Hatem Ibrahim is an esteemed scholar specializing in Urban and Regional Planning. His expansive research explores the intricate dynamics of urban growth, with a focus on sustainable and equitable development strategies in emerging metropolises. His work integrates urban informatics, housing studies, and regeneration strategies to create comprehensive frameworks that enhance the quality of life within urban settings.

Holding a Ph.D. in Architecture Engineering from the University of Liverpool, Hatem has established himself as a leading academic in the field. He has authored numerous articles, delivered keynotes at major international conferences, and managed research grants exceeding $1.8 million. Hatem’s dedication has been recognized with multiple awards, such as the Outstanding Research Award from the Qatar National Research Fund and a Best Paper award at a prominent Sustainable Building Conference in the UK. At Qatar University, he actively contributes to curriculum development and serves on several academic and administrative committees, enhancing educational frameworks in architecture and urban planning.

Beyond academia, Hatem applies his expertise in practical settings, serving as a technical consultant on numerous high-profile architectural and urban planning projects across the Middle East. His multifaceted career reflects a commitment to integrating theoretical research with practical applications to address complex urban challenges.

Jimena Meza Bustamante is a Peruvian architect and interior designer with more than 15 years of experience in residential, commercial and landscape projects. She graduated from the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences and later earned a master’s degree in Interior Design from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, bringing an international dimension to her design approach.

Her professional background includes the development of architectural and interior design projects across a wide range of sectors, with experience in concept creation, spatial planning and detailed design. She has contributed to several studios in Lima and has also led her own design practice, working on commissions that range from private homes to commercial environments, consistently focusing on spatial quality, material expression and user-centred design.

Alongside her design practice, Jimena Meza Bustamante has been closely involved in academia, teaching interior architecture at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences and at the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de América Latina. Her academic work complements her professional experience, allowing her to engage with design both as a practitioner and as an educator.

Through this combined experience in practice and teaching, Jimena Meza Bustamante brings a comprehensive understanding of interior architecture and its ability to shape meaningful, functional and culturally grounded spaces.

Haisheng Xu is an architectural designer whose work bridges design technology, research and artistic exploration. He graduated with a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and holds a bachelor’s degree from the South China University of Technology. Based in Los Angeles, he began his professional career at the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, contributing to projects across office, academic, residential and healthcare sectors while deepening his focus on sustainable and future-oriented design approaches.

His practice emphasises the integration of emerging technologies with architectural expression, particularly the use of parametric and information-based tools to shape spatial systems and construction strategies. Haisheng Xu’s work explores the expressive potential of design language and the role that innovation plays in advancing architectural creativity and societal development.

He is a co-founder of LYT-X Studio, an organisation dedicated to architectural design and research. The studio investigates new directions for architecture and urban development, with an emphasis on experimental methodologies and diverse design languages. Through research and built work, LYT-X examines relationships between people, culture, nature and future environments, operating as a collaborative group driven by curiosity and shared creative ambition.

Haisheng Xu’s work with LYT-X Studio has been recognised on international platforms, receiving honours from the Red Dot Design Award, the Architizer A+Awards, the International Design Awards (IDA), the MUSE Design Awards, the NY Architectural Design Awards and several concept-driven global competitions. These distinctions highlight the studio’s experimental approach and the conceptual strength of its projects.

Through his combined practice, research and technological exploration, Haisheng Xu brings a contemporary and forward-looking perspective to architectural design.

Inna Lysetska is an experienced interior designer and project manager with more than 25 years of practice across Europe and the United States. Her expertise spans high-end residential and commercial design, architectural drafting, furniture consultation and full-cycle construction management. She is recognised for her strong grasp of both European and American design traditions, with particular skill in creative concept development, client relations, material selection and leading teams through complex design and construction processes.

