AIA CONTINENTAL EUROPE CONFERENCE / Sofia, Bulgaria – Ancient Places in a Modern World

View from the Conference hotel of government buildings with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the distance and a yellow brick boulevard in the foreground.

There must be some architects who prefer not to travel, who relish their home grown attractions, and perhaps - as all architects aspire to do - even add to them.  But there is also another group of architects that delights in exploring unfamiliar places, venturing outside comfort zones, trekking across the world, seeking new experiences.   Some of these architects no doubt thoroughly research their destinations prior to arrival so they can quickly comprehend it.

However, this article is dedicated to an even more select group of intrepid, trekker architects - those AIA members who love to explore, but who arrive at a new destination without even the faintest idea of what they are about to experience.

Sixty or so such architects took it in good faith to visit Bulgaria for the 2024 October AIA Continental Europe Conference.  Many of them registered on the understanding that they would be served a programme of iconic buildings, dramatic landscapes, generous food and even better camaraderie - all organised by others for their effortless consumption. 

Fortunately, the conference organisers were up to the task.  Any AIA conference organisation is not at all easy, but it helps satisfy the vague expectations of the unprepared when the destination is one of Europe’s ‘best kept secrets’.  Perhaps WHY Bulgaria has remained a secret can be found in its complex and difficult history.

The span of Sofia’s history is manifest in the range of its architectural styles. A 4th century church cohabits with the early 20th century mineral baths (now a museum).

Ancient drinking fountains supply the Sofia inhabitants with mineral water, while monuments to 19th century revolutionary heroes overlook busy squares.

Bulgaria’s history began with the Thracians, then moved on to the Romans and Byzantines.  After a period of Bulgarian wealth as a strong European power during intervals in the 8th to 10th and the 12th to 13th centuries, it was subjected to Ottoman rule starting in the late 1300s.  The country achieved limited autonomy in the mid-1800s, but then local and world wars brought another period of decline and chaos. After being on the losing side in both WWI and II, it fell into the Soviet sphere until the 1990s. Bulgaria finally became a member of the European Union in 2007.  

However, to understand Bulgaria’s cultural identity - and the otherwise seemingly long ‘gap’ in its architectural legacy from Byzantine/ Early Medieval to Baroque - one disastrous historical period must be more fully acknowledged.  Through neglect and isolation under 500 years of Ottoman rule, a once great medieval power missed the Renaissance, the Great Ages of Exploration and Scientific Discovery, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.  Meanwhile, its population sheltered away in small, difficult to access towns and mountain villages.

For those who are serious about history and even more serious about a more detailed history, please check out as a bare minimum Wikipedia HERE. There is no shame in researching a destination’s history after one’s departure.

Thursday  Bulgaria is now determined to regain its place in the modern world and enthusiastically welcomed the AIA CE Conference at an evening reception – with local musicians (all music credits can be found at the end of the article) – held in the Bulgarian Union of Architects. 

The US Embassy Cultural Attaché, Eric Brassil and the CEO of ‘Foundation America for Bulgaria’, Nancy Schiller, both greeted the attendees.  Local dignitaries making presentations included the President of the Bulgarian Institute of Architects, Arch. Petar Dikov, and the former Minister of Regional Planning, Arch. Belin Mollov.  Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, the 2015 AIA National President, was a surprise guest at the event.

An unprecedented letter written on behalf of the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, and read out at the reception, underlined the national importance given to architectural recognition:  ‘I am confident that this conference will make Bulgaria better known in the world’.  

Event organiser, Rada Doytcheva, FAIA, prepared an overview presentation entitled ‘The Stepping Stones of Culture in Bulgaria’.  Its graphic timeline established Bulgaria’s cultural heritage in relation to Western Europe and Mediterranean cultural development and introduced the conference theme – ‘Ancient Places in a Modern World.’

From an image loving architect’s perspective, ‘Stepping Stones’ puts Wikipedia’s history in its place.  See HERE.

Event organiser, Rada Doytcheva, FAIA; and guests, Arch. Petar Dikov, President of the Bulgarian Institute of Architects (SAB); Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, 2015 AIA National President; and Eric Brassil, Cultural Attache US Embassy in Bulgaria, greet the audience. 

