YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects
Inaugural Year: Middle East + China
Introduction of the Jury Chair and Jury Members
Jury Chair
Stephen Yas—China/USA
AIA / RIBA / NCARB
Managing Director - USA | Global Design Leader
Global Design Leader
NOVO Architects LLC
With over 50 years in the industry, Stephen is an accomplished architect with extensive international experience on large complex architecture and urban design projects. Endeavoring to find spirit and soul in every project, he believes that architecture and urban design are about place, context and an emotional response to physical space.
Stephen’s body of work includes prestigious mixed-use developments, commercial, hospitality, high-rise and corporate headquarters, among other sectors. Such as Cityfront Center and the Museum Campus Master plan in Chicago; European Financial Center in West Hangzhou, China, UBTECH Robotics HQ Tower in Shenzhen, China; Torre Monarca Mixed-use tower, Medellin, Colombia and The Health + Wellness Village in Zabrid, Ukraine.
He was recognized as “2014 China Designer Magazine Person of The Year” for his outstanding architectural design achievements. He has been involved with many prestigious global award winning projects, receiving recognition from the American Institute Of Architects, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Oxford University and Ohio University. He has been a critic and lecturer at many architectural schools both in the US and abroad, as well as being a much sought after public speaker and frequent contributor to architectural publications.
Jury Members
Wei Wenmei—China
Ms. Wei Wenmei is the Founder and Chairwoman of Design for Better World Limited (DBW)，an emerging architectural design firm, it evolved from top-tier international design brands. She also serves as the 2025 & 2026 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Shanghai and Beijing Chapters, as well as a member of its Board of Directors.
Ms. Wei Wenmei holds a prominent position in the Chinese market and takes leadership roles in leading international industry bodies including AIA, ULI, and CTBUH. She actively promotes design concepts and completed projects at industry events, leveraging her professional influence to enhance market recognition and reputation for clients and their projects, thereby elevating clients’ brand value.
Jury Members
Annabell Ren—USA
As principal at Converge Architecture, Converge Architecture is an award-winning team of architects, interior designers, and urban planners on a mission to lift up communities through design. Annabell leads projects from interiors to community-driven urban designs. She receives her Bachelor of Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology, and then master’s degree for urban design at the Harvard Graduate school of design. Annabell blends design with empathy, focusing on how people and places come together by design. Outside practice, she is an Adjunct Professor at IIT College of Architecture, and the president of Alumnae-I Network for Harvard Women Chicago Chapter. Annabell also serves on IIT Community Engagement Council and the CASL Associate Board, connecting design with education and community impact.
Jury Members
IDDO GINAT—Israel
Iddo Ginat is an Israeli architect, curator, and researcher, a graduate of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and holder of a master's degree from Harvard University, who serves as senior faculty at Shenkar College's Faculty of Design in Tel Aviv and as a teaching fellow in the Department of Architecture at Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem. He was co-curator of "Land. Milk. Honey: Animal Stories in Imagined Landscapes," the Israeli pavilion at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale, whose companion book received the Deutsches Architektur museum's Architecture Book Award for that year. In recent years, his work has turned toward historical and architectural research, with a focus on the history of Israeli architecture, modernism, and the relationship between technology and ecology in the design of the built environment.
Jury Members
Hongxi Yang—China
Director
Pelli Clarke & Partners (PC&P)
Hongxi Yang is a Director at Pelli Clarke & Partners, where she provides leadership across design and operations, guiding projects from conception through completion while fostering close collaboration with clients and multidisciplinary teams. Her portfolio includes major international projects and design competitions such as the MO Resort in Hakone, West Bund AI Core in Shanghai, Yintai Center in Xi’an, Hangzhou Science Park, Chengdu Natural History Museum, the interior renovation of Raycom Tower in Beijing, major TOD developments in Shenzhen, and the planning and design of public venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games Village.
Her portfolio also spans multiple project phases, from concept to completion, on landmark works such as a super high-rise tower in Ningbo East New Town, the Baosteel Headquarters in Guangzhou, the Red Bull Academy in New York, and the Cachet Boutique Hotel in Seoul.
Recognized among the 40 Under 40 Design Talents in 2022, Ms. Yang has been invited as a keynote speaker at international symposiums and workshops. She serves as an expert on the TOD Committee of the China Society of Territorial Economists and has participated as a design juror at academic institutions in both New York and Shanghai.
Jury Members
Li Ren—UAE
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Li Ren is a globally licensed architect, educator, and researcher specializing in international architectural practice and cross-border career pathways. With professional experience across the United States, East Asia, and the Middle East, his work focuses on how architects and engineers navigate global markets, professional institutions, and evolving practice models.
He has worked extensively at internationally recognized architectural design firms, including Perkins Eastman, where he has contributed to multiple large-scale hospitality and senior living projects across the Middle East and North America, including built and ongoing developments. His professional practice integrates complex project delivery, international collaboration, and culturally responsive design strategies.
He previously served as President of AIA Middle East and Chair of the AIA Global Practice Committee, contributing to international policy discussions, professional education initiatives, and sustainability frameworks. His work has involved close collaboration with organizations including American Institute of Architects (AIA), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and international academic institutions, advancing more equitable and globally inclusive professional systems. He has also served as a jury member for the RIBA Middle East Awards and as a peer reviewer for the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design.
In parallel with professional practice, Li teaches and lectures internationally, with a focus on global practice, sustainability, and career development for internationally trained professionals. His academic and professional research examines how architects can build meaningful, ethical, and resilient careers across borders.
His long-term work is dedicated to educating and empowering international architects and engineers, through practice, research, and structured learning, to participate meaningfully in global architectural discourse and practice.
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