Bob Allies is a founding partner of Allies and Morrison, an architecture and urbanism practice based in London, with offices in Cambridge, Manchester, Dublin, Toronto and Jeddah, where it is engaged in the restoration and regeneration of the World Heritage Site. Allies and Morrison have won fifty RIBA Awards for their work. Recently completed buildings by the practice include the new London College of Fashion in the Olympic Park, shortlisted for the 2025 Stirling Prize. Current projects include new innovation districts for the universities of Oxford, Manchester and Imperial, London. Allies and Morrison is also extensively involved in housing and urban regeneration across the UK, and is the masterplanner for many of London’s major regeneration projects including Kings Cross (shortlisted for the 2024 Stirling Prize), Canada Water, Brent Cross Town, Woolwich Arsenal and the Olympic Legacy. Since 2024, Bob has held the post of Architect in Residence for Bath and North-East Somerset, and is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Bath. Bob is also Chair of the Faculty of Architecture and a member of the Council of the British School at Rome.

Luca is a partner at CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and Head of Strategy and Innovation. He works at the intersection of vision and delivery, identifying emerging trends, shaping long-term initiatives, and translating research-driven ideas into concrete, actionable projects that guide the practice’s future direction. He was also part of the core team working on the Biennale Architettura 2025. Trained as an architect and licensed engineer, Luca completed a double Master’s degree with honors in Architecture at the Politecnico di Torino and the Politecnico di Milano, with academic experience at ENSA La Villette in Paris and TU Delft. He also holds a post-degree Diploma in Innovation Management from Alta Scuola Politecnica. Luca joined CRA in 2018 and has since represented the studio in professional and academic contexts, including international conferences and public programmes.

Wei Yap, Ooi is an Australian-registered architect, Chair of the International Chapter and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, and an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University, Australia.

With over 25 years of international experience spanning Australia, Asia, and the Middle East, Wei Yap has led award-winning architecture, urban design, and large-scale complex mixed-use projects across diverse markets.

Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wei Yap Architects offers a distinctive perspective on connecting international design expertise with local delivery capability. Through direct access to a global network of leading architecture, urban design, landscape, engineering, and specialist consultancy firms, his practice helps clients deliver commercially successful, contextually responsive, and technically rigorous projects.

Wei Yap Architects is the first foreign architecture firm to establish a permanent presence in Georgia, offering full Architect-of-Record (AOR) capability across architecture, interiors, and masterplanning.

Dr. Michael Gräf is Managing Partner of LAND Consulting Austria in Vienna and Lecturer at BOKU University Vienna. His work focuses on the strategic development of Green Infrastructure and Nature-Positive Cities. As a certified mediator, he specializes in collaborative planning and stakeholder engagement. He advocates for a human- and nature-centered approach, creating landscapes that strengthen ecological resilience while improving people's quality of life.

Amber is a cultural anthropologist whose research interests include anthropological approaches to built environment, material culture, affect, and narrative as embodied phenomena. Methods of photovoice and sonic ethnography are often centrally figured in her work. Amber is currently a PhD candidate within the Faculty of Design and Society at University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. Her research project examines hydro-social narratives of water architecture.

Kaveh Dabiri is a Partner at OMA. Kaveh joined OMA in 2009, and he has since contributed to and led a broad range of architecture, masterplanning, preservation and exhibition projects in the Middle East and Europe. His recent work includes the design of Concrete, an exhibition and events venue at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai; the Al Daayan Hospital of the Future prototype; the scenography of the 2023 and 2025 editions of the Islamic Arts Biennale at the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah; and the expansion plan for JAX, a cultural district at an industrial heritage site in Riyadh. Born and raised in Tehran, Kaveh studied and practiced architecture there before moving to the Netherlands in 2007 to study Urbanism at TU Delft.

Meri Pepanyan is an architect and researcher with a Master’s in Architecture and Urban Design from the Polytechnic University of Milan (2023). She completed her Bachelor’s studies at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. Since 2024, she has been a research coordinator at the Library for Architecture (LFA), where she contributes to the development of the Live Archive platform, a growing repository of urban and architectural research-based works on Armenia. She also participates in curatorial and research projects, including the Armenia Room of the “Countryside: A Place to Live, Not Leave” exhibition by AMO/OMA in Doha. Meri also serves as a student mentor for “From Data to Change,” a project by HYPHEN4, an architectural and urban studio. The project addresses gaps in data from rural areas of Armenia and engages university students and community members in spatial data collection and rural mapping.