Sitting with the AIA CE audience, other dignitaries, Nancy Schiller, CEO Foundation America for Bulgaria, sponsor for the Plovdiv event (front) and Zdravko Petrov, Founder Historic Routes (2nd Row), await their speaking slots.

Friday A morning walking tour of downtown Sofia began along delightful and unexpected yellow brick boulevards and featured Baroque mansions, early Christian and Russian churches, a renovated market (with unexpected entertainment from a world famous choir) plus the great cathedral of Alexander Nevsky.  Keeping its most ancient places alive, Roman ruins have been integrated into the modern city. 

Ruins from the ancient Roman city of Serdica – next to Baroque buildings and distant mosques - are preserved within the modern city.

The afternoon then included a series of presentations on Sofia’s history and growth by local architects and town planners.  Speakers included: Prof. Dr. Arch. Todor Krestev, UNESCO Expert; Arch. Dessi Dimitrova, President Delinear; Dr. Arch. Maria Davcheva, Editor Architectura Magazine.  The later dinner was accompanied by a renowned harpist.

Saturday  The group left Sofia early for a bus ride to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city and the oldest city in Europe still functioning.  The visit was in three parts: a tour of the old hill town, a stopover at Plovdiv’s Roman amphitheatre and a visit to ancient mosaics preserved in a modern museum, the Bishop’s Basilica.  

Lectures on the challenges of historic preservation within a modern city – along with a reception and operatic entertainment by State Opera Plovdiv Soloists – were sponsored by Nancy Schiller, who has supported the Basilica from its inception.  The first speaker, Prof. Dr. Elena Kantareva, a world renown scholar and restaurateur, has been credited with spearheading the preservation initiative. 

Other speakers included: Arch. Krassimir Todorov and Arch. Mariana Krachanova, designers of the Bishop’s Basilica museum; Arch. Ilko Nikolov, President Plovdiv SAB Chapter; Dr. Arch. Velina Pandjarova, UACEG Chair Theory and History of Architecture.

It is said that Plovdiv - originally named Philippopolis - rivalled Rome with its seven surrounding hills and its dramatic amphitheatre. Today, it is a UNESCO heritage city.

Old Plovdiv offered steep, cobbled streets and decorative wood houses, while in the modern city centre,
the new Bishop’s Basilica museum has been built to protect and display the early Christian structure and its extensive mosaics.

AIA CE traditionally holds a Gala Dinner on Saturday night.  Not only were the guests regaled with a violin and harp duet, the event organisers were celebrated and the winners of CE’s rejuvenated Design Awards were also announced.

Sunday  AIA Architects were given a hint on what to expect at the Rila Monastery – another UNESCO site, several miles from Sofia - through conference literature.  However, the attendees were unprepared for the full drama of the site once they walked through the entrance arch.  Their awe generated the best photography of the conference as shown in the slideshow below. 

After a lengthy stay at the monastery, the return trip to Sofia included a stop at the Natural History Museum, housed in a Soviet era government building.  The historical collections were fascinating, while the unusual building became another unexpected treat.

Through the arch Into a dramatic world of stripes, colour and mountain vistas.

The Soviet grandeur in the former Parliament defied categorisation, and almost overwhelmed the History Museum’s treasures.

Monday Extension Day  For those who wanted more – and there was a full busload who did – the extra Extension Day took a long trip north towards the Romanian border to Veliko Turnovo, the ancient capital of Bulgaria in the days of its pre-Ottoman prime.  It is still a major city with a dramatic setting – the city of a thousand windows and the one Tzarevetz fortress.

Multiple viewpoints generously inserted in the townscape by the local city planners expose dramatic vistas of Veliko Turnovo, built around sharp river bends.

A wine tasting lunch with the mayor and a series of lectures and discussions led by local architects ended the day and the conference.  Speakers included: Dipl. Ing. Nikolay Nikolov; Dr. Arch. Petar Nikolov; Arch. Stefan Conev, President of SAB chapter; Arch. Radomir Dankov.

