Design
Excellence Forum 2022

27-28 October 2022
A digital event covering
design, innovation and
sustainability

 

Gearing up
for the future

 

Progressive architects, engineers, scientists, researchers and other design professionals in our industry are continuously innovating on the curve of “climate centricity” and “regenerative design”.

 

 

Day 1

27 October

Kansikuva

Session A
Design x Society


10:00-12:00 (CET)
 16:00-18:00 (SGT)

Responsible design is not purely about aesthetics, beauty or form; it no longer celebrates itself; it is not vain, but is in the service of a higher purpose. Designers, architects, and engineers ought to have high-level ambitions that go beyond buildings and structures, but instead help deal with the challenges we face today; like climate change, inequality, equitable access to education, health, or security.   
In Ramboll, we believe that Purposeful Design must work in harmony with Regenerative Design and Augmented Design – the three pillars that make the Ramboll Design System– for the much needed and effective societal change.

  Welcome All speaker images_1-1
  Søren Brøndum
  Managing Director,  
  Rambøll Buildings

 All speaker images_2-1 Session introduction
  Hossein Rezai
  Global Design Director,
  Rambøll Buildings

All-speaker-images_3-1-Sarah   Opening provocation:
  Sarah Ichioka
  Director,
  Desire Lines


Practitioner's perspective:
Working at the forefront of meaningful design and architecture.

MicrosoftTeams-image (2)-2   Lennart Grut
  Senior Partner,
  RSHP



Researcher's perspective:
Urban infrastructure and wellbeing.

All speaker images_5-1   Stanislava Boskovic 
  Research Associate,
  Imperial College London



Panel discussion: Design x Society 
Panel discussion joined by:
 
All speaker images_6-1  Bjørn Tore Landsem
  Director, Buildings
  Rambøll Norway


Panel discussion moderated by:
Sarah Ichioka, Director, Desire Lines

 

Bishan_1688x1125

Session B
Design x Ecology

 

12:00-14:00 (CET)
 18:00-20:00 (SGT)

Traditional sustainability thinking on its own is no longer enough because it is founded on “doing less harm”, and less harm is still harm. What is needed is a reversal of the damage, and a move towards healing our relationship with the natural environment. Regeneration is about generosity, giving and healing; it is about co-creating with nature as a partner. Designers, architects and engineers need to move away from the single-species mantra of “people centricity”, and instead become design-centric people who appreciate ecology and respect the rights of other species who live on this planet with us. 


 All speaker images_7-1 Session introduction
  Rikke Bjerregaard Orry
  Sustainability Director,
  Rambøll Buildings

Opening provocations:
Design and ecology in a globalised world: how far have we come?

All speaker images_8-1   Ken Yeang
  Chief Executive Officer,
  Hamzah & Yeang

All speaker images_9-1   Nirmal Kishnani
  Associate Professor,
  National University of Singapore


Practitioner's perspective:
Biomimicry as an integral part of regenerative design thinking.

All speaker images_10-1   Michael Pawlyn
  Director,  
  Exploration Architecture


Practitioner's perspective:
Minimizing Novel Entities: Construction product selection respecting Planetary Boundaries.

All speaker images_11-1   Martha Lewis
  Head of Materials,
  Henning Larsen


Panel discussion: Design x Ecology 
Panel discussion joined by:

All speaker images_12-1  Neel Strøbæk
  Senior Group Director,
  Sustainability & CR, Rambøll


Panel discussion moderated by:
Nirmal Kishnani, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore

Day 2

28 October

Wind_1688x1125

Session C
Design x Technology


10:00-12:00 (CET)
16:00-18:00 (SGT)

True innovation comes from working with augmented design, augmenting our capabilities with that of the machine. In augmented design, powerful machines, hardware and software are no longer mere tools in the hands of the designer, but potential collaborators for developing and exploring new ideas. Technology which empowered humans to control and exploit nature, and which marked the beginning of our disintegration with the natural environment, can now paradoxically enable designers, engineers and architects to integrate the built environment with the natural environment.

