Hailing from the world over, these design professionals have one thing in common: they’re leaders in their field, and they’re scoping out the best of spatial design in 2025. Meet the design leaders on the jury for May’s FRAME Awards.
Anand Sharma, founder and partner at Design Forum International (DFI)
With over three decades of experience, Anand Sharma grounds his New Delhi-based architecture and design collective with a people-first approach. His work at Design Forum International reflects a commitment to social equity, sustainability and architectural innovation, establishing DFI as a force shaping the future of Indian urbanism. DFI’s diverse portfolio encompasses ultra-luxury, essential housing and commercial space and spans nearly 6 million sq-m of group housing and over 800,000 sq-m of office and IT parks, with more than 2,000 completed projects across India.
Banghui Wei, chief interior designer at Gemdale Corporation
As chief interior designer of Gemdale Corporation, Banghui Wei plays a key role in the globally-oriented real estate development company. Founded in Shenzhen, China in 1988, Gemdale covers commercial and industrial real estate, rental housing and property management in over 200 cities. Banghui has more than 25 years of experience in real estate design management (GDI) and four years at the Shanghai Design Institute; her work contributes to Gemdale corporation’s business philosophy that centres on integrity, humanism and science.
Bethany Gale, interior design director at Stonehill Taylor
Bethany Gale is the interior design director at Stonehill Taylor. Having worked in Atlanta, London and New York for international and local clientele, Bethany understands cultural and geographical design influences. To Stonehill Taylor, Bethany has brought design and management excellence in the luxury hotel, residential and hospitality design sector project areas. Bethany is well known for her eye for detail. Across her diverse portfolio, she works closely on material selection through collaborations with vendors to craft original custom seating, case goods, carpet and furniture. She has led award-winning design teams from concept to completion on noteworthy boutique and luxury projects – from the Eliza Jane in New Orleans and Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel to Ned's Club Washington DC.
Elliot Koehler, creative director at JPA Design
With over a decade of experience in design ranging from huge corporates like General Electric to independent studios like Layer, Elliot Koehler brings an eye for detail to his work at JPA Design’s London office. The studio is based between London, Dubai and Singapore and is known for its projects spanning the luxury, transportation, interiors and product design sectors. Elliot’s focus at JPA Design is on building a studio that explores the future possibilities in the realms of transportation, materials and human interactions.
George Takla, interior design manager at Naga
George Takla studied, taught and worked in Damascus before relocating to Dubai to pursue new goals in interior design. He has lead the interior design team at Naga’s Dubai branch for 11 years. Balancing academic insight with practical expertise, George oversees Naga’s diverse portfolio of projects across the region from concept development to execution with a focus on innovation, functionality and cultural relevance. He brings his hallmarks of deep-rooted artistic foundations and a collaborative leadership style to projects across five countries and seven cities.
Holly Hallam, co-owner of DLSM Studio
Before finding her home in hospitality design, Holly Hallam worked successfully as a senior marketing consultant in a variety of industries, including professional services, commerce, TV and film. As the co-owner of DLSM Studio, she brings her experience in brand, commercial and design strategy to the hospitality industry, creating engaging and memorable consumer spaces in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Holly’s ethos is to ‘design beyond the aesthetic’, bringing creativity and curiosity to all of the studio’s projects.
Ian Douglas-Jones, creative director and co-founder of Atelier I-N-D-J
Ian Douglas-Jones’s work at Atelier I-N-D-J interrogates humanity’s fraught relationship with – and separation from – the natural world. Climate, ecology, technology and progress serve as central themes and guiding foundations for his Shanghai- and Auckland-based company. Atelier I-N-D-J operates at the intersection of art, design and technology, prioritizing experimental processes that merge cutting-edge fabrication, coding, interaction design and traditional craftsmanship. Through his projects, rigorous conceptual frameworks are bridged with material innovation.
Johannes Matthysen, founder of Matthysen Studio
Johannes Matthysen is an accomplished landscape architect and founder of Matthysen Studio, based in Dubai and Johannesburg. His studio is celebrated for designing elegant, immersive outdoor spaces that seamlessly blend sophistication with nature. With a sharp sense of cultural and environmental contexts, Johannes has spearheaded transformative projects worldwide, including the visionary Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Johannes’s rigorous, context-driven design approach has its foundation in landscape architecture, with current work prioritizing sustainable innovation and understated luxury.
Luc Bouliane, principal at Lebel & Bouliane
Since founding the Toronto-based studio Lebel & Bouliane in 2010, Luc Bouliane has been designing for institutional, commercial and private clients, working across several sectors and building types. Luc has a keen interest in sustainable and passive design, as evidenced by the many LEED rated and LEED compliant buildings he has completed. Luc works closely with clients and has successfully advocated the use of innovative sustainable solutions to clients such as municipal governments.
Renee Cheng, partner and vice president of Cheng Chung Design Hong Kong
Based in eight major global cities, Cheng Chung Design specializes in providing interior design and consulting services to top international brand hotels, serving over 50 international brands and more than 60 real estate developers. Renee Cheng, partner and vice president of the company’s Hong Kong branch, brings artistic creativity and design aesthetics into living spaces, promoting the cross-disciplinary fusion of art and design. Her international education and broad global perspective have shaped her unique insights, driving the integration of technology, art and design at Cheng Chung Design group.
