Gu Yi is the founder of Not a Studio Architect, an innovative architecture and design firm established in Shanghai in 2016. After spending over a decade in Africa, Gu Yi returned to China, bringing a unique global perspective to his work. His design philosophy is rooted in restraint and minimalism, emphasizing thoughtful spatial experiences across various typologies.

Not a Studio Architect’s diverse portfolio spans tea aesthetics, commercial spaces—including restaurants, retail environments, and boutique hotels—as well as public art spaces, residential projects, and offices. The firm has successfully delivered projects of varying scales, seamlessly blending cultural narratives with contemporary design.

Notable works include:

• The Container
• Duo Yun Bookstore (Shanghai, Chengdu, Suzhou)
• Shanghai Longhua Temple
• Pagoda Shadow Space
• Yongfu Temple Zen Museum of Art
• Suzhou Hanshan Temple
• Tea Space
• Atour Hotel 4.0 R&D
• Fotile Commercial Retail, and more.

Gu Yi’s commitment to timeless aesthetics, cultural sensitivity, and refined minimalism continues to shape distinctive architectural and interior spaces that inspire and engage.

Hirante Welandawe is an architect, interior designer, urban designer and educator and is the founder / principal architect at H W Architects Private Limited (2002). Welandawe has designed a wide range of projects including the design of institutional buildings, condominium projects, boutique hotels, work places, and private residences (projects).

Welandawe graduated from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and obtained her Masters from the Aalto University in Helsinki.

Welandawe worked initially under Master Architect B.V. Doshi, whose work had a profound influence in the direction of her work. She started work with numerous personalized homes which helped her to develop a particular people centric way of approaching architecture focusing on socio cultural profiles and lifestyle.

She is part of the Visiting Faculty at the University of Moratuwa, has received several Design awards and was nominated for the Aga Khan award for Architecture in 2010.

Director of Elisava Madrid, Edgar González is a prominent figure in the design world. Formerly the Associate Dean of Design at IE School of Architecture and Design, he is the founder and Editor in Chief of edgargonzalez.com, a leading Spanish-language architecture and design reference since 2002. Based in Madrid, he runs EGD Edgar Gonzalez Design, a strategic consultancy specializing in applying design processes to complex problems and narratives.

González is particularly interested in the intersection of architectural practice, new technologies, and media, and how these elements influence creative processes and contemporary cities. He has been an associate professor, jury member, and speaker at institutions such as Universidad de Alicante, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Istituto Europeo di Design, and IE School of Architecture and Design, where he has lectured and conducted research since 2002.

As a designer and curator, González has contributed to several exhibitions and cultural projects and has published articles in specialized architecture and design publications. A licensed architect in both Mexico and Spain, he has worked as a project architect at Zaha Hadid Architects and Arquitectura Torres Nadal, and as an editorial designer for the Architectural Association London, The Economist, and The Guardian Group. He holds a Bachelor in Architecture from ITESO University in Mexico and an M.A. in Complex Architecture and Innovation Sociology from Alicante University in Spain.

Safeer Shersad is a New York-based urban strategist and designer with a passion for multidisciplinary collaboration and breaking down silos between professions. Originally from India, his design philosophy is deeply rooted in understanding local histories and contexts, with a strong emphasis on community-centered urban solutions.

As Senior Manager at Lime, Safeer develops place-based shared mobility strategies for over 100 cities worldwide, shaping the future of urban transportation. Prior to Lime, he was a consultant at Buro Happold, where he worked on design projects for leading architecture firms, including Bjarke Ingels Group, OMA, SOM, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. His research experience also includes working with UN-Habitat on urban youth socioeconomic data.

His expertise lies at the intersection of mobility, urban experience, and climate-sensitive design. Academically, Safeer holds a BA in Architecture and Urban Planning from Newcastle University, an MSc in Urban Design and City Planning (Distinction) from The Bartlett, University College London, and a Master in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He was also the inaugural recipient of Nippon Paint’s Gennosuke Obata Fellowship.