  All speaker images_13-1 Session introduction
  Ruth Norman-Johnson
  Digitalisation Director,
  Rambøll Buildings
 

All speaker images_14-1   Opening provocation:
  Richard Hassell
  Founding Director,
  WOHA Architects


Practitioner's perspective:
Architecture focus.

All speaker images_15-1   Jakob Strømann-Andersen
  Partner and Director,
  Henning Larsen



Practitioner's perspective:
Engineering focus.

All speaker images_16-1   Robert Bamford 
  Associate, 
  Rambøll-Web Structures



Panel discussion: Design x Technology 
Panel discussion joined by:

All speaker images_17-1  Lars Ostenfeld Riemann
  Executive Director,
  Rambøll Buildings


Panel discussion moderated by:
Ruth Norman-Johnson, Digitalisation Director, Rambøll Buildings

Founders_1688x1125

Session D
Design x Ethos


12:00-14:00 (CET)
18:00-20:00 (SGT)

In order to collaborate as professionals , we need a process that regulates the relationship between the different parties; a process that can be driven by purposeful design. This process should start by listening. Listening to the needs of the clients, and the society at large, then combining technical expertise with creative attitude and competence to develop design systems that surpass the ordinary. Creativity requires rigour and hard work. It is energized by exemplary competence and by a disruptive attitude which encourages one to question the status quo and to explore new ideas. This is how a design-centric culture and ethos is created everywhere; from small design studios to large design-oriented corporations. 

All speaker images_2-1  Session introduction
  Hossein Rezai
  Global Design Director,
  Rambøll Buildings

Practitioner's perspective:
Scandinavian design heritage.

LB2   Louis Becker
  Global Design Principal,
  Henning Larsen


Practitioner's perspective:
Reflection on building Foster + Partners' design culture.

All speaker images_18-1   Jonathan Parr
  Senior Partner,
  Foster + Partners

 

Practitioner's perspective:
Reflection on building ZHA's company's design culture.

All speaker images_19   Michele Pasca di Magliano
  Director,
  Zaha Hadid Architects


Panel discussion: Design x Ethos
Panel discussion joined by:

PS  Philippa Spence
  Managing Director,
  Rambøll UK


Panel discussion moderated by:
Hossein Rezai, Global Design Director, Rambøll Buildings

 

 

Speakers and Moderators

All speaker images_15-1
Jakob Strømann-Andersen

Partner and Director,
Henning Larsen 

As Partner and Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Henning Larsen, Jakob's professional focus revolves around the interaction between engineering, architecture and modern technology. 

All speaker images_18-1
Jonathan Parr

Senior Partner,
Foster + Partners

Jonathan Parr has more than 30 years of project experience, working extensively in Asia on signature airports, complex mixed use, infrastructure, high-end residential, offices and luxury hotels.

All speaker images_8-1
Ken Yeang

Chief Executive Officer,
Hamzah & Yeang

Ken Yeang is an architect and ecologist, delivering signature hyper-green architecture, a field he pioneered since 1971. His work is differentiated by an ecosystem-based approach that performs beyond conventional green-rating systems.

Lennart Grut Black and white 3
Lennart Grut

Senior Partner,
RSHP

In 1986 Lennart joined the architectural studio Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, recently renamed RSHP, where he is a Senior Partner. He has been principally responsible for managing the practice’s international projects.

LB2
Louis Becker

Global Design Principal,
Henning Larsen 

Louis Becker has played an integral role in the internationalization of Henning Larsen and remains a driving force behind the vision of expanding the practice’s global impact. 

All speaker images_11-1
Martha Lewis

Head of Materials,
Henning Larsen

As Head of Materials at Henning Larsen, Martha has established an office-wide material database identifying healthy, ethical, and environmentally tenable materials.

All speaker images_10-1
Michael Pawlyn

Director,
Exploration Architecture

Michael Pawlyn established Exploration Architecture in 2007 and has built a reputation as a thought leader in regenerative design and the circular economy.

