IID Awards Juries
Ewa Podgórska, Principal/Owner Sova Studio
Adjunct Professor, Fashion Institute of TechnologyEwa [pronounced EV-ah] is the Owner and Principal Designer at Sova Studio in New York City, where she also lectures at the Interior Design Department of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
Poland-born and educated in Belgium, Czech Republic and the United States, Ewa effortlessly blends her architecture, art and design background to craft personalized design experiences for her clients. Her practice is innately based on nature-inspired design, incorporating features that reconnect us with nature, supporting human wellness.
Ewa holds a Master’s in Interior Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and is a recipient of numerous fellowships, scholarships, awards and grants. She has obtained both the WELL AP and LEED Green Associate certifications, and is a member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) as well as the College Art Association (CAA).
Ewa is passionate about all that makes us happier and healthier, believing that happy and healthy individuals become active stewards of the natural environment, which is the ultimate goal behind her work.
Mark Ehgotz, MA, LEED AP
Education
The University of Michigan, Master of Architecture with Distinction, 1993.
Technical University of Vienna-Austria, 1993 <in conjunction with the University of Michigan>
Lawrence Technological University, Bachelor of Science in Architecture, 1991.
Experience
College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI <2022 Fall Semester> Adjunct Professor, Interior Design
BACK4D Creative, Hartland,MI <2022-Present> Owner
Pophouse Design, Detroit, MI <2019-2022> Studio Technical Director
GH+A Design, Detroit, MI <2015-2019> Studio Director, Associate
Saroki Architecture, Birmingham, MI <2014-2015> Senior Associate, Lead Designer
JPRA Architects, Farmington Hills, MI <2007-2014> Senior Associate, Lead Designer, Hospitality/Retail
Victor Saroki & Associates, Birmingham, MI <1998-2007> Lead Designer, 2007 AIA Firm of the Year
Rural D.O.G.S., Milford, MI <1994-1999> President, Designer/Builder, Project Manager
Morphosis, Vienna, Austria <1993> One month design competition seminar, Selected team member
Biography
Mark has over 25 years of experience designing and managing projects in the retail, hospitality and residential sectors. Mark brings his broad experience and skill to both the design and technical aspects of projects. He has extensive design and management experience in new construction, expansion and renovation projects. His most recent endeavors include; serving as an adjunct professor at College for Creative Studies, founding and operating a small creative design firm, farming and fabricating art and sculpture in his shop. He restores vintage 1950’s camper trailers in his spare time.
Mark received his Master of Architecture with Distinction from the University of Michigan, during which time he studied at the Technical University of Vienna, Austria. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University. He is a LEED Accredited Professional.N
otable Projects
● Common Citizen – Multiple Michigan Locations, 2019, Design Services
● Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall – Luxury Wing, Scottsdale, AZ, 2018, Design Services
● Plum Market – Multiple Locations, 2005-2015, Design Services, Environmental Graphics & Branding
● Springfield Town Center Renovation – Springfield, VA, 2013, Design & Architectural Documents
Services
● Yorkdale Shopping Centre – Food Hall, Toronto, ON, 2012, Design & Architectural Documents
Services
● M1 Concourse – Pontiac, MI, 2014, Master Planning, Design Services & Environmental Graphic
Design
● Lawrence Technological University – Reuss Hall, Southfield, MI, 2012, Design & Architectural
Documents Services
● Brengman Brothers Winery – Elmwood Township, MI, 2011, Design Services & Environmental
Graphic & Branding Design
Sandra Olave-Sabbagh
Department Chair
Interior Design Academic Program
Sandra Olave has served as an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Interior Design Department at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) for 15 years. During her tenure at CCS, she facilitated the Interior Design department advancement, through sponsored projects, accreditations, recruitment efforts, professional accomplishments, and above all, teaching. Olave has led sponsor projects with companies such as Quicken Loans, Ford, dPOP, 36th District Court, Toray, Czarnowski, Shinola, Detroit Public Library, and Henry Ford Cancer Institute. Thanks to organizations like these, students are receiving real-world experiences that develop their critical thinking skills and business acumen. Under Olave’s leadership, the department accomplish the CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation. Both accreditations, one in 2010 and a further in 2016, resulted in the recognition of CCS for preparing highly skilled graduates that contribute to the Interior Design profession.
Mary Burke
Adjunct Professor; Lecturer
Pratt Institute
Has practiced architecture and interior design for more than 40 years both in the United States and abroad; founder of namesake firm, Burke Design and Architecture, focusing on signature residential, hospitality, and commercial projects; has held design lead roles on high-profile projects such as the re-branding/redesign of the iconic Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town for Tishman Speyer, offices for former president Bill Clinton, renovation of the landmark Lowell Hotel on East 63rd Street and international commercial projects as the lead designer for KPF Interior Architects’ Singapore office; fellow of the American Institute of Architects; former chair of the Interior Architecture Committee of the AIA, VP for Design Excellence of the AIA NY Chapter, and VP for Public Advocacy of AIA NY State Board of Directors; frequent contributor to design publications such as Contract magazine; moderator for industry design events such as the 2011–2012 Danish Design Awards and ALU Retail Design Forum and repeat juror for Best of NeoCon.
