Prepare to be captivated by James Carpenter, the design genius behind the ethereal GUCCI GINZA flagship in Tokyo, Japan — a master of light and space whose work blurs the boundary between art and architecture. Also joining us are the celebrated principal architects Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo whose inventive and unconventional work has redefined modern design. 

From the halls of Harvard, we welcome Nader Tehrani, Dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at Cooper Union and former Chair of the Department of Architecture at Harvard GSD — a driving force in architectural education and practice. And we are honored to host Kim Yao, a leading voice in the field, who has been awarded the AIA New York Medal of Honor and the Beverly Willis Foundation Mentorship Award. As a past President of AIA New York and a current board member of the Center for Architecture, Kim’s leadership is shaping the future of the profession. This is more than a symposium — it's a celebration of bold ideas, fearless innovation, and the power of design to shape our world.