She contributes to the development of custom residential projects in North Carolina, guiding design from concept to completion and shaping layouts and spatial solutions that respond thoughtfully to both site conditions and client needs. Before relocating to the United States, she led several design practices in Kyiv, including founding Lysetsky Design Bureau and serving as Chief Designer at Salisbury Design Bureau. Her earlier experience includes work in interior design, decoration and furniture consulting, contributing to a wide range of residential and commercial commissions.

Her portfolio includes more than 100 completed projects, from historic restoration and modernisation of early twentieth-century residences to the design of contemporary apartments and custom homes. Her work is defined by an ability to merge architectural vision with practical execution, creating spaces that balance elegance, comfort and long-term usability.

Inna Lysetska studied drawing and style at KCH Art School and holds a bachelor’s degree in design from the Kyiv Institute of Technology and Design. She continues to engage with international design exhibitions and professional events in Europe and the United States, maintaining a global perspective on craftsmanship, materials and interior aesthetics.

Her design philosophy centres on harmony, functionality and understated beauty, aiming to create interiors that support everyday life while offering a sense of calm, character and authenticity.

Naresh V Narasimhan is an architect, urbanist and creative thinker with more than three decades of experience in architecture, urban design and civic engagement. His career has been shaped by a longstanding association with the award-winning Bengaluru-based practice Venkataramanan Associates, where his work contributed to the development of numerous projects across a wide range of scales and typologies.

Beyond architectural practice, Naresh V Narasimhan has played an influential role in shaping conversations around citymaking in Bengaluru. He has been involved in several civic and cultural initiatives, including the Bangalore Agenda Task Force and MOD Foundation, an international collective of urban designers, researchers and curators. Through this work, he has led and supported strategic urban interventions that explore new approaches to public space, design culture and community engagement. MOD Foundation’s expansion into the BLR Design Centre established a platform dedicated to design-driven dialogue, research and the exploration of contemporary urban environments.

His contributions extend to projects of cultural importance within Bengaluru, including collaborations with institutions such as the Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy and the Bangalore International Centre, both recognised as significant venues for cultural exchange and intellectual discourse. He also advises public agencies on infrastructure and urban development and has contributed to discussions on governance, design innovation and civic participation.

Naresh V Narasimhan trained as an architect at the Manipal Institute of Technology and later pursued further studies in management at Harvard. His interests span social innovation, communication strategies, cinema, art and popular culture, informing his interdisciplinary approach to architecture and urbanism. He is also an active voice in professional and cultural forums, regularly participating in lectures, discussions and exchanges at national and international platforms.

Daria Yang Du is a Los Angeles–based architectural designer, interdisciplinary artist and founder of DD Studio. Holding a Master of Advanced Architectural Design from Cornell University, she has contributed to projects across a wide range of scales and typologies at internationally recognised firms including RIOS, BIG, Gensler, MAD and Woods Bagot. Her professional work spans hospitality, education, cultural projects and public infrastructure, with built and conceptual contributions across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Her work has been recognised by respected international platforms, receiving distinctions from the MUSE Design Awards, the London Design Awards, the French Design Awards, the Loop Design Awards and other global programmes. Representative projects include the Art Omi Design Gallery and the Iceland Black Lava Visitor Center proposal. Her creative and research work has been exhibited and published widely, with features in outlets such as e-architect, Apartment Therapy, Amazing Architecture, Artdaily, China Daily and China.com. She has also participated in international cultural and academic initiatives, including exhibitions with the A’Design 40×40 programme and professional engagements with the Asian Art Association Singapore.

Daria Yang Du’s design approach centres on spatial narrative, exploring how architecture, environment and emotion intersect to shape cultural memory and lived experience. Her practice extends from architectural and interior design to installation and conceptual work, addressing themes of ecology, social responsibility and material continuity. Her contributions span both professional and research contexts, including studies on community reconstruction, rural revitalisation and cross-border cultural landscapes.

Through her combined architectural practice, artistic exploration and academic involvement, she continues to engage with questions of sustainability, cultural identity and the evolving role of design within global social and environmental contexts.