Peja Culture Pavilion Jury panel!

Winka Dubbeldam, Archi-Tectonics
Sandra Baggerman, Trahan Architects
Daniela Holt Voith, Voith & Mactavish Architects
Hildur Ísdal Þorgeirsdóttir, Ísdal Arkitektúr
Florina Jerliu, University of Prishtina
Louise Marter, KWY studio
Gazmend Muhaxheri, Peja Municipality
Harrison Stallan, OMA
Blake T. Smith, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Winka Dubbeldam is the founding partner of the NYC-based firm Archi-Tectonics, and is widely known for her award-winning work. She was the Chair and Miller Professor of Architecture at UPenn for 20 years, and has taught at Columbia, Cornell and Harvard University. She has been the external examiner for the AA, and at the Bartlett UCL, both in London. She has chaired many design juries, such as the AIANY, Prix de Rome, Plan Magazine, and Boffo, and was named one of Design Intelligence's 30 Most Admired Educators in 2015. Winka was the creative director for the Visual Italian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale [2021-2023] and has lectured worldwide at many symposia and universities.

Sandra Baggerman is driven by crafting captivating spaces that evoke moments of revelation and wonder, harmonizing and uplifting with the local context. She works at the New York office of Trahan Architects, working on a range of cultural and public projects. Holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the T.U. Delft, her work is concept and research-driven. She strongly believes architecture should be fueled by a thorough understanding of the local context in its broad sense, based on her model of ‘Ecosophic Contextualism’ about leveraging the evolving systematic nature of ecosystems to enrich architectural design for societal advancement. Sandra values composition, space, light, and honest design, appreciating design’s transformative potential. Specializing in a concept-driven, holistic approach, she emphasizes contextual design that harmonises local ecosystems with society, stimulating critical thinking and addressing challenges while honoring the natural environment. Before joining Trahan Architects, she worked at MVRDV and BIG, contributing to a wide range of residential, office, campus, and urban projects. Besides practice, Sandra has contributed to a range of publications and shares her expertise as a guest speaker and former design tutor at T.U. Delft, as Summer School workshop leader in Wuhan China, and as jury member for various architecture competitions and awards.

Daniela Holt Voith, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, IIDA, ASID, is a founding principal of Voith & Mactavish Architects and director of design. Holding degrees from Yale University School of Architecture and Bryn Mawr College, Daniela has dedicated her career to promoting the advancement of design for educational environments. Her client-focused practice supports leading edge pedagogical thought and encourages mindful ways of living and learning. Daniela has developed a method of practice that moves fluidly from planning initiatives to building design. Her many long-term relationships with educational institutions result in designs that carefully suit her clients’ missions, reflect their architectural identities, and assist in achieving their strategic goals. She is also consistently looking for ways for her projects to be sustainable in innovative ways. Her work has received numerous national and local accolades. 

Daniela is also an educator. Since the early 1980’s she has taught at Yale University as a TA, University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, and has developed and taught Bryn Mawr College’s design studio program. She often serves on juries for professional awards in architectural design and construction quality, as well as serving on academic reviews. Daniela has also consistently sought out opportunities to make a positive impact in her community. Mayor Michael Nutter appointed her to serve on the city’s award-winning 2008 Zoning Code Commission, which revised the city’s 50-year-old code. Daniela is currently President of the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art – Philadelphia Chapter; Director of the Carpenter’s Company of Philadelphia; and Board Member of the Design Leadership Foundation, whose mission is to ensure a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the fields of architecture and design.

Hildur Ísdal is an architect and interior designer, working at Ísdal Arkitektúr. She was trained at the Scuola Politecnica di Milano, the Iceland University of the Arts, and the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. Iceland-born, Hildur spent nine years in Stockholm working as an architect, most of this time with the office Arkitema where she focused on educational buildings and offices. Two years ago Hildur moved back to Iceland to reconnect with her roots and explore the Icelandic architecture scene, since working on projects ranging from summer cottages to big movie-studios.

Florina Jerliu is an associate professor at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina." With a distinguished career in architecture and urbanism, she holds a Doctor of Technical Sciences degree from the University of Sarajevo and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Prishtina. Jerliu has authored numerous scientific publications and monographs on cultural heritage and urban planning in Kosovo. She has participated in and presented at many national and international conferences and has led significant restoration and conservation projects for cultural heritage. In her professional experience, Florina has served as an advisor for urban planning and management to the Mayor of Prishtina and co-founded Archis Intervention Prishtina (AI Prishtina), an NGO focused on urban development strategies. She has also contributed to drafting legislation in architecture and construction and has represented Kosovo in various international forums. For her dedication and contributions to architecture and cultural heritage, she has received several awards and recognitions, including the "Zef Mirdita" Annual Award for Scientific Work and the Superior Honor Award from the U.S. State Department.

Luise Marter collaborates with KWY studio in Lisbon, Portugal where she works on multidisciplinary projects at a variety of scales. Born in Germany, she studied architecture at the UDK in Berlin from 2009 to 2016 where she also worked as a student assistant at the department of Digital and Experimental Design. Luise worked at KWY in Berlin and Lisbon from 2014 to 2016 and in Basel at Christ & Gantenbein, from 2016 to 2018. She values work born from collaboration and process-driven methodology in practice.

Gazmend Muhaxheri is the Mayor of Peja Municipality in Kosovo. A construction engineer by profession, he has been involved in politics since the establishment of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) branch in Peja in 1990. Muhaxheri has held various positions within the LDK and has also served as a Deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo. Throughout his career, he has faced political imprisonment. Muhaxheri's leadership and managerial abilities have been evident during his tenure as Mayor. He has implemented strategic projects to make Peja competitive in the region and has demonstrated strong organizational and coordination skills. Committed to the progress and development of Peja, Muhaxheri views its success as an advantage, while also acknowledging the risks if it falls into unsafe hands.

Harrison Stallan is an architect at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He is currently working on public projects across the globe that aim to push the boundaries of architecture and design. With a diverse portfolio spanning Australia, Europe, and Asia, his expertise ranges from large-scale urban masterplans to intricately detailed spaces. Harrison’s design philosophy integrates innovation with environmental consciousness, enabling him to approach design challenges holistically. As a juror in this competition, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for advancing design excellence.

Blake T. Smith is an architectural designer and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. He is an Associate and Senior Designer at BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group where he has been for twelve years. From 2015-2022, he served as Project Leader for the award-winning Google Bay View Campus in Mountain View, California. Smith led the design phases before moving to California to see the project through construction. Since returning to Brooklyn, he has focused on the design of 3d printed housing typologies and developments such as the Wolf Ranch community under construction in Georgetown, TX. Smith sees the emergence of additive manufacturing in architecture as liberating for the designer and a means to confront issues such as the Americanhousing crisis and resilience for climate disaster prone regions. In addition to practicing, Smith teaches design studio and visualization at New Jersey Institute of Technology and New York Institute of Technology.