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Tamayouz Excellence Award's grand jury

Zaha Hadid, the founder of Zaha Hadid Architects, was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. She is internationally known for her theoretical and academic work. Each of her dynamic and innovative projects builds on over 30 years of revolutionary exploration and research in the interrelated fields of urbanism, architecture and design. Zaha’s outstanding contribution to the architectural profession continues to be acknowledged by the world’s most respected institutions. Zaha was the chairperson of the Inaugural Tamayouz Excellence Award and Zaha Hadid Architects was a sponsor of the award.

Dr Wendy Pullan is a professor of architecture and urban studies at the University of Cambridge, where she is also director of the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research. From 2014 to 2017, she served as head of the university’s department of architecture. Pullan has published a number of works that explore European and Middle Eastern architecture and cities, examining the processes of urban heritage, conflict and change – both historical and contemporary.

An Iraqi architect, academic and professor of landscape architecture at the American University of Beirut, president of The International Federation of Landscape Architects – Middle East and co-founder of Unit 44. Winner of Tamayouz Women in Architecture and Construction Award in 2013, Jala is a senior fellow at the Cambridge Center for Landscape and People. Her expertise includes postwar recovery, energy-efficient site planning, landscape heritage conservation and sustainable urban greening.

Dia al-Azzawi is a pioneering Iraqi artist whose work spans painting, sculpture, printmaking, and publishing. In 1968, he authored the influential manifesto Towards a New Vision, shaping key Arab cultural initiatives, including the al-Wasiti Festival and the Arab Art Biennales. His work, often addressing conflict and resistance, includes the Sabra and Shatila Massacre (Tate Modern) and the Land of Darkness series. Azzawi has exhibited worldwide and actively supports Arab artists through publishing, collecting, and curating. His impact has been recognised with the Nile Prize for Creativity (2023), an Honorary Doctorate from Coventry University (2024), and the Great Arab Minds Award (2024).
Azzawi remains one of the most influential figures in modern Arab art, continuously shaping discourse through his art, publications, and advocacy.

An award-winning Palestinian-Jordanian architect Rasem Badran, founder of regional architecture practice Dar Al-Omran, has long been considered a pioneer of modern Islamic architecture. He received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995 for his project the Great Mosque of Riyadh. Dr Rasem has built an extensive portfolio of more than 400 reputable projects across the Middle East that span the religious, cultural, educational and hospitality sectors, as well as residential, commercial and healthcare. He is the 2019 laureate of Tamayouz’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ali Al-Lawati is an Omani architect and arbitrator, as well as a skilled media presenter and podcaster. He hosts the radio show Voice of Architecture on Oman FM. A legal arbitrator affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CiArb), he has published numerous articles and contributed to books. He has also served as a jury member and technical reviewer for various architectural competitions. In 2020, he was awarded the Mohammed Makiya Prize for Architecture as the Middle Eastern Architectural Personality of the Year.

Akram is SVP and Director of the Technical Core Team at Hill International, a leading project management consultancy. Since 2008, he has supported master planning, urban design, and major developments across the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and North Africa. He holds a B.Arch. from the University of Baghdad and an MSc in Architecture and CEM from UCL Bartlett. In 1970, he founded Archicenter Consultants – Iraq, later expanding to Kuwait (1973), London (1982), and Beirut (1994). The firm won state projects in Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman through design competitions.

Ali Naji is a consultant engineer and the CEO of Najmat Al-Sharq, a property development company that specialises in housing. Ali has 38 years of actual construction experience in Iraq and the Middle East.

A chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the owner of the London based Ayad Al-Tuhafi Architects . He specialises in the high-end market, designed projects in several countries including England, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Nigeria and Brazil.

Claudia Linders is a Dutch architect, curator, and visual artist. She founded Atelier Claudia Linders in 2001, an interdisciplinary research and design studio in Amsterdam. She chairs Stadscuratorium Amsterdam, the Visual Arts Committee, and the Cultural Advisory Committee of Nijmegen. She is also Chair of the Examination Board at Design Academy Eindhoven and a board member at OASE Journal and Zone2Source. Previously, she directed Fontys Academy (MA+U) and led Interior Architecture at KABK. Claudia has curated international exhibitions and advised on public art, urbanism, and interdisciplinary design across the Netherlands.

Davide Ponzini is associate professor of urban planning at Politecnico di Milano and the director of the Tau-lab research group. He has also been a visiting scholar at Yale, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, and visiting professor at TU Munich. His research activity focuses on planning theory, urban and cultural policy and contemporary architecture. He is co-author (with the photographer Michele Nastasi) of Starchitecture, and co-editor (with Harvey Molotch) of The New Arab Urban: Gulf Cities of Wealth, Ambition, and Distress. His last book is titled Transnational Architecture and Urbanism. Rethinking How Cities Plan, Transform, and Learn.

