Event Description

From centuries old advances in drawing technology, today’s CAD systems that facilitate ever more ambitious design, to the latest in algorithmic design and AI capabilities, technology and innovation have always been intertwined. We celebrate design and architecture that exhibit trailblazing, innovative, and pioneering qualities, especially given that demands on the built environment require increasingly sophisticated solutions, solutions that include innovative design methods, building systems, spatial ordering, long-range coordination, and interaction with the environment.

Trailblazing architecture relies on the constant exploration for innovative techniques whether through graphic representation, digital tool manipulation, material performance, sustainable building components, or novel fabrication methods. These explorations continue to influence, and advance together with, digital technology, an essential component for the design and delivery of many pioneering projects.

We will investigate a variety of projects, workflows, and design methods that exhibit trailblazing qualities at ZHA, where the pathways of technology and the spirit of innovation converge for stimulating results.

The presentation will be followed by a message from Christele Harrouk on behalf of our conference media partner, ArchDaily.

If you are in Hong Kong, you are invited to join a Watch Party for this event and the preceding talk at the Chapter Office, and meet our speakers in person.

If you are interested in joining the Watch Party, please sign up HERE.

Speaker

Chris Lepine, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

Moderator

Megha Arjun, Intl. Assoc. AIA, 2025 Spring Conference Chair

CES: Estimated 1 LU for AIA Members

Speaker Bio

Chris Lepine joined Zaha Hadid Architects in 2006 and became a director in 2019. His experience encompasses a wide range of project types, including residential, hospitality, office, cultural, and infrastructure developments. He regularly leads project teams in delivering complex, high-profile, and large-scale schemes.

Currently, Chris is leading The Delmore in Surfside, Miami—an ultra-luxury beachfront residence—and the International Gateway Centre (IGC) in Hong Kong, a large-scale, mixed-use development on a prime Kowloon site with stringent urban planning requirements. In Hong Kong, he also led the winning competition for The Henderson, a state-of-the-art office tower in the Central Business District. Other recent projects include the new headquarters for the National Bank of Kazakhstan and One Thousand Museum—ZHA’s first tower in the Western Hemisphere—an iconic, ultra-luxury residential tower in Miami.

Before joining ZHA, Chris honed his expertise in advanced digital technology for solving complex design challenges as part of Foster + Partners’ Specialist Modelling Group, a research and development division focused on digital innovation in the building industry. He has also been a guest critic and lecturer at renowned institutions, including the Architectural Association in London and Georgia Tech in the U.S.

Moderator Bio

Megha Arjun is a licensed Architect with COA in India, currently working in Qatar in the field of architecture, design, and construction. Her passion for Architecture originated from her love and understanding of Life. Learning and exploring the world of Architecture, One's idea is to take Inspiration from Life itself and give it back in the Physical form. One believes in creating spaces which can contribute to the World in a way which helps create value in people's lives and in the environment.

Megha has worked for a global design firm - HKS Inc. where she has worked on different scales of projects in the US, China and India. She has been actively involved in preparing and participating in Client presentations for reputed Clients in India and Singapore. Currently, to advance her knowledge in Building construction, she has been leading the construction and coordination effort as a Project Manager with PES in Qatar for various upcoming projects in Qatar.

Megha is a member of the AIA American Institute of Architects as an International Associate. She has been awarded a Gold Medal in her Bachelors for Academic Achievement. She has also been a Better Together Champion for the firm-wide initiative in HKS Inc. as a part of HR to include Diversity, inclusion, and Equity.