As AZURE heads into the 15th anniversary of our international AZ Awards program, we are announcing a longer submission period, new categories, more exposure for finalists and other perks. One undeniable benefit for entrants is the opportunity to show their work to our jury members, who represent the best of the worlds of architecture, urbanism, interiors, furniture and more. (If you haven’t done so already, you can enter the 2025 AZ Awards at .)
Introducing the jurors of the 2025 AZ Awards!
Rasmus Astrup, Design Principal & Senior Partner, SLA
At the renowned Danish nature-based studio SLA, Rasmus Astrup is a leading specialist in city nature, sustainable landscape architecture, and integrated climate adaptation and has led SLA’s most forward-looking and award-winning projects all over the world. Among the firm’s projects are the in Toronto, the MIND – Milan Innovation District and the Mashtal Plaza in Abu Dhabi.
Astrup’s perpetual emphasis on creating the best possible places for life – all life – is continuously manifested through inspiring and green urban spaces with living ecosystems that help create robust cities, better living environments for humans as well as biodiversity, and a higher quality of life. He is the recipient of several major national and international honours, among them the 2021 World Landscape of the Year Award and Canada’s 2024 National Urban Design Award.
Bahar Ghaemi, Creative Director of Products, Yabu Pushelberg
Bahar Ghaemi is the Creative Director of Product at Yabu Pushelberg, where she has shaped the studio’s product design practice from the ground up since 2012.
Leading a team of 10, Bahar oversees the development of bespoke furniture, lighting, accessories, textiles, and fixtures for Yabu Pushelberg’ s global projects. The team’s ability to design nearly all interior elements gives them a unique perspective: every product is conceived with an understanding of its relationship to the broader environment with a focus on how objects make us feel and the stories they tell. This purposeful, context-driven approach to design has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most coveted brands, including Molteni&C, B&B Italia, Marset, cc-tapis, and Ligne Roset.
Gregory Henriquez, Managing Principal, Henriquez Partners Architects
Vancouver-based practitioner Gregory Henriquez is a leader amongst a generation of architects who are reintegrating ethics and activism into the discipline. Founded on the belief that meaningful architecture must be a poetic expression of social justice, his work has shaped Henriquez Partners Architects’ practice, which is best known for such complex, inclusive and mixed-use projects as Woodward’s Redevelopment (completed in 2011 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside), TELUS Garden, Coal Harbour Community Centre and 60 West Cordova. Henriquez is actively involved in ongoing projects that include the 465,000-square-metre Oakridge Redevelopment in Vancouver, and WB1200 in Seattle.
His work has been honoured with numerous design awards, including AZURE’s AZ Awards, the AIA Canada Design Awards, the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture and a Canadian Institute of Planners’ Award. A lecturer for various universities and industry events and a UNHCR Premier Advocate, he has published five books: Towards an Ethical Architecture, Body Heat, Citizen City, GHETTO: Sanctuary for Sale, and most recently, How can we live together?.
Ali McQuaid Mitchell, Founder, Futurestudio
At Futurestudio, a rising Toronto design firm, Ali McQuaid Mitchell and her team provide a forward-thinking approach, deeply committed to creating spaces that anticipate and respond to changing lifestyles and environmental needs. Driven by a vision that blends contemporary aesthetics with enduring relevance, McQuaid Mitchell aims to redefine how interiors can adapt to the future while remaining timeless. Recent projects include in Toronto and New York, and Bar Prima and Lee Restaurant in Toronto.
Her dedication to creating spaces that reflect her clients’ personalities and lifestyles has earned her a reputation as one of Toronto’s most sought-after designers. Through Futurestudio, she explores innovative materials and technologies, continuously pushing the boundaries of design to create environments that resonate well beyond the present.
Sergio Morales, Co-founder, Chevalier Morales
In 2005, Sergio Morales co-founded Chevalier Morales alongside Stephan Chevalier. Under their leadership, the firm has garnered recognition in over 20 national and international architectural competitions and projects. Its notable works include the Saul-Bellow Library in Lachine, the Maison de la littérature in Quebec City, the Drummondville and Pierrefonds libraries in Montreal, the Agora des Arts in Rouyn-Noranda and the recent competition for the Beaconsfield Cultural Centre. Morales, who previously worked at Saucier + Perrotte architectes, plays a crucial role as a project architect, a lead designer and a technical resource in various projects .
