THE JUDGING PROCESS

Oxygen was founded by Aston Woodward and Mike Harris to deliver a returns focused asset management service to investment partners. Over the last 20 years it has delivered out-performance to investors and now manages £3BN of assets.

3Stories is a brand and interior design agency based in London specialising in hospitality design.

Bronte oversees a diverse portfolio that includes commercial, residential, and retail projects in addition to HLW’s four specialty studios. With notable clients such as Google, Amazon, and Wix under her belt, Bronte is renowned for her passion, design expertise, and business insight. She creates a vibrant work culture, leading a team dedicated to achieving excellence. Bronte’s leadership has been instrumental in HLW’s growth across the EMEA region, with significant projects in cities like Paris, London, and Berlin. Additionally, she manages HLW’s Specialty Studios: Ark, BEYOND, brandx, and Spark, further showcasing her versatile leadership skills.

Colin is an award-winning creative leader with over 20 years of experience working internationally with some of the world’s most recognised brands including Nike, Sony, Lego and Google to deliver innovative design solutions within the built environment. As Chief Creative Officer at BDG (2012-2023), he led the transformation of the WPP global real estate portfolio, shifting strategy away from short-term leasing to long-term investment in the adaptive reuse of end-of-life buildings.

As Co-Founder of newly formed creative agency 'For Everyday Life', with studios in London and New York he works at the intersection of creative consultancy, strategy, design and architecture with a focus on the future and 'shaping what's next'. For Everyday Life are recent winners in the global architectural competition 'Initiative99', which targeted innovation in affordable housing. Colin is the Chair of 'Futures Lab' a non-profit funded platform with the mission to envision and advocate for brighter and more resilient futures. He is also regularly published and a prominent speaker at industry events on the power of creativity in delivering positive change.

Future Designs is one of the U.K.’s largest designer and manufacturers of commercial lighting systems. It was founded in 1991 and now operates across the U.K, Europe, the UAE AND KSA.

Vanessa is an award-winning interior designer and founder of The SBID, spearheading the UK’s professional accreditation body for interior design standards. It has earnt a global reputation with over thirty years experience working across the A&D profession

Studio Found designs timeless hospitality interiors that tell a story of the space and place they inhabit.

Edward is a client- facing design director who has led major infrastructure projects in India and North America and designed award winning buildings in the UK.

Gareth Gardner is an architecture/interiors photographer and writer. He also runs an architectural photography gallery in Deptford.

James Ramsey is the founder and owner of the design firm RAAD Studio. RAAD studio is an award winning firm that has built hundreds of projects worldwide.

Lighting editor for FX, Jill Entwistle has edited a number of leading architectural lighting magazines, including Lighting (Illumination in Architecture). She has also authored three books on lighting, among them Detail in Contemporary Lighting Design (Laurence King).

Jonathan has accrued a wealth of cross-sector experience with over 15 years in the industry. Recognised by the RIBA as a Rising Star in 2018, he now co-leads the Office+ team at Morris+Company, delivering workplace projects at the intersection of craft and technology.

Kathryn oversees the regional and European design teams at Area, a leading B Corp organisation specialising in workplace design and construction.

Lee founded Penson 20 years ago which is now a global interior design, architecture and experiential studio delivering some of the world’s most creative people centric and planet health programmes.

Maria’s experience spans workspace, residential and hotel developments and extends to bespoke installations and products, retail displays and exhibition design. She is regularly invited to judge design-focussed award programmes and frequently speaks at industry events. Design is a passion for Maria, who strives to create beautiful spaces that transcend their functional requirements to surprise and enhance the user’s experience.

Mijail Gutierrez is a Design Director at Perkins&Will, London, creating transformational workplaces. His design thinking merges architecture, people, and culture to create experiential journeys that engender a sense of pride and belonging. Mijail’s design solutions are inclusive by nature, addressing the needs of diverse, multigenerational workforces. He brings clients' visions to life through spaces that authentically reflect their brand identities and cultures. His portfolio includes work for leading organizations such as Netflix, Google, Microsoft, Rothschild Bank, EY, News UK, and The Economist.

Natalie has over 20 years of experience in both refurbishment and new-build developments. She has led a diverse range of projects across London for clients including Derwent London, British Land, Landsec and Nuveen – delivering commercial and social schemes with a strong end-user focus. Known for her ability to lead complex projects, she consistently ensures design integrity, build quality, and exceptional client care. A committed advocate for inclusivity and mentorship, Natalie contributes to initiatives such as the BCO, NLA, AJ/AR W Programme, and Women in Architecture UK, promoting diversity across the built environment. She's also an active member of the BCO, WPA, and NLA, and is alumni to both Wellbeing and Culture NLA Expert Panels. She also serves as a judge for leading industry awards, including the World Architecture Festival Awards, NLA Awards and Mix Awards

Based in Bermondsey, London, Johnson Pinney Architects create exceptional interiors and intelligent architecture for private individuals and brands alike.

Nora Kanter’s work marries technical precision and creative inspiration. Her experience ranges from large-scale hospitality environments to private residences and restaurants.

Scott is a director at ADP, an international, employee-owned architecture practice and certified B Corporation founded nearly 60 years ago.

Simon Allford is a teacher, writer and founding director of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris where he leads a design studio of 200 plus architects working around the world.

With a passion for innovation and strategy, Simon creates new design models and high-quality projects for clients. As a director of LOM, he takes a hands-on role on projects, as well as directing the Sustainability, Wellbeing & EDI agendas in the practice. Since joining LOM in 2000, he has led and delivered multiple and diverse projects across the world in the residential, hospitality and education sectors alongside numerous workplace projects for major organisations.

Theo Williams has designed products for renowned companies, was Head of Design for John Lewis and former Creative Director of Habitat and Kingfisher PLC. He founded buydesign.com, a platform connecting businesses with designers.

Conran and Partners is an internationally renowned architecture and interior design practice, founded by Sir Terence Conran.

Venessa is a respected industry leader with 30 years expertise showcasing exceptional interior design and user experience from Australia to the UK. Forging a path from large multidisciplinary firms, to founding HERMANTES STUDIO, and delivering human-centric projects for Global organisations in workplace, mixed-use, aviation, prime residential, healthcare & wellbeing environments alongside leading construction and property consultants.

Zhuo launched Design Shanghai in 2014 with a small team from UK and led the team to develop the Design Shanghai portfolio, including Sustainable Design China Summit and Design Shenzhen becoming the Asia’s largest network of annual design events.