Architecture at the Forefront: 2023 Design Vanguard Winners  

Jeffrey Adjei is the Managing Director of Studio Contra and a RIBA chartered architect and urban designer with experience in both residential and commercial sectors in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Ghana. He has worked as an architect and interior designer at various practices, including Assael Architecture, Sheppard Robson, Bell Associates, and Harry Dobbs in London, and with Joe Osae-Addo in Accra. He holds a BA and MA from the Canterbury School of Architecture and received the RIBA Design Excellence Prize in 2013. Jeffrey is on the Advisory Board of the Margate School, an independent, post-graduate, fine art institution in the UK and hub for innovation and creativity.

Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei is the Creative Director of Studio Contra. Prior to embarking on a career in architecture, Olayinka worked as a financial analyst in London, for Nomura International, in their Debt Capital Management team. She holds a BA in Classics from the University of Oxford (New College) and an M.Arch from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she studied as a Kennedy Scholar. Before founding Studio Contra she worked at leading architectural practices such as Barkow Leibinger in Berlin, Sheppard Robson in London, and MASS Design in Boston. She has experience in residential and commercial sectors as well as cultural and public spaces in the built environment.

Jack Becker is a principal and founder of BLDUS, a Washington, D.C.–based architecture and development practice that operates throughout the Mid-Atlantic region making healthy buildings that pay tribute to their context and gain integrity as they age. Jack is a fourth-generation licensed architect with experience in development and construction.

Andrew Linn is a principal and founder of BLDUS, a Washington, D.C.–based architecture and development practice that operates throughout the Mid-Atlantic region making healthy buildings that pay tribute to their context and gain integrity as they age. Andrew is Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech’s Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center.

Deirdre McDermott received her B.Arch from the Cornell University School of Architecture. Prior to establishing Future Expansion, she worked in the offices of SOM, CCS and, most recently, as a Director at Moed de Armas & Shannon (MdeAS). At MdeAS, she led projects for major developers in New York working on commercial properties and privately owned public spaces throughout the city. Deirdre is a registered architect in New York State.

Nicholas McDermott received his BA in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.Arch from the Yale University School of Architecture. At Yale he was awarded the James Gamble Rogers Fellowship and the David Taylor Memorial Prize. He is currently on the faculty at Yale where he teaches graduate-level design studios. Nicholas is a registered architect in New York State, a LEED Accredited Professional, and serves on the Board of Directors at Design Advocates.

Leopoldo Villardi, Moderator, is senior editor at Architectural Record. He joined RECORD in 2022 after nine years working as an editor, writer, and researcher. Trained as an architect, Leo holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor of architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.