Manila Bay Central Park Challenge Jury Panel!

Paul Finch, World Architecture Festival
Tim Kobe, Eight Inc
Jessica Sy, SM Prime
Ken Yeang, Hamzah & Yeang
Zenaida D. C. Galingan, UP College of Architecture
Angelene Chan, DP Architects
Belinda Tato, Ecosistema Urbano and Harvard GSD
Tony Chan, Arup

Paul Finch is the program director of the World Architecture Festival, the deputy chair of the Design Council, and the editorial director of both the Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal. 

Born in London in 1949, he earned a history degree from Selwyn College, Cambridge, before embarking on a career in journalism. He served as deputy editor of Estates Times (now Property Week) from 1976 to 1983, editor of Building Design from 1983 to 1994, editor of the Architects’ Journal from 1994 to 1999, and editor of The Architectural Review from 2005 to 2009. 

From 1999 to 2005, Paul was a commissioner and deputy chair at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), later becoming chair from 2009 to 2011. He also chaired CABE’s Olympic Design Review Panel from 2006 to 2012. Additionally, he has been a joint editor of Planning in London since 1992. Paul has received several honors for his contributions to architecture, including an honorary FRIBA in 1994, an honorary doctorate from the University of Westminster in 2004, and an honorary fellowship from University College London in 2006. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, an honorary member of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, and an honorary member of the British Council for Offices. In 2002, he was awarded an OBE for his services to architecture.

Tim Kobe is a distinguished designer and the founder of Eight Inc, a renowned design firm that has worked with top-tier clients like Apple, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Virgin Atlantic. With a passion for creating meaningful experiences that resonate with people on a fundamental level, Kobe's design philosophy is rooted in his deep understanding of human behavior. He holds a degree in Environmental Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and has expertise in various design disciplines, including branding, product design, interior design, strategy, and communication. His work has won numerous international design awards and has been featured in publications across Asia, Europe, and the United States. 

In addition to his design work, Kobe is an esteemed speaker and educator who has addressed various conferences and events worldwide. He has lectured at several prestigious design schools, including the National University of Singapore. He is an advisor to the board of Design Singapore Council and a frequent juror of the President Design Award Singapore, and is a trustee at Art Center College of Design. 

Kobe also is Founder and CEO of X8 Ventures, an innovation consultancy that helps companies develop new products and services. He divides his time between the United States and Asia where he continues to innovate and inspire the design industry.  In 2021 he authored the book "Return On Experience," which delves into his design philosophy and approach to creating compelling experiences for customers.

Jessica Sy, the Lead Executive for Design, Innovation, and Strategy at SM Prime Holdings Inc. and SM Development Corporation in the Philippines, drives the vision and success of the company, spearheading the sales, marketing, design, and innovation departments with unparalleled expertise and visionary leadership. With a background in architecture, she is a passionate advocate for sustainability, particularly in disaster risk reduction. Sy’s leadership and vision drive SM Prime and SMDC's commitment to creating resilient and sustainable communities, positioning her as a key figure in the company's growth and innovation.

Ken Yeang, a co-founder of Hamzah & Yeang, is both an architect, ecologist and author known for his pioneering work in the field of sustainable architecture (since 1971). His work integrates ecology-based principles with architectural structures as Applied Ecology, promoting environmentally-positive ecological biointegration and outcomes. His work focuses on innovations in building that harmonize with nature. He carries out research, designs, builds and writes (over 12 books published). Ken was trained at the Architectural Association (London). He completed a doctorate at Cambridge, which laid the foundation for his lifetime’s focus on the ecological-design agenda. His Cambridge doctorate was published as Designing With Nature by McGraw-Hill (1985). 

He is a Fellow (Honorary) of Wolfson College (Cambridge), member of the RIBA, FAIA (Hon. Fellow), Past-President Malaysia Institute of Architects, Singapore Institute of Architects (Fellow). During his six decades of practice, Ken has engaged in a consistent programme of research that has informed his built work, his writings, and his teaching. His contribution is in bringing the eco design agenda to the fore of architectural thinking, and to leading the international professional community’s response to the crisis that now prevails, cannot be overstated. 

