⟵ 2025 Design Awards

Architect Wanda Dalla Costa (she/her) is a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation. As an advocate for Indigenous peoples, her goal is to employ design to uplift Indigenous culture, while ensuring authenticity in the built environment. She oversees Indigenous design and research in both TAWAW offices (Phoenix and Calgary). With a passion for design, and degrees in both Architecture (U of C) and Urban Design (Sci-Arc) she works at all scales, from custom interior elements to master planning. Before forming her firm in 2010, she worked in Calgary for over a decade building high rise residential, commercial projects, and designing culturally driven buildings for nations across Canada. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, and licensed to practice in ON, AB, SK, CA and AZ.

Hana Kassem, FAIA, NOMA, is a Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, with three decades of experience, leading the design of projects globally and in the United States. She examines how we affect our environment and how in turn our built environment impacts us. Her architectural approach centers on human-centric, and sustainable design, aiming to elevate well-being and meet societal needs, fostering enriching and equitable spaces.

Her portfolio spans academic, research, cultural, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use projects in Brazil, the USA, France, the Philippines, the UAE and China. Kassem’s work has earned awards and recognition in projects like the Red Hook Houses Resiliency and Recovery for NYCHA and the HKUST University Academic Center.

Kassem serves as VP for Design Excellence on the AIANY Board of Trustees and is founding chair of the AIANY annual Leaning Out | Women in Architecture panel. She also serves on the Van Alen Institute Executive Board of Trustees, where she spearheaded the initiation of the Neighborhoods Now project, mobilizing architects during the COVID-19 pandemic to aid communities. Kassem was tapped to join the Mayor’s Advisory Council for NYC’s post-COVID-19 reopening.

Kassem has taught at Yale School of Architecture, The Cooper Union and Parsons School of Constructed Environments, emphasizing experiential engagement with the environment, particularly in marginalized communities. She co-edited the book “Architect d.b.a | On Re-defining the Roles of the Architect Today,” reflecting her passion for reshaping the architectural landscape.

Ed Ogosta, AIA, LEED AP, is Principal of Edward Ogosta Architecture in Los Angeles. Since its founding in 2011, the office has received over thirty design awards and honors, including twelve AIA awards at the local, state, and national levels. In 2018, the office was chosen as the AIA Los Angeles Emerging Practice Presidential Honoree, and was one of ten international firms selected for Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard award. Ed recently completed two four-year terms in local government as the sole architect on the Planning Commission in Culver City, California, and from 2020-2023 was an appointed member of the AIA California Design Awards Committee.