The firm’s exceptional work has been acknowledged through numerous awards, including multiple Grand Prix d’architecture from the Ordre des architectes du Québec and two Governor General’s Medals in Architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. And for nearly two decades, Morales has been a respected instructor of design workshops in the master’s program at the Université de Montréal, and he still contributes to the program through the studies committee.
Angie Jim Osman, Partner, Allies and Morrison
A designer, urbanist and teacher, Angie Jim Osman is design lead on several of U.K. firm and regeneration schemes within London and abroad. Many of her projects have been for industrial contexts and she has a particular aptitude for sensitive sites. These include masterplans for Greenwich Peninsula, London, a former industrial site and one of the largest development projects in Europe; and Imperial College London’s South Kensington campus, which develops a framework for future growth and strengthens the public realm for this world-leading university. With a strong portfolio in housing, she has recently led the design of Capella, a new apartment building comprising affordable and private homes within the practice’s King’s Cross masterplan.
As one of two Partners driving the practice’s work in Canada, where she is originally from, Angie Jim Osman is in charge of several projects in Toronto, involving the redevelopment of prominent urban sites into new, sustainable pieces of this fast-growing city. Notable projects include 2150 Lake Shore and , the redevelopment of an industrial site into a mixed-use transport-led community.
Manit Rastogi, Founding Partner, Morphogenesis
With offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru, Morphogenesis brands its approach “SOUL” — Sustainability, Optimization, Uniqueness and Liveability. As its Founding Partner, Manit Rastogi has worked across a diverse canvas, ranging from architecture to urban design, to create sustainable projects through the framework of an evolutionary practice inspired by nature and emphasizing passive design. His portfolio includes several commercial buildings, residential complexes, Smart Cities, significant institutions, offices and hotels across India, Bhutan, South Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh, the UAE, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
A thought leader in the field of sustainable design, Rastogi has published several research papers pertaining to zero-energy buildings. As a founder member of the GRIHA Council, India’s own green-rating system, he has worked with urban policymakers to spearhead initiatives with an emphasis on environmental sensibility and social welfare. Having served as the Director of the Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Rastogi is a major influence on the emerging generation of Indian architects.
Nathan Rich, Partner, Peterson Rich Office
Nathan Rich is an architect and founding partner of Peterson Rich Office (PRO), a New York City–based firm specializing in cultural and publicly engaged projects across the United States. He has led several of the firm’s projects in which contemporary spaces for art are built in historic contexts, including The Pruzan Art Center at Wesleyan University, The Shepherd Art Center in Detroit, and the Great Hall Gallery project at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Along with his partner Miriam Peterson, Nathan held the Kaplan Chair in Urban Design with the Regional Plan Association, where they designed scalable design solutions for public housing campuses, which were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art. He is closely involved with PRO’s many ongoing projects with The New York City Housing Authority.
Amelle Schultz, Principal, Ayers Saint Gross
Amelle Schultz is an award-winning landscape architect and principal at Ayers Saint Gross with an expertise in landscape architecture and landscape planning. Her work spans the spectrum of design, taking the macro-scale of planning and translating it seamlessly to the details of landscape architecture. She has worked on projects ranging in scale from campus plans to detailed design work. Her goal is to create campuses, cities, and cultural landscapes that are equitable and sustainable, connecting people to nature and fostering a sense of belonging.
Some of her past projects include the Waterfront Campus Plan for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Grinnell College Landscape Master Plan and numerous campus master plans, including Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Swarthmore College and Ringling College of Art and Design.
Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann, EVP for the Americas, Ligne Roset
French furniture and luxury lifestyle brand Ligne Roset is known for its artistic collections, which are created with both established and up-and-coming talents in contemporary design. Across her exciting ongoing tenure, Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann has elevated the brand perception through various high-profile marketing activities that build on this dynamism. Highlights include art and design collaborations with Liz Collins and Philippe Nigro, partnerships with forward-looking organizations like GCE Lab School (which supports socially responsible young citizens and hands-on learning experiences) and exhibitions at world-renowned fairs like Wanted Design and Design Miami. In 2023, Vingerhoets-Ziesmann led a multi-city exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Togo sofa, complete with historic elements, special editions and an experiential podcast corner to learn more.
Passionate about design, Vingerhoets-Ziesmann is a founding board member of BeOriginal Americas, a non-profit dedicated to protecting intellectual property and counteracting design piracy while investing in design’s future. She is also an avid marathon runner and triathlete.
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If you haven’t done so already, submit your best work now to the AZ Awards at .
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