AUSTRIAN NATIONAL JURY

Bernd Affenzeller – Bau & Immobilien Report

Bernd Affenzeller graduated from the University of Vienna with a degree in history, psychology and philosophy. Parallel to his teaching career, he discovered his love for journalism. He developed digital infotainment products and worked for a sports magazine before moving to Report Verlag in 2004, where he worked for various specialized magazines, including ‘Telekom & IT Report’, ‘Innovations-Report’ and ‘Report(+)’. Since 2009, he has focussed on the ‘Bau & Immobilien Report’, and is editor-in-chief since 2014. At the same time, Bernd Affenzeller works as a freelance author for various specialist publications.

photo credit: MARKO's PHOTOGRAPHY

Katharina Kindelmann – Wopfinger Transportbeton Ges.m.b.H.

Katharina Kindelmann studied business administration and human resource management at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she graduated in 1998. She gained first experiences as Marketing Manager working for an Austrian bank, then moved to Belgrad, where she worked as Marketing Manager at HVB Bank Serbia and Montenegro. Then she was responsible for setting-up the SME-Unit for a public relations and advertising agency. Since 2008, she has been working in marketing at Baumit, where she became Head of Marketing and Communication at Wopfinger Transportbeton Ges.m.b.H in 2013. She is a member of the marketing working group of the Austrian Ready Mixed Concrete Association GVTB. From 2018 until 2021, she had been a member of the executive board of Betonmarketing Österreich.

Markus Querner - iC Consulenten ZT GesmbH

Markus Querner is managing partner at iC Consulenten Ziviltechniker GesmbH in the field of construction and project management. Following his studies in Civil Engineering and Business Administration (entrepreneurship) he has specialised in project management and project control, construction site supervision, contract and public procurement law as well as in project monitoring. He is member of several committees and working groups, e.g. Cooperative Project Development – a working group of öbv, Austria’s largest platform for construction technology.

Klaudia Ruck – winkler + ruck Architekten ZT GmbH

Klaudia Ruck studied architecture at the Graz University of Technology. In 1994 she started her collaboration with Roland Winkler, since 1998 she has lived and worked in Klagenfurt and has been running the office Winkler+Ruck Architekten ZTGmbH together with Roland Winkler since 2016. Building in existing structures is of particular interest. Important cultural buildings comprise Schatzkammer Gurk / Gurk Treasury, Carinthia Museum, Vienna Museum (the latter two with Ferdinand Certov). Klaudia Ruck is a board member of ArchitekturHausKärnten an has received several awards, e.g. Würdigungspreis für Architektur und Baukultur / Honour award for architecture and building culture 2023.

Photo credit: Helga Rader

Ursula Schneider – POS architekten ZT gmbh

Ursula Schneider has been managing director of POS architecture since 2000. For more than 30 years, her focus has been on ecological and climate-sensitive architecture. From 2001, she intensified her activities in the field of innovative and applied building research and consulting in the areas of passive house, daylight architecture, plus-energy standard, CO2-neutral construction, cradle to cradle, recyclability, user comfort and greening of buildings. As part of her teaching and lecturing activities, she communicates her values of sustainable architecture. 

Ursula Schneider was chairing the Sustainability Committee of the Federal Chamber of Civil Engineers of Austria until 2023 and was Federal Chamber nominee to the Architects Council of Europe ‘Environment and Sustainable Architecture’ until 2023. 

Ursula Schneider is member of the steering committee of the Austrian Society for Sustainable Building (ÖGNB) and member of the BIG Architecture Advisory Board since 2022.

Photo credit: Danielle Basser

Gernot Tritthart – Holcim (Österreich) GmbH

Gernot Tritthart studied non-metallic mineral processing at the Montanuniversität Leoben. For 27 years, he has been working for Holcim Austria in various functions from quality and product management to his current position as Sales and Marketing Director. He is the representative of Holcim Austria on the Executive Board of the Austrian Cement Association VÖZ, in the Austrian Economic Chambers WKO and in various technical standard and guideline committees. He is a regular contributor at conferences and congresses on a wide range of construction issues encompassing the issue of sustainability. For many years, he has been a jury member evaluating the contributions for the concrete student trophy.