Dr Deyala Tarawneh is an architect and urbanist concerned in topics related to smart cities, mobility and achieving spatial justice and gender equality in cities. She holds a PhD degree in Urban and Regional Studies obtained from the University of Birmingham, UK. Deyala is the former head of the architecture department at the University of Jordan.

She is also the counsellor and advisor for the Women In Engineering affinity group as part of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Deyala is a founding member and currently treasure for the Watershed and Development Initiative (WADI) funded by the United States Forestry Service to advance water conservation and land stewardship practices to build resilient communities and healthy watersheds across Jordan.

The recipient of Tamayouz Excellence Award’s prize for Women in Architecture in 2018 in the Rising star category, Dr Ebtissam Farid Moustapha is the co-founder of ENCODE. The practice is a multidisciplinary design studio that offers architectural, interior and product design services that investigate various digital and physical computational tools to explore opportunities of innovative designs that depend on cutting edge technologies and challenge the conventional model of design production in Egypt. In addition, she is an associate professor at The Knowledge Hub _ Coventry University UK in the New Capital Cairo. Recently, Ebtissam was included on the 2019 power list of the 50 most influential architects from the Middle East, published by Middle East Architect magazine. She also won Egypt’s State’s Excellence Award for 2019.

Fernando Olba is an award-winning Spanish architect and principal of Fernando Olba Arquitectura y Urbanismo, a Valencia-based firm. He studied at the Polytechnic University and earned a master’s in architecture from the University of Southern California. He worked with Santiago Calatrava in Valencia, leading the design team for the City of Arts and Sciences. His international experience includes lectures at institutions such as USC’s School of Architecture, AIA Pasadena and Foothill, and the Netherlands Architecture Institute.

Fuad Al Kindi is an architect and President of the Oman Society of Engineers. He studied Architectural Engineering at the University of Miami and earned a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from King’s College, University of London. With decades of experience, he has worked on major projects like the Military Hospital in Salalah and Al-Duqm Airport. In 1998, he co-founded Ibn Khaldun Almadaen Engineering Consultants. Fuad actively supports NGOs in Oman, including OSE and the Bilarab Bin Haitham Award.

Joseph El-Hourany is a Lebanese architect and urban planner, holding an M.Arch (1999) and an M.S. in Urban Planning (2005). He also earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy (2003) and musicology (2007). From 2006 to 2010, he conducted doctoral research at MIT and the University of Quebec in Montreal, exploring parametric architectural principles in the age of cybernetics. Since 1999, he has worked on architectural and urban projects in Lebanon and internationally while teaching at various institutions. His publications include The Future of the Past (2003) and Henri Edde Architecte (2019). His work has been exhibited across North America and Lebanon.

Kathy Basheva is a London-based RIBA-chartered architect with experience in the Far and Middle East, Europe and the UK. Kathy brings a unique international understanding and design flair to her work. She is a regular external critic at the Bauhaus school of architecture and has been invited as a critic to the AA, UCL Bartlett and UEL. Kathy is also the head of development and education at the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Dr Khaled Al-Sultany is a Published Award Winning Architect and Academic, received his PhD in Architecture from the Moscow Architecture Institute, Russia. A professor of Architecture at Baghdad University in Iraq and Al-Balqaa Applied University in Jordan. He headed the Institute for Islamic Art and Architecture Al-al-Bayt University, Jordan. Dr Al-Sultany designed many buildings in Iraq and Jordan. From 2012 to 2014 he was a researcher at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture – Denmark.

Palestinian architect and academic Nadia Habash is the director of Habash Consulting Engineers and an adjunct lecturer at Birzeit University. She is the Head of the Engineers Association in Palestine and was a city councillor in Ramallah, during which her main aim was to preserve the cultural heritage of the city. Habash was highly commended for Tamayouz’s Woman of Outstanding Achievement in 2018.

Mahmoud Obaidi (b. 1966, Baghdad) is an Iraqi-Canadian artist whose work has been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide. After leaving Iraq in 1991, he obtained a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Guelph, Canada, and completed New Media and Film diplomas in Toronto and Los Angeles, respectively.

Mahmoud is the architect behind the Fire Station Artist in Residency in Doha, Qatar, and the Nabu Museum in Lebanon.

Mahsa is an urban researcher and educator specialising in just urbanism, societal diversity, and feminist urbanism. She is a Lecturer at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (UCL) and has previously taught at Coventry University and Goldsmiths, University of London. She holds a PhD in Urban Sociology from Goldsmiths and has worked as an architect in Iran. Her research focuses on the politics of space, participatory planning, and the everyday urban life of the Middle East, engaging with critical urban theory and planning practices.