Jack is Associate Director of A IS FOR ARCHITECTURE. He graduated as an award-winning student from the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow in 2015 with a B.Arch (Hons) and Dip.Arch. Between 2015 and 2021, he worked at ACME on a variety of projects, most notably the ‘REWE Green Building’—an integrated supermarket and aquaponic urban farm in Germany—a timber-structure office building in London, and various projects as part of the Folkestone Seafront Masterplan. Before joining ACME, Jack worked at Sauerbruch Hutton Architects in Berlin, contributing to a wide range of cultural, residential, and commercial projects. In 2020, Jack was a sessional tutor for the BArch at Canterbury School of Architecture, UCA, and he is an ambassador for the Architects Benevolent Society. Beyond academia and professional practice, he has led architecture construction workshops in Cadiz and Helsinki with the European Architecture Students Assembly (EASA). He is also a keen architectural traveler, having undertaken a research trip entitled ‘Silk Steppes’ to the Silk Road in Central Asia and Mongolia. Jack is a creative and energetic designer, involved in all of A IS FOR ARCHITECTURE’s projects, while also leading international business development for the practice.

Pablo joined the Taller in 2020 and has since contributed to projects across the Middle East and Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the cultural, hospitality, and residential sectors. More recently, his projects in Benin, Georgia and the broader Balkans and Caucasus region have furthered his exploration of materiality in both building envelopes and interiors. Pablo embraces the classical orders and proportions as the foundation of his design approach, aiming to advance the Taller’s legacy through active research and development.

Joseph Grima is the co-founder of Alcova — the itinerant platform for independent design that has become one of the defining events of Milan Design Week and will launch a new edition during Mexico City Art Week in 2027. An architect, curator and writer based in Milan, he is also the founder of Space Caviar, a design and research studio producing built work, books, films and exhibitions that investigate design's relationship to the human and natural environment. He is currently Head Curator of the Walker Art Center Design Triennial, Beyond Materialism, opening in October 2026, and recently presented A Satellite Symphony at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale with Robert Gerard Pietrusko and Ersilia Vaudo. From 2017 to 2025 he was Creative Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of Design Academy Eindhoven, and was previously Editor-in-Chief of Domus, Director of Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York and Chief Curator of Design at Triennale Milano.

Benedetta Tagliabue is an architect and co-founder of EMBT Architects, established in Barcelona with Enric Miralles (1955–2000), and founder and director of the Fundació Enric Miralles. She has led the design of iconic works such as the Scottish Parliament (2004), the Santa Caterina Market (2005), and the Spanish Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo (2010). Recent projects include the Church and Parish Complex of San Giacomo Apóstolo in Ferrara (2021), the Centro Direzionale Metro Station in Naples (2024), and the Clichy-Montfermeil Metro Station in Paris (2024). She served as Louis Kahn Visiting Professor at Yale University and has previously taught at Harvard, Columbia, and other leading institutions. From 2011 to 2023, she was a jury member for the Pritzker Architecture Prize. In 2024, she received the Order of Isabella the Catholic, and in 2025, the Doctor of Design Honoris Causa from The Boston Architectural College (BAC).

Nikoloz Japaridze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia (1974). He studied architecture at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and afterwards graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute in 1997. His PhD thesis was entitled ""A Minimal Dwelling for Extreme Situations"". He pursued further studies at the technical university in Delft and in Paris before opening his own architectural studio in 2002. His studio was called AMC (architecture, music, cinematography) and it produced over twenty building projects and collaborations. In 2006, he moved to London where he worked with two UK-based architecture companies: KPF (Park City Development project) and EPR Architects (Poole Quayside Housing Development project). Subsequently, he became a Senior Architect at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in Rotterdam with a specific focus on projects such as: high-rise residential towers and a new masterplan in Dubai UAE; and the Zayed Stadium Renovation Competition in Abu-Dhabi UAE. He is a PhD candidate at RMIT. Recent notable projects: Prosecutor's Office, Lazika Town Hall, National Olympic Committee House, House of Justice, 12 HayHill Club, Birdge Street Development, Nine Elms Bridge, Hanging Gardens of Birmingham, Pharmaceutical HQ, Tatlin Apartments, Lisi Garden House.

Nuka is Georgian architect based in Barcelona, where she studied and graduated in Architecture at the International University of Catalonia (UIC). After graduating, her initial plan was to stay in Barcelona for a few years, gain experience, and learn from this rich and inspiring architectural environment. A few years have passed, and she's still here, working and teaching, while always keeping in mind the idea of eventually returning to Georgia and continuing her practice there. For the past four years, she has been part of ELIA, an architecture practice founded as an extension of OAB - Carlos Ferrater Office, working on large-scale international projects. Alongside her professional practice, she also teach Design Studio at UIC, together with ELIA’s founder and CEO, Borja Ferrater, and three other colleagues from the office.

Yerevan-based architect, educator and co-founder of snkh. studio, a practice focused on context-driven contemporary design. He received his Master’s degree in Architecture with honors from the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) in 2012. His work explores contemporary design discourse, architectural heritage, and the relationship between place and identity. Alongside architectural practice, he is involved in education, research, and curatorial projects.

Nikoloz Lekveishvili is a Georgian architect and founder of TIMM Architecture, a Tbilisi-based studio established in 2016. Educated at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul and Politecnico di Milano, his work combines architecture, urban context, material experimentation, and cultural narrative. His projects have received awards, competition prizes, and international media recognition. Alongside practice, he has taught architecture and participated in international exhibitions and biennials, including the Venice Architecture Biennale. His work explores architecture as a medium for memory, communication, social interaction and contemporary life.

