Mae-ling Lokko and Gabriela de Matos announced as Dezeen Awards 2024 judges

Architects Mae-ling Lokko and Gabriela de Matos, design entrepreneur Deborah Spencer, gallery owner Benoist Drut and interior designer Jessica Shaw have joined as Dezeen Awards 2024 judges.

Dezeen Awards 2024 in partnership with Bentley is open for entries. Submit your entry by 23:59 London time on 30 May to avoid late entry fees.

Now in its seventh year, the programme has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers everywhere, with winners selected by a prestigious panel of international judges.

Read on to learn more about the latest judges that have joined this year's judging panel:

Mae-ling Lokko is a Ghananian-Filipino architectural scientist, designer and educator

Architect and educator Lokko is the founder of Ghanaian sustainable materials and building technology startup Willow Technologies and will be joining this year's sustainability jury.

Willow Technologies investigates the design, development and application of agricultural by-product use in the building sector.

Lokko's work has been shown in museums globally including New York's Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm's Nobel Prize Museum and the Triennale Milano.

Recent projects include an installation made with bio-based materials focusing on circular agriculture, architecture and economic and ecological justice.

Deborah Spencer is the founder of marketing platform Planted

Design entrepreneur Spencer is the co-founder of media and events platform Planted and will sit on our design jury. Planted aims to promote nature-based businesses and brands looking to yield positive environmental change.

Spencer is the founder of award-winning interior design shows Designjunction and Tramshed at London Design Festival. She also played an integral role in the launch of London design exhibition SuperDesign during Frieze Art Fair.

Gabriela de Matos won the Golden Lion award at the 2023 Venice Biennale

Brazilian architect de Matos is the founder of Rio de Janeiro-based architecture practice Gabriela de Matos and will be joining landscape architect Martha Schwartz on this year's architecture jury.

Her work investigates structural racism and its implications in urban planning and architecture produced in the African diaspora in Brazil. She proposes actions that promote the debate on gender and ethnicity in architecture.

De Matos and Paulo Tavares' earth-filled pavilion Terra won the Golden Lion award for Best National Participation at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. She was also awarded Architect of the Year by the Brazilian Institute of Architects Rio de Janeiro in 2020.

Benoist Drut joined Maison Gerard as a partner in 1998

Drut is the owner of New York gallery and antique store Maison Gerard and will be judging the design categories.

Maison Gerard specialises in French art deco furniture, lighting and objects. The gallery has held shows at luxury home furniture shop Maison Leleu in Paris and participated in fairs in New York, Paris, Dubai and Miami.

Maison Gerard recently held a sculptural furniture exhibition showing Carol Egan's new collection inspired by the form of dragonflies.

Jessica Shaw founded Moment Design before joining the Turret Collaborative in 2014

Canadian interior designer Shaw is the director of interiors at New York-based architecture practice The Turett Collaborative and will be joining the founders of A-nrd Studio on our interiors judging panel.

For three decades she has worked across projects in retail and residential design. Designer Shaw has also directed music videos and commercials, and done production design for films, as well as video installations for performance art pieces.

Three days left to enter!

Dezeen Awards 2024 is open for entries. Log in or create an account to start your entries. Enter by 23:59 London time on 30 May to avoid late entry fees.

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Dezeen Awards 2024 in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The seventh edition of the annual awards programme is in partnership with Bentley as part of a wider collaboration to inspire, support and champion design excellence and showcase innovation that creates a better and more sustainable world. This ambition complements Bentley's architecture and design business initiatives, including the Bentley Home range of furnishings and real estate projects around the world.