Marc Glaudemans is the director of mobility, economy and internationalisation for the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. He was previously a professor of regional and urban strategies at Fontys Academy of Architecture and Urbanism in Tilburg, as well as its dean. In 2006, Marc founded Stadslab European Urban Design Laboratory, which has developed into an acknowledged think-tank and international urban design laboratory with a track record of programmes in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. He is also a board member of INTA (International Urban Development Association).

Chairman of one of the most well-established practices in the Middle East, Dewan Architects + Engineers, Mohamed Al-Assam is considered one of the most influential architects in the region. Since establishing Dewan more than 30 years ago in Abu Dhabi, he has expanded the firm’s presence across the region and beyond with recently opened offices in Africa and Southeast Asia. In addition to Dewan, he is an active speaker and debater, and contributes often to public and professional forums.

After studying architecture at Cornell University in Ithica, New York, American designer and architect Philip Michael Wolfson attended the Architectural Association School of Architecture, where he met Zaha Hadid. After completing his studies, he spent 10 years as head of design with Hadid and in 1991, he established his own studio. He has worked throughout Europe and the US on residential interiors and functional art pieces, which have been shown at leading international art and design exhibitions, galleries and public venues all over the world.

Prisca Arosio holds a master’s degree in architecture, building and planning from the Technical University of Eindhoven, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Politecnico di Milano. Her roots are in designing processes that inter-cross architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. She participates in the organisation of the AA visiting school and the House of Politics, and she collaborates on a number of large-scale urban projects with Amsterdam-based studio BASTA Urbanism.

Dr Saad M Naji is Deputy Chairman and General Secretary of the Iraqi Business Council in Jordan and Head of the Social, Cultural and Entrepreneurship Committee. Dr Saad Naji retains and manages several investments through the Al-Naji Holding Group. He has long believed in the importance of corporate social responsibility. He believes that supporting civil societies is an ethical and social duty that must be exercised by companies in their day-to-day operations; hence, he has contributed to the establishment of a number of professional organisations that have worked to support their communities.

Sebastian Hicks is a qualified architect with a track record of prize-winning designs for high and low-tech sustainable living solutions. One of his notable projects is housing for forestry workers in Northern Argentina. He is founder of The Imaginary Rock, a social enterprise that develops community-led interventions in culturally diverse and sensitive locations across London. His research specialisation is in capacity building for natural hazards, and he lectures in humanitarian engineering and architecture.

Silan Yip Levelle is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Coventry University and a member of the American Institute of Architects. She has extensive global experience in housing, large-scale mixed-use developments, and urban planning with projects in China, UAE, USA, and the UK. Silan is also on the Governing Board for the Courtyard School in London, a free school for pupils with special educational needs. She works with the Courtyard to develop their teaching and learning spaces to support the best outcomes for the students. Silan received her M.Arch from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida.

Stefanos Adamakis is a partner at Adamakis Architects & Associates, Architectural Design and Construction Office, as well as a lecturer on the restoration and reuse of listed buildings. Having obtained his diploma of architecture from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Stefanos is currently in the process of completing his PhD in building technology and energy consumption from the University of Thessaly. He is also an associate of the Piraeus Bank Cultural Foundation for the surveying and recording of pre-industrial buildings in Pelion.

A distinguished expert in urban planning, architecture, and regional development. He holds a PhD in Urban Development from UCL Bartlett, a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from King Saud University. His career spans leadership roles, including Mayor of Asir Region (2018–2022), Advisor to the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, and Vice Chairman of the Tourism Development Council. Recognised for his contributions, he received the King Abdullah II Excellence Award for Identity in the Arab City and the GCC Prize for Municipal Works (2018).

Ahmadreza is an architect, urbanist, academic and experimental photographer based in the UK, and teaches at the University of Leeds. He is a member of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has contributed to British and Iranian journals, papers and magazines such as The Guardian, Architectural Review, ICE Publishing, Art 21, Underline, Round City, and AMPS, as writer, editor, expert commentator, translator and photographer. His research interests revolve around the politics of space, urban sociology, and urban and architectural history and theory.

Wesam Al Asali is an architect, educator, and researcher exploring the intersection of digital fabrication, traditional crafts, and natural materials in architecture. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Cambridge (2021), where he developed low-carbon ceiling systems using thin-tile vaults. He was a Global Fung Fellow at Princeton University (2021–2022) and is currently an Assistant Professor at IE University, Spain. His work has received the RIBA President’s Award for Research (2021) and the Salje Medal (2022). Wesam is the co-founder of IWlab and CERCAA, promoting sustainable, craft-based architectural innovation in Spain and the Middle East.