The event organiser, Rada Doytcheva, FAIA,celebrated her birthday immediately after the conference. The birthday card by attendee, Dominique Tomasov AIA, from Barcelona, expressed the sentiments of all.

The Sofia Conference Programme is included HERE. Additional information - including Presenter Notes - on the Bulgaria event and also on past and future AIA CE conferences can be found on the AIA CE website HERE and HERE. These international conferences are a bargain and the Continuing Education Credits are significant.

The 2025 AIA CE April Conference in Cork, Ireland, will be co-hosted by AIA CE and AIA UK – a welcome joint effort.

Written by L D King, AIA

On behalf of AIA Continental Europe and AIA United Kingdom

FURTHER CREDITS:

Event Organisation Team: Rada Doytcheva FAIA, Conference Chair; Sasha Doytcheva, Architecture MA student RCA London; Jina Son, Humna Farid and Michael Ocejo, RADA Architects (www.rada-arch.com); Ray Spano, AIA, AIA CE France Director; Irene Reidy, AIA CE Administrator; Eli Hantova, SAB Union of Architects of Bulgaria (https://bularch.eu/); Desi Dimitrova, Delinear (https://delinear.bg/).

 Event Planner and Event Managers: Daniela Nakova, Tempora Travel (www.temporatravel.com); Manager Violeta Milusheva, Director, and Deni Peeva, Events Manager Intercontinental Hotel (www.intercontinental.com/sofia). 

Special credits: Svetoslav Stankov, Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Chicago (https://www.mfa.bg/en/embassies/usagc3/1930).

Photographs: All photos by Conference attendees, and also by Ivo Oreshkov (https://oreshkov.bg/).

Music: Music played a special part of the programme and the references here are included at the special request of Rada Doytcheva to encourage further familiarization with Bulgarian culture:

Day One          Opening Reception

Fanny Koutzarova, Piano and Ventzislav Trifonov, Clarinet

See HERE.

Day Two          Ulpia Serdika Ruins

TE DEUM ADORAMUS Women’s Chamber Ensemble

See HERE /HERE/ HERE.

                           Dinner “Pri Orlite”  (With the Eagles)

Angela Madjarova, Harp

Day Three        Plovdiv at the Bishop’s Basilica

State Opera Plovdiv Soloists: Evgenia Ralcheva, soprano, Vera Girgonova. soprano, Victor Ibrishimov, Alper Unluturk / Liliana Barzeva (introductions)

See HERE.

                          At Gala Dinner at the Intercontinental

Denitza Dimitrova, Harp and Ivan Penchev, Violin

See HERE.

Beale & Co Update: Digesting the Grenfell Report – Impact on Product Manufacturers

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published the highly anticipated Phase 2 Report into the fire at Grenfell Tower in September. At its centre lies the significant human tragedy, as the fire in June 2017 claimed 72 lives, and injuring and impacting many others.

AIA UK sponsor Beale & Co’s latest instalment of the “Digesting the Grenfell Report” series, looks at the Phase 2 of the inquiry, specifically regarding product manufacturers and the insulation products installed on the tower.

Click the button below for the article by Sheena Sood and Joanna Lewis:

AIA UK 29th Annual Student Charrette: Shaping the Future of London’s Public Spaces Through Creative Collaboration

On 26 October 2024, the Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) gallery in London was transformed into a hub of creativity and collaboration for the 29th AIA UK Student Charrette. With over 70 Part 1 architecture students from 14 universities in attendance, the event embodied the power of participatory design to reshape public spaces for inclusivity, sustainability, and community vitality. Special thanks to KPF for sponsoring this year’s event and graciously opening their gallery space for the day, helping bring this ambitious vision to life.

The morning began with a warm breakfast reception, setting an inviting tone for the students, mentors, and jurors to connect and exchange ideas. Paolo Mendoza, AIA UK’s Emerging Professionals Director, then introduced this year’s brief, centered on “Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design,” a call for future architects to contribute to London’s vibrant cultural landscape. Students were tasked with reimagining the Strand Aldwych area—a site steeped in history and cultural significance—as a dynamic public space. Their designs needed to respond to the area’s heritage while prioritizing sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity. The brief challenged students to embrace participatory urban design, encouraging them to create installations that engage the community in co-creating spaces that reflect their needs.

