Archives: Speakers

Harbinder is a Partner and head of Infrastructure and transportation at the UK based award winning architectural practice HawkinsBrown. He is considered within the industry as an expert in the design and construction of major engineering-led civic projects which include two of UK’s largest infrastructure projects; Crossrail 1 and Thames Tideway. He is the Principal Architect for Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Liverpool Street station; three of the central section stations for the new Elizabeth line and is also the Principal Architect leading the designs for the public realm of the central section of Thames Tideway. Harbinder is a previous winner of ’40 under 40′; a prestigious design award recognising the best young architects under 40.

Iain leads the Advanced Technologies Sector at International practice, Scott Brownrigg. He has extensive experience of planning, designing and delivering complex projects characterised by the transformative impact new technologies have in shaping architecture and cities.

Professor Sir Peter Cook RA, founder of Archigram, former Director the Institute for Contemporary Art, London (the ICA) and Bartlett School of Architecture at University Col-lege, London has been a pivotal figure within the global architectural world for over half a century. His ongoing con¬tribution to architectural innovation was rec¬ognised via the conferral of an honorary doctorate in April 2010 by the Lund University, Sweden. Peter’s achieve¬ments with radical experimentalist group Archigram have been the subject of numerous publications and public ex¬hibitions and were recognised by the Royal Institute of Brit¬ish Architects in 2002, when members of the group were awarded the RIBA’s highest award, the Royal Gold Medal.

With more than 25 years of experience in workplace consultancy, real estate advisory, design, and urban strategy, Philip has worked with many leading global organizations across mainland Europe to implement workplace programs attuned to the region’s many cultural and legislative variations. As Head of Consulting Europe, based in Gensler’s Munich office, Philip has a focus on both global and regional clients in Germany and the wider Europe region. With more than 20 years’ experience of working in Germany and across Europe, Philip has also advised numerous European public-sector organizations on how enhanced work environments can lead to improved performance. Through his conference participation, articles, and blogs, Philip regularly explores the meta-themes of how the rapidly changing nature of work impacts people, buildings, and cities. Phillip is an active member of CoreNet Global, The British Council of Offices, and the Urban Land Institute, and also serves as an Adjunct Professor of the Master of Workplace Design course at the IE School of Architecture in Madrid/London. He is an Architecture Graduate of the Royal College of Art in London.

Murat Tabanlıoğlu (RIBA, Chartered Member, Int’l. Assoc. AIA) studied architecture at Vienna Technical University and graduated in 1992. Besides his atelier program at Istanbul Bilgi University, he lectures at universities and various international platforms.

Alessandra Chies, currently working as China IP and Brand Protection Chief Counsel in the leading Italian Firm Barzanò & Zanardo, has a decade of direct experience in assisting European and International companies on Intellectual Property Rights prosecution and enforcement, mostly focusing on China Laws and practices, standing that she lived in Beijing for 8 years and managed a Law Firm specialized in IP Registration and protection strategies.

Alessandra’s focus was of conducting administrative, civil and criminal actions, with special dedication on online sale of counterfeits, customs border protection, trademark and design registration strategies and prosecution actions. Alessandra is currently External Expert of the China IPR SME Helpdesk of the European Chamber of Commerce and collaborated with the EPO-MOFCOM EU-China Project for the Enforcement of IPR (IPR2). She often invited as speaker to seminars and workshops around Europe, related to IPR protection in China.

Alessandra holds a magna cum laude Law degree from the University of Bari, Italy, an LLM in international and European Business Law from Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge and a further Master in IP Law with a special focus on Chinese IP Law from Milan Polytechnic University in collaboration with Tongji University- Shanghai. She speaks Italian, fluent English and basic Mandarin.

Guglielmo is a Chartered Engineer, Designer and Materials Scientist with a strong background in developing new sustainable technologies and managing innovation across sectors in the built environment

John has worked at a high level in architectural companies for nearly thirty years, as a partner at Foster +Partners and as London director for Rafael Vinoly.

Kai-Uwe Bergmann is a Partner at BIG who brings his expertise to proposals around the globe, including work in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kai-Uwe heads up BIG’s business development which currently has the office working in 20 different countries as well as overseeing BIG’s Communications. Registered as an architect in the USA (eight states), and Canada (one province), Kai-Uwe most recently contributed to the resiliency plan BIG U to protect 10 miles of Manhattan’s coastline. He compliments his professional work through previous teaching assignments at University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, IE University in Madrid, and his alma mater the University of Virginia. Kai-Uwe also sits on the Board of the Van Alen Institute, participates on numerous international juries and lectures globally on the works of BIG.