Georg Wieder – Alfred Trepka GmbH

Georg Wieder studied cultural engineering and water management at BOKU Vienna. 
He was working as project manager at FCP Fritsch, Chiari & Partner, working for railway infrastructure projects in Austria and abroad. From 2015 he has been project manager at Alfred Trepka GmbH, since 2019 Managing Director at Trepka, a 4th generation family business in precast concrete construction with 240 employees in total, in the fields of building construction and civil engineering. Georg Wieder is Board member of VÖB – the Association of Austrian Precast Concrete Plants since 2021 and Member of the Lower Austrian Construction Guild Committee since 2023.

Liz Zimmermann – simzim GmbH & Co KG

Liz Zimmermann studied landscape planning at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna from 1991 to 1998 and worked in different architecture and landscape architecture offices from 1997 to 2014. In 2008 she founded Paisagista, an engineering office for landscape architecture. Since 2018 she is working together with Katja Simma at Simma Zimmermann Landscape Architects, creating open spaces for people and focussing on the connection between identity and utility value. 

Liz Zimmermann is lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences since 2000 and is actively involved in teaching and research to provide a sound theoretical basis for her work.

Photo credit: Birgit Pichler 

BELGIAN NATIONAL JURY

Bram Aerts – ATAMA (jury chair)

Bram Aerts, together with Carolien Pasmans, founded ATAMA in 2011, which was known as TRANS until 2023. After graduating from KU Leuven, Bram gained professional experience in Brussels and Antwerp.
With over 15 years of expertise in architecture and urban planning, Bram focuses on the creative direction of the office, client relations, communication, and research. He is closely involved in all ATAMA projects, from conception to realization.

ATAMA has received (international) recognition for various projects, such as multiple selections for the EU Mies van Der Rohe Awards (2019, 2022, 2024) as well as being the laureate of the Big Mat Award 2019 and Belgian Building Awards 2020.

Bram Aerts is a dedicated lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture KU Leuven Sint-Lucas in Gent and previously at the University of Antwerp and the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture. He often serves as an external jury member for design evaluations and architecture competitions. He gives lectures in Flanders, Brussels, and internationally and has contributed to publications such as City Made (NAi 010 - 2018) and As a Theatre (MER Paper Kunsthalle - 2020).

Paul Mouchet – CENTRAL

Paul Mouchet (Carhaix, France,1982) graduated with Honors as an architect in 2009 at the ISACF La Cambre (Belgium). Since then he has worked as a project on several awarded and built projects for V+ (Brussels, 2009-2016). Since 2012, he teaches Faculté d’architecture de l’ULB : La Cambre Horta in the 2nd year and in master, studio CUMA. Paul Mouchet is a co-founder of CENTRAL office for architecture and urbanism based in Brussels. 

CENTRAL is an architecture and urban research office that was founded in 2015 by four partners. Radim Louda, Paul Mouchet, Valentin Piret and Pierre Burquel set up common practice that explores the faint boundaries between architecture and urban planning and their embeddedness in reality. This young practice has distinguished itself through several award winning projects that demonstrate its interest in a systemic and multiscalar approach to architecture, the city and the territory. 

Carmen Van Maercke – Fallow

Carmen Van Maercke (°1990, BE) is an architect and urbanist (University of Ghent, KULeuven and IUA Venice). From 2015-2020 she worked at Studio Paola Viganò and Architecture Workroom Brussels. Since 2020 she is partner at Fallow, where she was project lead of among others the desealing of the Flagey square in Brussels, Woluwe Waterland, EO Wijers, the Masterplan of the Loop in Ghent, etc. Beside fallow she also teaches at the Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst (RAvB) and the University of Ghent (KUL). 

