The judges for the "ADF Design Award 2023," hosted by NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF) and currently accepting applications, have been determined. The theme of this year's award is "Design for Architecture." The total amount of prizes will be 20,000 US dollars for the Best Performance Award, 10,000 US dollars for the Excellence Award per category, and 1,000 US dollars for the Encouragement Award per category, with an award for each category, making the total amount of prizes 100,000 US dollars.

This year's jury again includes prominent figures from the architecture and design industry from around the world. The five confirmed judgess are: (in no particular order)

Founding Editor in Chief – Design Anthology Magazine

Suzy Annetta, founding editor in chief of Design Anthology magazine, is a Melbourne-trained interior designer who worked for a number of award-winning firms before founding her own studio. Design Anthology was launched in early 2014 to a strong following that continues to grow internationally. A quarterly, Design Anthology is published independently and is the only design magazine available across the Asia region to focus on a curated selection of high-end projects in the region or by Asian designers internationally. A European edition of the magazine launched in 2018, followed by an Australian edition in late 2019. Design Anthology published their first long format book in collaboration with Thames & Hudson in early 2020.

Representative of ODB & Partners Professor of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano

Close assistant of Renzo Piano in the 1980s, Ottavio Di Blasi founded ODB & Partners in Milan in 1990. He is a Professor of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, a Tutor for G124 (commission appointed by the Italian Senate dedicated to the renaissance of Italian peripheries), and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Renzo Piano Foundation. Lecturer at Cincinnati University, he practices internationally.

His design attitude is based on the idea that architecture provides a concise humanistic solution to a wide range of design issues by combining invention, emotion, and competence trough a humanistic approach. His recent major projects include Architecture campus at Politecnico di Milano (2020) , S.S. Giovanni Railway Station (2019) and Gorée Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade Memorial (2019).

©WPP

Representative of Noriaki Okabe Architecture Network

Noriaki Okabe is an Architect. He was invited researcher of French Government’s Scholarship and then had worked with Renzo Piano for twenty years. He carried out the project of Kansai International Airport Passenger Terminal Building as the project leader. After founded the office in Japan, he worked on a wide range of designs from architecture to railway car design, such as Odakyu Romancecar.

President of the Milan Board of Architects Foundation
Fondazione dell'Ordine degli Architetti PPC della Provincia di Milano / Cristofori Santi Architetti Associati

Marialisa Santi (1975) graduated from Milan Politecnico, started working with RSG on architectural and restoration projects for private clients and companies including the restoration of the iconic Pirelli skyscraper in Milan. Since then she consolidated her interest for retail in which she soon became a specialist collaborating on international projects worldwide. In 2012, together with Giacomo Cristofori, she founded the studio Cristofori Santi Architetti Associati developing retail and interior design projects worldwide. In 2022 she has been appointed President of the Milan Board of Architects Foundation.

Representative of Akihisa Hirata Architects

Born in 1971 in Osaka. After working at Toyo Ito & Associates, he founded Akihisa Hirata Architects in 2005. He is currently a professor at Kyoto University. His major works include "sarugaku", "Ota City Museum and Library", "Tree-ness House", "Yatsushiro Citizens' Museum of Traditional Performing Arts". He has received numerous awards, including Togo Murano Award and Japan Institute of Architects Award.

The five judges were selected this year. The award will be judged by the jury and finalised by the ADF Design Award Judging Committee. It is a great opportunity to showcase your wonderful design and architectural works to the world. We look forward to receiving your application.

To learn how to apply for the "ADF Design Award 2023", please visit here.