Arch. Maria Nina Bailon Arce is the Senior Partner at Arce-Bailon-Arce Architects, a design firm she co-founded with her husband, Arch. Mariano Arce, Jr., in 1987. The firm has undertaken notable architectural and engineering design projects for both private entities and the national government.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas in 1981 and placed fifth in the PRC Board Exams in July 1983. In 2014, she was among the first 40 architects to be listed in the ASEAN Registry of Architects, and in June 2015, she was conferred as an APEC Architect. In the spirit of volunteerism, she has served as Secretary General and National Executive Vice-President of the United Architects of the Philippines, as Chancellor, and now as Jury of the College of Fellows.

A dedicated mother of three boys, two of whom are now architects collaborating with the firm, she has successfully balanced a thriving career and nurturing a family. She aims to continue this legacy by mentoring the next generation of architects through AYDA.

Tanya Karim is a Partner Architect at the esteemed architectural firm Tanya Karim N R Khan and Associates (TKNRK). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1990 and stands out as an educator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

She is a registered architect of RAJUK (Capital Development Authority) and a fellow member of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) where she currently leads as the Convener of Women in Architectural Practice. Additionally, she is a member of ArcAAB (Architecture Alumni Association, BUET) and holds a position as a board member of Bangladesh Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI).

With an impressive 31 years of experience in architectural practice, Tanya Karim is a prominent figure in the architectural realm. Her firm, TKNRK, has garnered numerous awards, and their architectural projects have been featured in various international and local magazines. Tanya has led several international architectural tours, served as a visiting faculty member and advisor at prestigious institutions, and judged esteemed design awards such as the Berger Award for Interior Design, the KSRM Student Awards, IAB Interior Design Awards, and the Asian Paints Beautiful Homes Awards, among others.

Fluent in multiple languages including Bengali, English, Urdu, and Hindi, Tanya Karim continues to inspire and mentor emerging architects, bringing her extensive experience and visionary approach to the global architectural stage.

Suhasini Ayer is an Architect and Urban Planner, and the co-founder of the Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR) Trust. This collaborative organisation works with multiple agents and agencies in applied research for sustainable settlement planning, solar passive architecture, appropriate building materials and technologies, water and waste management, and renewable energy.

She heads Auroville Design Consultants, a planning and architectural design studio focused primarily on planning, designing, and implementing applied research development projects within Auroville. This approach responds to the natural and human geography, local climate, and culture to evolve minimal and elegant built forms. The underlying theme in all the projects is creating integrative systems, including water, energy, waste, building materials, and technology, to create passive sustainable networks between people and the built and unbuilt spaces, empowering them to take responsibility for their environment.

Suhasini hopes to bring her sustainability perspectives to the AYDA participants.

Russell Dandeniya is the Principal Architect at Russell Dandeniya Chartered Architects and the Director at RDC Architects Pvt. Ltd., both of which are small, experimental, studio-based practices. Believing in a practice mode that fuses the client's pragmatic requirements with the architect's inner belief, Russell searches for Architecture that is minimal in resource use, sustainable in environmental response, and conscientious in dealing with the local climate, people, and place.

As an award-winning Architect, he remains humble and is an active contributor to the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA), serving on the SLIA council for over 17 years in various roles & capacities, as the President of SLIA in year 2021/2023, also Zone – A Vice President in year 2021-2023 Architects Regional Council of Asia ARCASIA.

An activist within the Architectural community, Russell initiated many innovative programs and served as the Founder Chairman and Official Juror of the SLIA Online Design Awards Jury for 2019/2020-2021. This year, he hopes to share his experience with the next generation of the architectural community through AYDA.

Benjamin is currently immersed in the dynamic wine retail and bistro industry, where competition is fierce and consumer preferences evolve rapidly. In his role, he oversees the creation of immersive environments that captivate customers and enhance the brand identity of Wine Connection, the largest wine specialty retailer and European full-service restaurant in Singapore and Thailand.

Prior to his current undertaking, Benjamin’s Asia Pacific regional architectural exposure, spanning over 14 years of overseas postings to cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bali, provided him with an abundance of multicultural, memorable and invaluable experiences, both personally as well as professionally.

Benjamin began his participation with the AYDA Panel in Vietnam in 2019. Through AYDA, he hopes to inspire young minds to contribute positively and sustainably, mitigating the built environment’s effects on nature.