Keynote - Raya Ani - Metaverse Loading
Event Description
To understand where we are heading, we have to ponder where we were before and where we are now!
Join keynote speaker Raya Ani, as she navigates the essential philosophical, psychological, technological, and economic aspects of the METAVERSE.
Metaverse constructs are projected with the promise of an alternative economic reality; an open, decentralized economy that is more sustainable and fair.
Explore the possibilities of an immersive, augmented future experience that aims to blur the boundary between the physical and the virtual worlds; a virtual space that exists alongside the real world with an unlimited potential for creation.
Who has the key to the Metaverse? Can we help lay the foundation for the Metaverse? Should we actively seek the Metaverse and be ready to face a future full of possibilities and challenges?
CES: Estimated 1 LU for AIA Members
Speaker
Raya Ani, FAIA, LEED AP, Founder & Design Director, RAW-NYC Architects
Moderator: Sherif W. Anis, FAIA, NCARB, RIBA, Executive Director & Past President, AIA Middle East, AIA International Council of Fellows representative
Raya Ani: Named one of the most influential architects in the Middle East. Raya Ani is a multidisciplinary architect and urban designer with more than 25 years of international experience, having worked in Baghdad, Boston, Dubai, Germany, and New York City. She was the 2017 President of the American Institute of Architects-Middle East Chapter.
Her interests in melding innovation, sustainability, and technology, and her drive to empower and lead by example has resulted in her becoming the founder and design director of RAW-NYC Architects, an award-winning interdisciplinary studio based in New York City and Dubai. Raya was bestowed upon the title of Fellow American Institute of Architects for her excellence in design and outstanding contributions in the field of architecture.
Raya’s boundless energy to inspire and empower through her creative and strategic visions is seen in the Iraqi Pavilion at Expo 2020. Raya created the opportunity for Iraq and Iraqis to be visible at a world expo by creating the opportunity for Iraq. She lobbied for Iraq’s participation at Expo 2020, designed and supervised the construction of the Iraq Pavilion for three years.
With Raya, there is no coincidence! Her unparalleled creativity, thought-provoking strategies coupled with her broad architectural experience worldwide makes her truly effective at inspiring, motivating, creating and making things happen.
RAW-NYC Architects is an interdisciplinary and visionary architectural studio based in New York City and Dubai. RAW-NYC is a collaborative practice providing visionary and uniquely crafted architectural buildings, interior spaces, and urban design solutions worldwide. We practice sustainability, from master plan scale to architecture and the interior spaces. We believe a good project is only a result of a well-orchestrated process. Our collaborative process with clients and consultants of brainstorming, and reviewing options is at the core of our thought process. We select the ideal team for every project and we pride ourselves in delivering on time and budget. We never disregard what’s already been there, whether tangible or symbolic. We believe in bringing out the essence of a place that existed long before. At times, we reuse, reinvent and transform already existing building fabric while giving it a new life, and at times, we create new buildings or urban visions.
We believe in the materialization of big ideas, and are concerned about the smallest detail. We only design and innovate to craft an architectural and urban design solution that is born out of particular realities; to create unique experiences that are valuable to our clients and the public.
RAW-NYC is a place of collective thinking, ongoing research, and investigation. We are inspired to design critically and innovatively to serve the individual client and the public. With a strong vision and open mind, we build for the joy of creating, for the joy of collaborating and for the joy of seeing our clients succeed.
Moderator: Sherif Anis is an architectural generalist with 32 years’ diverse experience in the USA, UK and the GCC. Since 2007 Sherif has been actively involved in projects in both Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. With a keen focus on design and design management, Sherif has a proven track record of developing innovative, cost effective designs in architecture, interior design and urban planning. His high-profile project portfolio consists of large, mixed-use commercial/residential projects, corporate headquarters, hotels, university campuses and buildings, extensive multi-use developments, major educational projects and contemporary residences; all of which incorporate qualities that make projects successful, attractive, sustainable, and livable.
An award-winning and published designer, Sherif is a regular speaker, panelist and chairperson at regional conferences and for design award juries. He has been ranked #68 in the ‘Power 100 most influential people in the GCC’s construction industry. A founding member of the American Institute of Architects’ Middle East Board of Directors, Sherif is the chapter’s Executive Director and has served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and President and is a registered architect in the State of Massachusetts.
Sherif holds a Bachelor of Architecture from New York’s Syracuse University School of Architecture.
