Judges

Mike Tonkin, co-founder, Tonkin Liu

Mike Tonkin is an architect and lecturer, having taught at schools of architecture across the UK including the Architectural Association, the Bartlett School of Architecture, and the University of Cambridge. He lectures on global vernacular architecture and nature-focused, place-specific, storytelling methodology for architectural innovation.

Mike founded the practice Tonkin Liu with Anna Liu in 2002, where his practice has been consistently informed by a distinctive pursuit of formal lessons observed from the natural world, often incorporated cutting-edge digital fabrication processes. The pair’s innovative shell lace structure has been used in architecture and engineering applications, as well as in medical applications.

The practice has been recognised with numerous RIBA awards as well as being shortlisted for the AR New Into Old award in 2021, transforming a ruined water tower into a house, and winning the Cultural Regeneration category in AR Future Projects 2023, with the York Minster Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills

Boonserm Premthada, founder, Bangkok Project Studio

Thai architect Boonserm Premthada founded Bangkok Project Studio in 2003. His work addresses social, cultural and ecological issues while making innovative use of traditional materials, as shown in the Kantana Film and Animation Institute and Krapho’s elephant centre. His own home, which is also his office, was shortlisted in last year’s AR House awards.

As an educator, Premthada has held teaching positions at Chulalongkorn University, Columbia GSAPP and the University of Hong Kong.

In 2022, he was the subject of Bêka & Lemoine’s documentary Big Ears Listen With Feet. Recounting the personal story of the architect, the film explores how his identity and sensibility have been shaped by his deafness – the title references the way elephants perceive sound mostly through their feet.

Stella Daouti, co-founder, AREA, Architecture Research Athens

Stella Daouti is a Greek architect who founded AREA, Architecture Research Athens together with Giorgos Mitroulias and Michaeljohn Raftopoulos in 2006. AREA is a collaborative working environment where theoretical interests are developed through the unique considerations of each project.

AREA defines innovation as the critical interpretation of existing physical and cultural forms. ‘Our approach is heavily based upon openness and discourse, through which both clients and designers expand their perception of the project into unforeseen territories. We ultimately believe that the best projects are themselves a form of research into new ideas and strategies that express clear intent.’

AREA has received numerous awards and distinctions for public and private projects in Greece and abroad. Among these, the Weekend House on Salamis Island was commended in the 2021 AR House awards. In 2022 the team was part of the AR Emerging Awards shortlist and also received the Record Houses Award for Ridge House. Other official nominations include the EU Mies Awards 2017 and 2022. Notable exhibitions include AREA’s installation Made in Athens at the Greek Pavilion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale; Adhocracy Athens at the Onassis Cultural Center in Athens, 2015; and the Tomorrows at Le Lieu Unique in Nantes, France, in 2019.

Since 2011 Stella Daouti has also taught architectural design at the University of Patras School of Architecture and has lead workshops in architecture schools in Greece and abroad.