Equipped with cameras and notebooks, the teams embarked on a site visit, accompanied by their mentors, to observe and document the site’s physical and social dynamics. After returning to the KPF gallery, students launched into a 4.5-hour design sprint. During this phase, Martyn Corner from Hopkins Architects offered expert guidance on model-making techniques, helping teams refine their physical representations. Working within the constraints of an analogue, CAD-free charrette, the students produced hand-drawn plans, sketches, and physical models that expressed their vision and creativity.

As the design time concluded, the teams presented their proposals to a distinguished jury: Taylor Rogers from Hopkins Architects, Karla Montauti from Benoy, Samantha Cooke from KPF, and Mark Breeze from the Architectural Association. The jury commended the teams for their creative approaches and attention to the nuances of the site. Each team’s proposal demonstrated a clear understanding of the Strand Aldwych’s unique cultural and historical character, with compelling visual representations and thoughtful models. The jurors highlighted the inventive ways the students integrated public engagement into their designs, noting a range of inspiring ideas to make the space more accessible, inclusive, and interactive.

AIA UK Emerging Professionals Director, Paolo Mendoza with the 2024 Student Charrette jurors: Taylor Rogers (Hopkins Architects), Samantha Cooke (KPF), Karla Montauti (Benoy), and Mark Breeze (Architectural Association).

After a thorough and spirited deliberation, the jury awarded first place to Group 8, a team of students from the University of Westminster, University of Reading, and University of Dundee, mentored by Gregory Fonseca. Their proposal stood out for its seamless blend of community engagement, sustainability, and sensitivity to the site’s context. The 1st runner-up was awarded to Group 4, consisting of students from the University of Bath and London Metropolitan University and mentored by Francis Hur. The 2nd runner-up went to Group 2, which included students from the University of Greenwich and the University of Hertfordshire, guided by mentors Elizabeth Dailey and Bea Sennewald.

The winning team mentored by Gregory Fonseca, AIA: Students from the University of Westminster, University of Reading, and University of Dundee: Fiona Gyamfi, Maame Frimpong, Clevy Bento, Robert Timberlake, Sarah Tolba, Hristislava Arabadzhieva, Benjamin Hanyecz.

The 1st runner-up team mentored by Francis Hur, AIA: Students from the University of Bath and London Metropolitan University: Emma McCook, Aaron Horwood, Caroline Rodrigues, Henri Toniolo, Fabiane Lonardelli.

The 2nd runner-up team mentored by Elizabeth Dailey, AIA and Bea Sennewald, AIA, RIBA: Students from the University of Greenwich and University of Hertfordshire: Ermiona Rousi, Zaid Shanawaz, Idris Mooradun Aisha Hussain, Iraj Syeda, Luke Buckman, Cydney-Ellen Thorold, Sushant Gurung.

AIA UK extends heartfelt gratitude to the mentors who played an instrumental role in the charrette’s success. Their expertise and mentorship were essential in guiding students through each phase of the design process. The mentors included Pierre Baillargeon from Mixity Studio, Elizabeth Dailey from Pilbrow & Partners, Bryan Oknyansky from Studio Moren, Francis Hur from Francis Hur Architecture, Eric Beard-Sackett from Whitman, Requardt & Associates, Lucia Piccinini from Lucia Piccinini Architect, Alex Miller from KPF, Gregory Fonseca from Mobius Design, and Bea Sennewald from Article 25.

The creativity, vision, and dedication displayed by these students are incredibly inspiring. Their proposals not only respect the historical essence of the Strand Aldwych but also bring innovative ideas for a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future.

This charrette leaves a lasting impression on all involved, paving the way for a momentous 30th AIA UK Student Charrette in 2025, which promises to inspire and engage the next generation of architectural talent.

Written by Paolo Mendoza, Associate AIA

2024 Noel Hill Award Winner

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) UK Chapter is thrilled to announce Ryan Stranger, a recent MArch graduate from Kingston School of Art, as the winner of this year’s Noel Hill Award for his research proposal, After London. Ryan’s work explores the potential of expanding woodland areas within London to support urban resilience, climate adaptation, and ecological connectivity.