Caroline Versteden – Office WINHOV

Caroline Versteden is specialized in the renovation and repurposing of existing (heritage) buildings in complex urban settings in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Her work primarily focuses on 'young' and often utilitarian monuments, such as stations and office buildings. Sustainability is at the core of her projects, alongside the strategic use of materials, enhancing the social component, and the relationship between program, typology, and location.

Caroline Versteden is a senior project leader and architect at Office Winhov (NL). She completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees (International Master of Architecture and Sustainability) at KU Leuven, Department of Architecture, Ghent campus (BE). After graduating, she briefly interned at 51N4E before completing her internship and working as a project architect at ATAMA in Ghent. In 2020, Caroline joined Office Winhov as a senior project leader, where she continues to work today.

DUTCH NATIONAL JURY

Pim Peters – IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs (jury chair)

Pim combines his love for construction with his passion for architecture. His specialty is structural sustainability. Pim is father of the so called ‘donor skeleton’ whereby structural elements from buildings to be demolished are actually reused in new buildings. 

Pim studied Civil Engineering at TU Delft. As a structural engineer he has designed many constructions during the 22 years he has been working at IMd. He is initiator of many research projects into the considerate use of raw materials and smart construction, together with graduate students at TU Delft. He is also a member of the BMNL van de National Environmental Database and participated in the working group Circular Design of Betonakkoord.

Albert Herder – Studioninedots

Albert has designed several famous and award-winning residential buildings. He is a specialist in designing collective facilities in highly urban mixed use areas and transforming old office buildings and former industrial sites into living-working concepts. Places that impress through their spaciousness and experience, with spaces that draw you in.

Albert Herder,architect and founding partner of Studioninedots, graduated from the Academie van Bouwkunst in Amsterdam. In 1995, he started his own company and in 1999 he founded HVDN architecten with Arie van der Neut. In 2011, Studioninedots was founded by architects Vincent van der Klei, Arie van der Neut and Metin van Zijl. Their spatial designs are willful and driven by the desire for physical spaces that invite people to interact. Well-known projects are Het Kasteel in Amsterdam Sciencepark, the office YOU in Paris, Westbeat in Amsterdam and De Alliantie HQ in Hilversum.

Arjen Ketting – MVRDV

Arjen has developed considerable knowledge concerning the practicalities of building and has accumulated a strong foundation for his niche sustainability expertise, which he brings to the benefit of a wide range of projects in the office, from single-family housing, to urban plans, and from concept phase to execution. Arjen is driven by the passion to collaborate with as many people as possible, make connections and create partnerships, work together to make sustainable projects and ultimately a sustainable society possible.

Arjen Ketting is senior associate, architect at MVRDV. He completed his Bachelor in Building Environment studies at the Haagse Hogeschool, and his Master of Architecture at the Academie van Bouwkunst Rotterdam. He joined MVRDV in 2008 after having worked for a number of building engineering and architectural offices.

Jan de Koning – De Jong Beton

Jan works passionately and enthusiastic in precast concrete. He is expert on both architectural concrete and a wider perspective on sustainability in the built environment. He works with the Betonhuis association Betonproducenten Nederland on innovations like binder from calcined clay and aesthetic challenges like the best black concrete.

Jan studied Industrial Engineering at TU Eindhoven and mechanical engineering at HZ University applied sciences at Vlissingen. After director positions with industrial infrastructural concrete manufacturers he could get in De Jong Beton and has built up this business to a fantastic partner for architectural concrete. Recently he followed a Masterclass on sustainable alternatives with prof. Karen Scrivener at TU Lausanne.

Paul Stavert – Powerhouse Company

Pauls main focus is on large-scale, urban mixed-use projects that create new places in previously neglected urban deserts. He is interested in creating value and architectural quality within the laws of economics that control commercial real estate development. For him, being a ‘Powerhousian’ means three things: enthusiasm, passion and joy. 

