive design initiative commemorating the founder’s centennial. His work has garnered critical acclaim, including several national and international design awards.
A passionate thought leader and educator, Karim has delivered talks and presentations on prominent platforms, including TEDx (2019), and continues to share his research and design philosophy across global academic and professional forums.
Kulthida Songkittipakdee
Architect / Professor – HAS Design and Research
Kulthida Songkittipakdee is a distinguished architect and educator known for integrating cultural heritage with contemporary practice. She was the first Asian architect invited by the Renzo Piano Foundation to collaborate at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris. In 2024, she was appointed Chairman of The Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) – ASA Architect Expo, curating Thailand’s premier international architecture exhibition at IMPACT Arena.
In 2025, she served as a juror for the RIBA International Awards: Asia Pacific Awards and is currently Vice President of The Association of Siamese Architects, Thailand. She co-founded the Bangkok firm Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research, acclaimed for vernacular, sustainable, and evolutionary design and for experimental work in nature, materiality, culture, and urban living.
A lifetime honorary professor, she currently teaches as a visiting professor at Chulalongkorn University and Tongji University, and remains deeply committed to architectural education and international academic exchange.
Tryggvi Thorsteinsson
Founder & Principal Architect – Minarc
Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Assoc. AIA, is an Icelandic-born, Los Angeles-based designer and co-founder of the award-winning firm Minarc, established in 1999. Specializing in a broad range of projects, Tryggvi is recognized for his innovative approach to blending interior and exterior environments through the creative use of natural light, outdoor features, and framed views of the surrounding landscape.
His work reflects a deep commitment to sustainability, evident in his use of reclaimed materials and energy-conscious design choices, and he continues to be recognized for a holistic philosophy that embraces functionality, flexibility, and environmental responsibility. When he isn’t creating groundbreaking designs, Tryggvi enjoys exploring the world, hosting gatherings with friends and family, and cherishing time spent with his three children.