Nathalie de Vries (Appingedam, NL – 1965) is founding partner of MVRDV, an architect and urban planner and the “DV” in MVRDV. The work of De Vries focuses on the invention of new building typologies and the creation of changeable, open systems, an approach which she brings to both buildings and urban plans. As an architect, she appreciates intensive collaboration with clients and interdisciplinary design teams, but also with residents and other stakeholders. Whatever the project, there is always a lot of attention given to the design’s interaction with its surroundings, by designing inviting collective spaces and outdoor areas, among other approaches.

In her urban designs, De Vries explores the combination of high-quality public spaces with functionally mixed buildings that act as catalysts for the development of an area. De Vries is committed to the education of future generations of architects. She has been active as a teacher throughout her career, and she is currently Professor of Architectural Design and Public Building at Delft University of Technology. Previously, she taught at TU Berlin, Harvard GSD, IIT Chicago, and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, among others.

Founder and principal of the award-winning architecture and research studio Counterspace, Vally’s design, research, and pedagogical practice is searching for expression for hybrid identities and territory, particularly for African and Islamic conditions — both rooted and diasporic. The practice occupies a space between the functional and the speculative, pedagogy and praxis, simultaneously describing cities and their histories and futures and imagining them. Her design process is often forensic and draws on the aural, performance, and the overlooked as generative places.

Vally has always been involved in academics and has taught at The Bartlett, University of Sydney, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg, and the University of Illinois, USA. In 2022, Vally was selected by the World Economic Forum to be one of its Young Global Leaders and, in 2021, was named TIME100’s Next list honoree. Vally completed her undergraduate studies in Architecture at the University of Pretoria and her master’s degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Anne Marie Galmstrup is the founder of Galmstrup Architects. With extensive experience as an architect, master planner, and client advisor, she specialises in large-scale cultural projects worldwide. She has led the delivery of award-winning projects on complex and sensitive sites, including the Eyemouth Pavilions, Massar Children’s Discovery Centre, and various National Trust for Scotland locations.

Anne Marie blends strategic thinking and pragmatic planning with a deep-rooted Scandinavian design ethos. Her strength lies in visioning and crafting original concepts that emerge from a place’s context, culture, collections, and communities.