All speaker images_19
Michele Pasca Di Magliano

Director,
Zaha Hadid Architects

Michele Pasca di Magliano specialises in residential-led and high-rise development, working also on a variety of exhibition schemes, as well as selected furniture and interiors products. 

All speaker images_9-1
Nirmal Kishnani

Associate Professor,
University of Singapore

Nirmal Kishnani has been at the frontlines of sustainability, advising on projects and policies in Asia, formulating new platforms and scrutinising the space between front-line theory and design practice.

All speaker images_14-1
Richard Hassell

Founding Director,
WOHA Architects

Richard Hassell is the co-Founding Director of WOHA, an internationally recognised architectural practice based in Singapore. Richard leads its project teams in design execution and contract implementation of innovative private and institutional works.

All speaker images_5-1
Stanislava Boskovic

Research Associate,
Imperial College London

Stanislava Boskovic is a Research Associate at Imperial College London focusing on improvement of Public Health and Wellbeing in cities through the systematic implementation of nature-based technologies.

All-speaker-images_3-1-Sarah
Sarah Ichioka

Director,
Desire Lines

Sarah is an urbanist, strategist, curator, and writer. She leads Desire Lines, a strategic consultancy for environmental, cultural, and social-impact initiatives and organizations.

All speaker images_16-1
Robert Bamford

Associate,
Rambøll-Web Structures

As an Associate, Robert Bamford heads Web Structures’ Future Design Studio developing and promoting cutting-edge Parametrics and Advanced Computational Design techniques.

Rambøll Hosts

All speaker images_6-1
Bjørn Tore Landsem

Director, Buildings
Rambøll Norway

Bjørn has worked at Rambøll since graduating as a Civil Engineer in 1996 and has been on Rambøll Foundation Board since 2013. As Buildings' Managing Director in Norway, he directs the largests projects within buildings, in addition to taking a leadership role in Norway.

All speaker images_12-1
Neel Strøbæk

Senior Group Director, 
Sustainability & CR, Rambøll

Neel is an expert on sustainability. She has more than 25 years of experience in environment master planning and large-scale infrastructure development, and she is a specialist in stakeholder engagement, making for more sustainable and liveable cities and urban areas.

All speaker images_17-1
Lars Ostenfeld Riemann

Executive Director,
Rambøll Buildings

With 25 years of experience, Lars has had the opportunity to work with a number of the most challenging and innovate buildings projects in the world, pushing the boundaries for sustainability and digital design. 

All speaker images_7-1
Rikke Bjerregaard Orry

Sustainability Director,
Rambøll Buildings

Rikke is one of the driving forces in the development of Sustainable Building Design as a specialist discipline in Rambøll, supporting Rambøll employees in developing, selling and delivering Sustainability Services in relation to buildings. 

All speaker images_13-1
Ruth Norman-Johnson

Digitalisation Director,
Rambøll Buildings

Ruth drives innovative approaches through her project delivery, working to develop tools and utilise computational capability to drive design efficiency and improve Rambøll's digital market offering.

PS
Philippa Spence

Managing Director,
Rambøll UK

Philippa is a recognised industry expert and senior leader with a background in delivering complex sustainability, environmental and social projects for clients across a multitude of sectors.

All speaker images_2-1
Hossein Rezai

Global Design Director,
Rambøll Buildings

Hossein is an engineer, a design visionary, and an educator. As Founding Director of Rambøll-Web Structures and one of the initiators of the concept of “fusion engineering,” Hossein is the first and only engineer to receive the coveted title of “Designer of the Year” from the president of Singapore. 

All speaker images_1-1
Søren Brøndum

Managing Director,
Rambøll Buildings

Working at Rambøll for three decades, Søren is Managing Director for Rambøll Buildings. Previously he had the responsibility for the delivering of some of Ramboll’s largest and most complex projects; one of them being 'Ørestaden', one of Denmark’s largest urban development schemes.

Come and join the dialogue