After London presents an ambitious strategy to increase London’s tree canopy cover by 10%, aligned with London’s climate goals. Focusing initially on Epping Forest, Ryan’s research incorporates data from CPRE and GIGL to identify urban spaces currently underutilised or inaccessible, transforming them into valuable green infrastructure. The “Green Crown” proposal envisions a continuous woodland network encircling the city, offering both ecological and social benefits, with routes connecting communities through natural spaces.

The project builds on ecological surveys, aerial mappings, and a deep historical analysis of London’s relationship with nature. By reactivating “Forest Rights” inspired by historic Epping Forest, After London seeks to create accessible sites that allow Londoners to connect with nature across generations. The award will help fund the next research phase, enabling on-site ecological assessments in high-risk climate zones, particularly areas prone to urban heat and flooding. These findings will contribute to a model for sustainable urbanisation within and beyond London.

The jury unanimously praised After London for its clear vision and practical approach to enhancing urban resilience through expanded woodland in and around London. They commended Ryan Stranger's proposal for its well-balanced research methodology, which integrates ambitious, large-scale thinking with tangible, site-specific strategies. The proposal’s visual communication was noted as especially compelling, illustrating the feasibility of a “Green Crown” that leverages London’s existing natural assets, such as Epping Forest, and incorporates underutilised urban spaces into a continuous green network.

After London was celebrated for its ability to build upon existing studies while contributing new insights to urban design, architecture, and ecological development in London. The project’s approach to connecting ecological spaces around London was recognised as impactful, with clear potential to meaningfully enhance the city’s climate resilience through improved canopy cover. The jury highly commended the proposal for its thoughtful consideration of urban trees as an essential element of the cityscape, highlighting Ryan’s work as a model for sustainable urbanism with long-term benefits for Londoners.

2024 Noel Hill Research Award Jurors: Samantha Cooke (Director, KPF), Taylor Rogers (Associate Director, Hopkins Architects), and Karla Montauti (Associate Director, Benoy).

The Noel Hill Award was judged by an esteemed panel: Taylor Rogers from Hopkins Architects, Karla Montauti from Benoy, and Samantha Cooke from KPF. AIA UK extends its gratitude to these judges for their careful consideration and thoughtful evaluation of each submission.

Congratulations to Ryan Stranger for this outstanding achievement. After London exemplifies the visionary thinking the Noel Hill Award seeks to recognise, blending ecological integrity with urban functionality to create a resilient, greener future for London.

Written by Paolo Mendoza, Associate AIA

COMFORT EN-ROUTE - Noel Hill 2023 Recipient Research

Written by Melis Ellen Gurdal

Unforeseeable conditions of the Anthropocene demand new methods for co-inhabiting the Earth and sharing its natural resources.  To survive the upcoming climate fluctuations and waves of migration, agile and adaptive socio-ecological systems must be formed.  This study, enabled by the Noel Hill AIA UK 2023 Award, focuses on the agency of water in increasing conviviality and resilience in precarious territories.  The research and design proposal aims to form a hydro-social network in high migration regions by transforming 11th-century Seljuk Caravanserais of the Silk Road into climate-adaptive water nodes in Anatolia

Caravanserais maintained a healthy migration flow in Anatolia, which is still an important migration path and an essential passage to Europe from the Middle East. Today, as the climate crisis and drought periods are escalating, the hostile conditions that migrants, nomadic tribes, and locals of Anatolia must face are intensifying.  By examining the current water and migration flows in Anatolia and the Turkish-Syrian border town of Mardin, the study envisions showing the vitality of hydro-social spaces.  The design research introduces “hydro-social design” and demonstrates its application to the migration network and the forgotten historical typology of caravanserais. 

For the creation of sustainable and just water futures, understanding the local practices, daily rituals, and vernacular is crucial.  Thus, fieldwork and on-site analyses form the backbone of this study. In total, three fieldworks have been completed: the Turkish-Syrian Border, Central Anatolia and the Aegean Coast.  I have had the privilege to meet and collaborate with many talented and insightful people along this journey, once again reminding me that architecture, at its core, is about people.  As architects, we are responsible for designing human-centric spaces that thread lightly and mindfully to their environmental and social contexts. 