A cultural activist in the Arab world, addressing photography, archives, and modern and contemporary art, Zeina Arida is the director of Mathaf, Arab Modern Art Museum in Doha, Qatar, since November 2021. From 2014 to 2021, she was the Director of the Sursock Museum, a Beirut-based modern and contemporary art museum. From 1997 to 2014, she was the director of the Arab Image Foundation (AIF), which she led and developed, contributing to building this unique photographic collection, and initiating a number of artistic and photographic preservation projects. Arida also provides expertise to international private and public institutions as well as consultation to arts and culture organizations, artists and projects. She is a member of the Boards of CIMAM and ICOM QATAR, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of Darat al Funun, Amman, a member of the Arab Image Foundation, Beirut, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the future art mill Museum in Doha.

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Tamayouz Excellence Award's PAST jury MEMBERS

Tamayouz Excellence Award is privileged to have been supported by an esteemed panel of international jurors—renowned architects, academics, and industry leaders—who have played a pivotal role in upholding the award’s commitment to excellence.

Over the years, these influential professionals have brought their expertise, insight, and dedication to evaluating and recognising outstanding contributions to architecture and the built environment. Representing diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and institutions, their collective wisdom has shaped the Tamayouz Excellence Award’s reputation as a leading platform for architectural discourse and innovation.

We express our deep gratitude to each of them for their commitment, expertise, and vision, which have helped define and elevate the Tamayouz Excellence Award. Below is a list of our past jury members, including their titles, affiliations, countries, and years of service.

Aida Hoteit – Professor and Chairperson, Department of Architecture, Lebanese University, Lebanon (2019)

Alessandro Rocca – Associate Professor, Architectural and Urban Design, Politecnico di Milano, Italy (2016)

Ammar Khammash – Architect, Founder of Ammar Khammash Architects, Jordan (2018)

Angela Brady OBE – Past President of RIBA, Director of Brady Mallalieu Architects, UK (2013-2017)

Ben Flippance – Design Director, IDP Group, UK (2016-2020)

Ben Maltby – Global Shelter and Infrastructure Lead, Save the Children USA, UK/USA (2012-2018)

Caecilia Pieri – Associate Researcher, French Institute of the Near East (IFPO), Lebanon/France (2017-2019)

Firas Hnoosh – Design Director and Tall Buildings Expert, UAE/UK (2018-Present)

Jerome Goyard – Head of the Competition Pole, Fevre and Gaucher Architects, France (2012-2023)

Kanan Makiya – Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University, Iraq/USA (2017-2020)

Katherine McNeil – Architect and Academic, Coventry University, UK (2012-2022)

Kevin Singh – Head of Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, Birmingham City University, UK (2016)

Konstantinos Adamakis – Emeritus Professor of Architecture, University of Thessaly, Greece (2019)

Lucelia Rodrigues – Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Cities, University of Nottingham, UK (2018-2020)

Lucinda Anis – Architect and Urban Researcher, Foster + Partners, UK/Egypt (2021)

Mahmoud Charafeddine – Professor of Architectural Theory and Design, Lebanese University, Lebanon (2019)

Manhal Habbobi – Founder of Manhal Habbobi Consultants, Iraq/Canada/UAE (2018)

Mandy Franz – Senior Associate, MICA Architects, UK (2018-2019)

Muthar Al-Salloum – Co-founder and Managing Director, MAS Architecture, UK/Iraq (2015-2023)

Nahed Jawad – Architect, Founder of Nahed Jawad Architects, UK/Syria (2019)

Niran Banna – Architect, Member of German Architects’ Chamber of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany/Iraq (2016)

Rana Aytug – Researcher and PhD Candidate, Coventry University, UK/Jordan (2017-2023)

Saman Kamal – Architect, Founder of Architectural Composition Group, Iraq/Jordan (2018-Present)

Shaban Taha – Professor of Architecture, Benha University, Egypt (2020-2022)

Steve Austin – Head of Energy, Construction and Environment School, Coventry University, UK (2015-2020)

Tamayouz Excellence Award's grand jury

ZAHA HADID

WENDY PULLAN

JALA MAKHZOUMI

DIA AL-AZZAWI

RASEM BADRAN

ALI AL-LAWATI

AKRAM OGAILY

ALI NAJI

AYAD AL-TUHAFI

CLAUDIA LINDERS

DAVIDE PONZINI

DEYALA TARAWNEH

EBTISSAM MOUSTAPHA

FERNANDO OLBA

FUAD AL KINDI

JOSEPH HOURANI

KATHY BASHEVA

KHALED SULTANY

NADIA HABASH

MAHMOUD OBAIDI

MAHSA ALAMI

Marc Glaudemans

MOHAMED AL-ASSAM

PHILIP MICHAEL WOLFSON

PRISCA AROSIO

SAAD NAJI

SEBASTIAN HICKS

SILAN YIP LEVELLE

STEFANOS ADAMAKIS

WALEED AL-HEMAIDI

AHMADREZA HAKIMINAJAD

WESAM AL-ASALI

ZEINA ARIDA

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