His accolades include the Aga Khan Award, Prinz Claus Award, UIA Auguste Perret Award, LiangSiCheng Award (Architectural Society of China), Merdeka Award (Government of Malaysia), Gold Medal of the Malaysia Institute of Architects and others. His built work includes: Mesiniaga Tower (IBM) (Malaysia), Suasana Putrajaya (Malaysia), Solaris Tower (Singapore), Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Extension (London), Nitte University Masterplan (Mangalore, India), National Library (Singapore) and others. The Guardian has identified him as ‘one of the 50 people who could save the planet’.

Zenaida D. C. Galingan is a landscape architect and a professorial lecturer at UP College of Architecture after serving as associate professor and landscape architecture program director for several terms. Her professional knowledge covers more than thirty-five years of professional practice aside from teaching. She was involved in numerous landscape development projects and had published and co- authored several papers on different aspects of the profession. She's a founding member, fellow, and past president of the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects.

She’s a recipient of 9th Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA) Distinction Award 2022 for the Landscape Architecture Profession and the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) of the Philippines 1996 Most Outstanding Professional in Landscape Architecture. She is also formerly head of National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts and member of PRC Career Progression and Specialization Program and Credit Accumulation and Transfer System Committee on Landscape Architecture. She is also presently chair of the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Educations Technical Committee for Landscape Architecture.

Angelene Chan, Chairman of DP Architects in Singapore, is renowned for her dedication to design and people. Her ability to balance practical requirements with local context has resulted in a distinguished portfolio of authentic and purposeful architecture. Recognized as one of Singapore's leading architects under 45 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2010, Angelene has received numerous accolades, including the President’s Design Award for her work on Sunray Woodcraft Construction Headquarters in 2015, and Designer of the Year in 2018. 

Angelene's notable projects include The Dubai Mall, Resorts World Sentosa, and the transformation of Wisma Atria shopping mall. As CEO from January 2016 to January 2021, she led DP Architects toward international growth and higher design standards, emphasizing architecture-related specializations and technology use. As Chairman, she continues to align DP’s strategic roadmap with global and specialist office growth. 

Active in the profession and building industry, Angelene serves on the boards of the Singapore Land Authority, the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, the Sentosa Development Corporation, and the Housing Development Board’s Architectural Design Panel. She is also a member of the World City Summit Knowledge Council, the National University of Singapore Board of Trustees, Vice-Chairperson of Dover Park Hospice, and Chairperson of its Building & Development Committee. In 2022, she was awarded the MND Medallion for her contributions as a board member on Singapore’s Board of Architects and the Professional Engineers Board.

Belinda Tato, a Spanish architect and founding partner of Ecosistema Urbano, has been a professor at Harvard GSD since 2010. Renowned for her innovative approach to urban design and regeneration, she earned her architecture degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Tato later studied at The Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. Her firm, Ecosistema Urbano, designed the Eco-boulevard of Ensanche de Vallecas, incorporating air trees to create a microclimate. This project, funded by the European Union’s LIFE Program and the Municipal Housing and Land Company of the Madrid City Council, was completed between 2004 and 2005. Throughout her career, Tato has shown a particular interest in engaging the community in urban design and planning processes.

Tony Chan is the Southeast Asia Planning Leader for the global engineering firm Arup. He is also a Council Member of the Singapore Institute of Planning. With a background in urban planning and sustainability, he has led various large-scale projects in Australia, China and around the Southeast Asia region including the Eastern Economic Corridor Strategy in Thailand, Indonesia’s new Capital City, ADB’s Urban Climate Change Resilient Trust Fund across 25 cities and various low carbon and transit focussed masterplans in China. His expertise lies in strategizing on and delivering multi-disciplinary projects in an integrated and resilient manner. This includes developing master planning and urban design with associated strategies - such as sustainability, smart/ digital, mobility, energy, water, waste - to maximize value, future proof projects and addressing natural resource consumption. Chan has worked with the private sector, International Financial Institutions and governments of all levels and is particularly adept at navigating complexity, understanding the local context, assisting government, public and private sector client to develop a strategic sustainable vision, objectives, key performance indicator targets, and finally realizing them in the form of design, contextually relevant and implementable policies, plans and instruments.