Paul studied architecture at the Faculty of Building Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (NL), where he received his Master of Science in Architecture, Building and Planning in 2007. Paul started as self-employed architect and joined between 2008 and 2011 the Amsterdam-based practice SeARCH. Before joining Powerhouse in 2012 Paul worked on specific projects with Erick van Egeraat and worked in New York with Rietveld Architects.

GERMAN NATIONAL JURY

Lutz Dickmann – Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences

Lutz Dickmann is professor of structural engineering and materials science at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences. At the Faculty of Architecture and Design, he heads the MaterialSTUDIO for material-oriented design and construction.
After studying civil engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Lutz Dickmann began working as a structural engineer at the engineering firm RFR in Paris in 2001, developing complex structures and sophisticated building envelopes.
From 2008 to 2013, he was managing director in Shanghai and Hong Kong. For Maffeis Engineering, he worked on textile and green facades as Regional Director from 2016 to 2021.
After teaching positions at the University of Stuttgart and an honorary professorship at the University of Hong Kong, he was appointed to the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences in 2013. In 2022, he completed part-time additional studies in facade technology at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences.
In addition to research and teaching, he works as a consulting engineer and expert for structural design and facade technology. One focus is on the design and planning of resource-efficient structural systems and high-performance building envelopes.

Photo credit: Bernhard Kahrmann

Max Dombrowski – schlaich bergermann pertner

Max Dombrowski is a project manager in structural engineering at schlaich bergermann partner. He studied civil engineering at the TU Berlin from 2013 to 2019. In his work, he is involved in the structural engineering testing of complex reinforced concrete structures. Furthermore, he deals with sustainability aspects of concrete construction as well as with the development of material-efficient structures. In an honorary capacity, he is involved as a founding member of the Attitude Building Collective, a construction collective with the goal of advancing the transformation to a more environmentally sustainable construction industry.

Sandra Hofmeister – DETAIL

Sandra Hofmeister is editor-in-chief of DETAIL. She studied architecture, art history and Romance languages and literature at the Technical University and the Free University of Berlin as well as at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, where she completed her doctorate in 2006. As an author and editor, she has published numerous books on architecture and design. Her journalistic contributions have appeared in German and English-language newspapers and magazines as well as on online platforms.

After gaining editorial experience in various architecture trade magazines, Sandra Hofmeister was editor-in-chief of the German Domus from 2012 to 2015. Since 2016, she has been editor-in-chief of DETAIL, where she is responsible for the book programme, the international magazine and the online platforms. She currently also teaches design history at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Markus Holzbach – HfG Offenbach School of Art

Markus Holzbach is Professor of Visualisation and Materialisation at the HfG Offenbach School of Art. There, the architect and materials and process engineer heads the Institute for Material Design IMD. After training as a mould maker in a model workshop and studying to become a materials and process engineer at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Markus Holzbach worked as a development engineer. From 1994 to 2000 he studied architecture at the University of Kaiserslautern. He then taught, researched and completed his doctorate at the Institute for Lightweight Design and Construction ILEK at the University of Stuttgart. As a registered architect, he realises his own projects in the fields of architecture, design and materialisation. From 2008 to 2010 he held the chair of mathematics at the Department of Civil Engineering at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. Since 2009, he has been a professor at the HfG Offenbach School of Art and was Dean of the Design Department from 2016 to 2019. He is Visiting Professor at the Politecnico di Milano. Other teaching positions have taken him to RWTH Aachen, the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam/NL and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT in Cambridge/USA, among others.

Ulrich Nolting – InformationsZentrum Beton

Ulrich Nolting is Managing Director of the Concrete Information Centre. After training as a reinforced concrete builder, he studied at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences for Printing, where he graduated as an industrial engineer in 1990. From 1991 to 1993, he studied international marketing at the Baden-Württemberg Export Academy in Reutlingen. He then gained professional experience in advertising agencies and printing companies before becoming assistant to the Managing Director in 1995 and authorised signatory at Südwest Zement GmbH in 2000. From 2002 to 2015, Ulrich Nolting was Managing Director of Beton Marketing Süd GmbH. Since April 2015, he has been Managing Director of InformationsZentrum Beton GmbH with contact and advice centres in Beckum, Düsseldorf, Hannover, and Ostfildern. To promote innovative design concepts and new areas of application for cement-bound building materials, the IZB has been awarding the Concrete Design Competition for students in addition to the Concrete Architecture Prize since 2003.

