ADF Design Award 2027 Announces First-Round Jury Members

ADF09/29/2026≫ Architect≫ Award

「ADF Design Award 2027」

Six internationally active professionals in architecture and design join the jury

NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF) announces the first-round jury members for the 17th ADF Design Award 2027. This year's jury once again brings together distinguished professionals from the fields of architecture and design around the world. The six jury members announced in the first round are introduced below.

Ronnie Choong Swee Beng / Founder and Managing Director, Innovative Space Dimension Sdn. Bhd. (ISD)

Adj. Prof. IDr Ronnie Choong Swee Beng is a pioneer and distinguished leader in the field of interior design with 43 years of professional experience. Specializing in corporate, retail, educational, and public interior design, he is the Founder and Managing Director of Innovative Space Dimension Sdn. Bhd. (ISD). Under his leadership, ISD has established a strong reputation for design integrity, human-centered design, and innovative spatial solutions. Through a diverse range of representative projects, the company has received 39 Design Excellence Awards.

Anna Maria Cavazzuti / Order of Architects of Milano

Anna Maria Cavazzuti is a senior architect with more than 30 years of experience in architectural design and complex urban development projects. / Working in international environments, she has led multidisciplinary teams and delivered projects rooted in local communities, combining strategic vision, design quality, and project management. Her experience spans residential architecture, urban regeneration, and stakeholder collaboration and engagement, with a strong commitment to creating architecture that responds to the needs of society.

Sarah Dirsa / Principal, KG+D Architects, PC

Sarah Dirsa is a Principal at KG+D Architects, where she leads the design of next-generation educational facilities and learning environments. Before joining KG+D, she served as HOK's inaugural Global Chair of Social Responsibility. Her honors include the AIA Young Architects Award and the BD+C 40 Under 40 Award. She has also served on the national design team for Reimagine America's Schools and participated as a panelist in two AIANYS webinars exploring the future of school design.

Ben Kikkawa / Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects

Ben Kikkawa is an architect and Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects. After graduating from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), he joined Zaha Hadid Architects in 2010. Specializing in advanced digital design, he has worked on projects of diverse scales in Japan and internationally. His practice explores innovative architectural expression through the integration of technology and architectural form.

Nicola Maniero / Partner, Kengo Kuma and Associates

Nicola Maniero is an architect and photographer. He graduated from the Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV) in 2008 with a master's degree in Sustainable Architecture and subsequently worked as a research fellow for two years. Since 2009, he has supported the teaching activities of Professor Maura Manzelle, and since 2020 he has served as a visiting professor at IUAV.

Fernando Menis / Founder, Fernando Menis Architecture

Fernando Menis is an award-winning architect with more than 40 years of professional experience. His body of work encompasses extensive research projects and architecture across a wide range of scales and typologies. In 2015, Menis gained international recognition for developing an advanced variable acoustic system for the CKK Jordanki Concert Hall in Poland. His works also include the Holy Redeemer Church of Las Chumberas, El Tanque Garden, Bürchen Square in Switzerland, Insular Athletics Stadium, Magma Art & Congress, a swimming pool on Berlin's River Spree, and the headquarters of the Presidency of the Canary Islands.