Jury
The DMT has assembled an internationally renowned jury that includes a diversity of experts. The competition will be managed by Kishore Varanasi, Principal at CBT in Boston and Jury Chair. The jury will include Iyad Alaska of OMA, Rotterdam; Rasmus Astrup of SLA, Copenhagen; Barbara Romer of Studio Romer, New York; John Fernandez of MIT, Cambridge (MA, USA); and Dr. Robert Cooke of BuroHappold Engineering, Bath, UK.
Kishore Varanasi (Jury Chair)
CBT
Kishore Varanasi is an urban designer, strategist, and educator who specializes in developing authentic design solutions for cities at all scales that address human connection, social equity and climate resilience.
As a principal at CBT, Kishore shaped cities and communities internationally with sustainable and holistic outcomes for both public and private sector clients over the past 25 years. Kishore’s innovative contributions stem from his ability to converge the interests of people, governments, and investors and by inspiring creative collaborations and fresh approaches to city building. His significant recent work includes the Masdar City Master Plan, Lincoln Yards in Chicago, Blueway for the New England Aquarium, Cambridge Crossing, Boston University Master Plan, Suffolk Downs Master Plan, Hudayriyat Island Master Plan, Bhavani Islands Master Plan and For Abu Dhabi Climate Interventions.
Kishore is a regular critic and teacher at various institutions including MIT, Harvard University, Yale University and the Boston Architectural College. He serves on the Boards of the Van Alen Institute Climate Council, Boston Architecture College and Boston Harbor Now. He holds a Master of Science in Urbanism from MIT and a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Iyad Alaska
OMA
Iyad Alsaka joined OMA as a director in 2007 and became partner in 2011. Responsible for OMA’s work in the Middle East and Africa, Iyad has led projects including the acclaimed masterplan for Waterfront City in Dubai, the HAI Airport City masterplan in Doha, and Concrete in Alserkal Avenue, a new public venue for Dubai’s cultural district. Before joining OMA, Iyad was director of design and development at Dubai Holding where he was responsible for numerus of projects. Born in 1969 in Syria, Iyad holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Aleppo.
Barbara Romer
Studio Romer
Dr. Barbara Römer is an art curator and strategy consultant who specializes in developing cultural visions for cities. Born in Germany, she was educated at Princeton and received her PhD at Cambridge University, worked in museums in France and Japan, directed theatre in Germany, produced two feature films in the USA, and consulted with McKinsey & Company in the Munich and New York offices. She is the Founder of the Globe Theatre, a 21st-century theatre designed by Foster + Partners. In addition to heading Studio Römer (studioromer.com), she is a Senior Advisor to McKinsey and a Trustee of the Deutsches Museum.
John Fernandez
MIT
Prof. John E. Fernández, Director John E. Fernández ‘85 is a professor of building technology in the Department of Architecture and a practicing architect. Fernández founded and directs the MIT Urban Metabolism Group, a highly multidisciplinary research group focused on the resource intensity of cities and design and technology pathways for future urbanization. He is author of two books, numerous articles in scientific and design, and author of nine book chapters. He is Chair of Sustainable Urban Systems for the International Society of Industrial Ecology and Associate Editor of the journal Sustainable Cities and Society. Fernández served as Director of the Building Technology Program in the Department of Architecture from 2010 to 2015 and as the Director of the International Design Center at MIT from 2012 to 2015. He previously served as the Director of Research for Sustainable Energy Systems of the MIT Portugal Program. Fernández is a member of the Board for New Ecology, Inc., and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Sustainable Energy of the Fraunhofer Institute. Fernández has served on several National Science Foundation Review Panels, as a member of the Department of Energy Roadmap 2020 Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Building Envelope Technology and Environmental Council of the National Institute of Building Science. He also served as a member of the Research Committee of the United States Green Building Council.
Rasmus Astrup
SLA
Rasmus is partner in SLA and leads several of the studio’s largest and most complex international projects. His strengths cover everything from strategic city development and advanced landscape design to local and recreational rainwater management and innovative lighting concepts. When it comes to sustainable landscape architecture and climate adaption, Rasmus is one of the leading specialists and an expert in conjoining the sustainability of buildings and their exterior in a holistic symbiosis. Rasmus has received numerous national and international awards for his work, including the Danish Landscape Award, The World Architecture News Award and the Copenhagen Award for Beautiful Architecture.
Rob Cooke
BuroHappold
Rob is a Doctor of engineering and Chartered Energy Engineer with 15 years industry experience. With BuroHappold Engineering he has been involved leading a range of new initiatives from cutting-edge research to development of new tools and services relating to energy and wider sustainability. Rob provides strategic sustainability thinking and guidance through to design advice for technology deployment. This has involved working throughout the design and construction process for projects of all scales, including auditing existing buildings, reviewing company-wide operations, individual building design and masterplanning new developments. With experience of providing sustainable design input for over 200 projects Rob offers extensive knowledge and valuable experience for informing design. This experience and a commitment to supporting research and innovation has helped many these projects achieve numerous industry awards for sustainable design. Rob was awarded Construction Week Middle East MEP Engineer of the Year 2012 and Engineer of the Year in the Middle East Architects Awards in 2013.