Nutsa Nadareishvili is a Georgian architect and co-founder and CEO of Teamtwo, a Tbilisi-based architecture and engineering practice. She graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in 2008, where her diploma project was recognized as the best architecture diploma project in Georgia that year. She later earned a Master’s degree in Architecture and Engineering from TU Delft in the Netherlands. At TU Delft, she worked with the Chair of Methods and Analysis, contributing to research for Casablanca Chandigarh in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Architecture and to work related to the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. After graduating, she joined Rotterdam-based HP Architecten, working across design, construction documentation, and social housing projects. Alongside teamtwo, Nutsa co-founded Urban Experiments, an interdisciplinary design group exploring cities through research-driven, bottom-up approaches to architecture and urbanism.

Irakli is an anthropologist who has been conducting anthropological research in Georgia since 2007. His research interests include urban and rural anthropology, as well as the formation of cultural and social identities in transitional societies. He has worked at various universities as an invited lecturer, teaching courses in Design Anthropology and Medical Anthropology.

Nino Mshvelidze is an interior architect and interior designer whose two-decade career spans Georgia and the United States. After years of working within New York’s design industry and understanding the city’s dynamic architectural culture, she founded Structura.nyc—a studio dedicated to creating thoughtful, emotionally resonant, and highly functional spaces. Her work draws inspiration from urban diversity, art, light, and the cultural intersections of the cities she calls home. Whether designing private residences, hospitality spaces, or commercial interiors, Nino combines strong structural principles with a refined, human-centered aesthetic. Her practice reflects a belief that design is more than form—it is a lived experience shaped by light, emotion, and movement.

Afat Mammadzada is Design Director at Project Bureau Azerbaijan, bringing more than a decade of experience in architecture, urban design, and urban development. Leading a multidisciplinary team of young architects, she works across residential and educational architecture, urban design, interiors, landscape, and complex multidisciplinary projects. Her practice is driven by a desire to challenge the conventional frameworks of architectural design within a highly regulated local environment in a seismic region. This perspective informs her exploration of new architectural languages, emerging technologies, engineering solutions, and context-sensitive design approaches. Through her work, Afat seeks to connect ambitious design thinking with the practical realities of contemporary development, while fostering a culture of experimentation, collaboration, and professional growth among the next generation of architects.

Joan Gener is an architect and co-founder of h3o architects, a Barcelona-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 2017. The studio works across different scales, from housing and public space to the transformation of existing buildings and urban environments. H3O seeks to create spaces that transcend the ordinary, fostering meaningful connections between people, context and nature. At the intersection of imagination and theory, their projects explore new spatial and social possibilities in response to contemporary architectural challenges, often working with what already exists — physically, socially and environmentally — as a starting point for transformation. Their work has been recognised through international competitions and awards, including Europan, and is currently being developed across Spain and the Netherlands. Alongside practice, Joan is involved in architectural education, lectures and juries.

Natia didn’t study architecture. But she has always been fascinated by it as one of the most human-centred forms of aesthetic expression.

And she knows a thing or two about bringing ideas to life.

With 12+ years of experience in creative campaigns, brand strategy and marketing, Natia has worked across major international campaigns and led teams behind award-winning work.

Her creative journey includes 100+ international awards, including recognition at Cannes Lions, Eurobest, London International Awards, Epica, Golden Drum, ADCE and many more. Besides her passion for architecture She is running international Tech and Design Festivals at Touch Platform and CMO at Cityzen.

But for Natia, Tbilisi Architecture Forum is about something more personal: bringing people, ideas and disciplines together around the future of our built environment.

Landscape Architect, Associate Professor at Caucasus University, and Co-Founder of BSAC and Landmark Studio.

With 15+ years of experience, Gvantsa has worked across landscape architecture, sustainable planning and public realm projects in the South Caucasus and internationally. 🌿

She’s passionate about connecting academia, practice and industry — and creating spaces for people to exchange ideas and collaborate.

As Co-Founder and Co-Organizer of the Tbilisi Architecture Forum, Gvantsa is helping bring together architects, landscape architects, urban planners and industry leaders to spark dialogue, innovation and new ideas for the built environment.

Different perspectives. One shared space to connect.

Mariam is the Dean of the School of Architecture and Design at Caucasus University, a RIBA Visiting Board Member, and a member of the RIBA Europe Team.

Her work connects education, practice and research, with a strong focus on architectural education, international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

For Mariam, it’s all about one thing: bringing people and ideas together to strengthen the architecture community.

And that’s exactly what she brings to the Forum.

Ninnie Gamkharashvili is an international trade professional, architecture enthusiast, and advocate for the built environment sector. With extensive experience in cross-border commercial initiatives, strategic partnerships, and public-private collaboration, she is passionate about creating meaningful connections between Georgian and international architecture and design communities.

She currently works at the US Embassy in Tbilisi and serves as an Invited Professor at Tbilisi State University