Alper Besen
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department Interior Design
Pratt Institute
Markus Berger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Interior Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a registered architect (SBA) in the Netherlands and founder and director of The Repair Atelier. He co-founded and co-edits Int|AR, the Journal on Interventions and Adaptive Reuse, that encompasses issues of preservation, conservation, alteration and interventions. His work, research, writing and teaching is a critique on modern architecture and focuses on forms of change such as art and design modifications and interventions in the built environment. Markus is also co-founder of the Full Circle Collaborative, an interdisciplinary group that embraces the circular economy, thinking for its potential to connect the socio-economical and physical links and appease conflict.
Laura Encinas Ortega
Laura studied Architectural Technology at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Spain and completed her degree at Vitus Bering University in Denmark. In 2003, she moved to the UK where she studied Interior Architecture at Oxford Brookes University.
Laura has worked in international projects located in the UK, Europe, and Asia within the environs of award-winning architectural practices. Laura has experience working on commercial, high-end residential, cultural and educational projects from large-scale master planning to bespoke furniture solutions.
She also developed specialized knowledge in Visual Merchandising at BAU School of Design in Barcelona, which led her to work in private commissions involving marketing strategy, retail interior and furniture design as well as collaborating with both national and international retail companies.
In 2018, Laura founded Bicbloc; an architectural design studio focused on creating design solutions to reimagine living spaces that are socially and environmentally sustainable. Laura is interested in the link between practice and academia. She currently teaches at London Metropolitan University and The Interior Design Institute.
www.bicbloc.com
Dr. Mohd Zafrullah
Associate Professor IDr Dr. Mohd Zafrullah Haji Mohd Taib was born at FRIM Kepong, Selangor on January 9, 1969. He received his early education at Primary School (FRIM) Kepong and Secondary School at St. John Kuala Lumpur and Tuanku Jaafar Technical School, Seremban. Dr. Mohd Zafrullah received the Diploma in Interior Design and the Dean’s Award from Institute
Teknologi MARA (ITM) in 1991 and in 1992-1994 was accepted into the degree of Master in Interior Architecture at De Montfort University, Leicester United Kingdom. He was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy Architecture from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2010. He is currently the
Deputy Director of Creative Media and Technology (CMT UiTM) and teaches as senior lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Survey, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia.
His experience in consulting on interior design of government and private projects includes corporate design, hospitality, museums and commercials such as the Istana Budaya, Bank Islam, Agro Bank, Public Bank, Royal Seri Menanti Museum, Negeri Sembilan State Museum, Malaysian Nuclear Center, KPT Special Lobby, SIRIM and others. The top honors were UiTM Young Researchers 2008 and National Intellectual Award 2008. Winning numerous innovations at IID UiTM, Pencipta (2008), ITEX (2007), MTE (2008) and furniture design patents. Received UiTM excellent service awards in 2008 and 2014.
He has written in a series of international journals and papers in the fields of sustainable design, Islamic architecture, museum design, hospitality and design. Formerly a Senior Designer, Design Manager, Chairman of the Interior Design textbook at the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Book
Writer for Dewan Bahasa, as External Examiner at several Universities, Invitational speaker and Expert Panel of TV al Hijrah program, Panel and Jury for Design Competition, Reviewer journals, Post-graduate examiners and supervisor for Master & PhD programs, Panel members of the
Malaysian Architects Board of Architecture (MAPSM) and Malaysia Quality Assurance (MQA)
committee.
Arniatul Aiza Mustapha
Academic background from architecture, construction, project management and interior architecture. field of interests in interior
design, project management, building construction and curriculum for interior architecture. All academic pursued from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia. Phd in Specialism of Built Environment; with topic of Interior Design Work Development Plan Framework. Masters of Science In Integrated Construction Project Management; with dissertation topic of Spatial Management for University’s Active Learning Space. Bachelor of Science in Construction Project Management; with dissertation topic of Thermal Comfort in High Schools in Klang Valley, Malaysia and Diploma in Architecture; with dissertation topics of Malaysian Identity in Shop Houses, Malaysia as well as ‘Kajian Dekorasi Kuil Cina in Kuala Lumpur’ (A study on Chinese Temple in Kuala Lumpur).
Working experiences as technical assistant in architect firm, junior q.s in contractor company, assistant project office in developer company, project management advisor in interior design firm and currently teaching in UiTM Puncak Alam.