Holger Techen – Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

Holger Techen is Professor of Structural Engineering and Building Construction at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. He studied civil engineering at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt from 1983 to 1989. He then worked at the engineering firm König + Heunisch in Frankfurt/M, before returning to the university in 1992 as a research assistant, where he completed his doctorate in the field of structural glass engineering at the Institute for Solid Construction. This was followed by positions at the Hamburg engineering firm Windels, Timm, Morgen and, from 2000, at Bollinger + Grohmann, where he worked as a project manager on buildings with a strong architectural influence. In September 2006, Holger Techen was appointed to the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, where he teaches structural engineering and building construction in the architecture course and conducts research on the acoustic effectiveness of façades in urban spaces and on green façades. Since 2007 he has been a partner in the engineering office imagine structure GmbH, based in Frankfurt and Cologne.

Anca Timofticiuc – Mensing Timofticiuc 

Anca Timofticiuc was born in Constanta, Romania, in 1982 and studied architecture at Ion Mincu University Bucharest and Leibniz University Hannover between 2000 and 2006. From 2007 to 2012, she was a research assistant at the Technical University of Berlin in the Department of Design and Building Construction. There she initiated the doctoral colloquium 'Design in Teaching, Application and Theory'. During the same period, she founded the Mensing Timofticiuc office in Berlin with Marius Mensing. From 2017 to 2019, she was a visiting professor for architectural design at the University of Kassel.

For the winter semester 2021/2022, Anca Timofticiuc was appointed Professor of Building Theory and Design at the Department of Architecture of the Peter Behrens School of Arts at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences.

IRISH NATIONAL JURY

Séamus Guidera – RKD

Bringing fresh ideas and vitality to his work, Séamus has led a variety of complex commercial projects from inception right through to completion. He understands that successful design involves dialogue between teams, clients, and stakeholders at all levels. His experience teaching architecture at UCD, and involvement with the RIAI and AAI, honed his keen eye for detail, while his deep understanding of commercial market trends helps clients to achieve their real estate goals.

Máire Henry – dnbArchitects

Máire is a director of dhbArchitects in Waterford and graduate of UCD School of Architecture She worked with Scott Talon Walker in London before moving to France and collaborating with Marcel Breuer Associates and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. She worked on many international projects including The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre in New Caledonia and Cité Internationale in Lyons, France.

She led the development of the new school of architecture at WIT (now SETU Waterford) and became its first Head of Department in 2005. She completed an MBA in 2004 and is also an accredited mediator, qualified Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) and Passive House Designer. dhbArchitects has won many awards including a commendation in the RIAI awards 2023.

She is very involved in Community projects and has been a board member of the Waterford Civic Trust; The Waterford Viking Triangle Trust; Waterford Festival of Architecture and Garter Lane Arts Centre.

Máire is currently a member of the RIAI Public Affairs committee and is Vice President of the RIAI for 2024 and 2025.

Leanne Martin – DTA Architects

Leanne studied Architecture at the Dublin School of Architecture DIT (now Technical University of Dublin). She is currently a Director of DTA Architects and a registered Architect with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.

DTA Architects are recognised as a leading practice in residential design, advocating quality of the highest standards in housing design as an essential long-term investment in sustainable built communities, with unique experience and particular expertise in high density urban/ suburban sites and typological innovation.

Leanne has experience in design and delivery of a range of award winning residential, domestic, commercial, conservation and cultural projects from brief development through concept design, developed design, technical design and construction stages. She has also served on the committee of the Architectural Association of Ireland and represented Ireland at o35’s level in hockey, achieving a gold medal at the European Championships in 2023 and a World Cup silver medal in 2022.