The study of water conditions in border territories began with an ancient city called Mardin, which has hosted many  cultures, ethnicities, and beliefs for centuries.  As a cross-point, the region is going through destructive urbanisation and population rise, leading to the extreme scarcity of natural resources.  Due to the military presence and various dwelling patterns, such as animal grazing nomadic tribes, finding common ground and creating convivial spaces in water access points is vital for the survival and well-being of both stationary and temporary residents of Mardin.  By documenting water infrastructures ranging from village fountains to large-scale dams, the architectural space revealed the inhumane securitisation strategies being implemented by water control.  A modern-day caravanserai used as a rest-stop, which can provide the needs of different user groups, has been proposed as a design intervention.

The research then traced the historical remnants of migration in Anatolia.  The fieldwork in Central Anatolia included nomadically travelling along the path of the Silk Road and documenting the existing caravanserais as well as the water infrastructures accommodating the journey. The main aim of this field trip was to understand the typology and the migration network. Starting out from the capital city, Ankara, both digital and written sources have been utilised to identify the exact location of the derelict caravanserais and water points to reach the Mediterranean coast. I travelled with my own caravan and formed an autoethnographic study of accessing water. The thermal properties of the caravanserais have been calculated, and it was seen that they can still provide value today as rest-stops along migration paths. The design proposal suggested hijacking the existing caravanserais and transforming them into climate-resilient nodes within the hydro-social network. This design approach highlighted the importance of maintaining and revitalizing historical structures, demonstrating their relevance and potential to address modern challenges.

The final chapter of this journey led me to the Aegean coast, where uncontrolled migration and water scarcity are critical issues.  Refugees attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece face severe hardships, compounded by increasing forest fires and water shortages due to rapid urbanization. This year, rising temperatures have further strained water supplies, affecting towns with high migration rates.  I am currently based in the Datça peninsula which struggles with water scarcity due to its dry climate and high demands from tourism and agriculture.  With the villagers, we are working on improving the water efficiency in the area. This includes developing closed-loop water systems in domestic spaces and implementing drop irrigation in their gardens.  Overall, the research embraces a rhizomatic approach, intertwining the complex socio-cultural and environmental fabric of Anatolia to uncover diverse spatial climate adaptation methods.

Nomadic thinking can provide us with an alternative way of thinking and finding solutions for water systems in high-migration areas.  Migration and water are interconnected global issues amplified by the climate crisis, and their impacts resonate across multiple territories. We need design methods that protect both the ecological and socio-cultural qualities of vulnerable regions.  The study focuses on the interactions between water and migration cultures in multiple territories in Asia Minor, aiming to highlight the role of water distribution systems in creating functional socio-ecological assemblages. The study questions whether hydro-social design could enhance the climate adaptability of migration networks in Anatolia.  The findings indicate that the intersection of migration and water can inform the design process, suggesting a symbiotic relationship where water infrastructure improves migration conditions and coining the term “hydro-social design”.

The social, political, and ecological conditions of high-in-migration territories are constantly changing.  With the climate crisis, a new political ecology is being formed.  To protect and adapt the precarious territories to the current needs of the new climate regime, we must learn to operate with alacrity.  There is no “one size fits all” solution; hence, multi-disciplinary thinking and cross-collaboration are needed.  This design research aims to present a spatial design method where cultural identity can be protected, and vernacular can be utilised for the sake of greater adaptivity.  Through an architectural lens, it aims to form a new trans-disciplinary bridge between theory and practice with the hope of stimulating further debates in the water and migration fields.

The Noel Hill Award is offered in memory of Noel Hill, a founding member of the AIA UK Chapter.

It is presented annually to a Part 2 student that has undertaken outstanding and original research during their studies.

Submissions for the 2024 award are now open. For more click HERE.

GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY: PHASE 2 REPORT – Summary of main findings

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published the highly anticipated Phase 2 Report into the fire at Grenfell Tower last week. At its centre lies the significant human tragedy, as the fire in June 2017 claimed 72 lives, and injuring and impacting many others.

The voluminous Phase 2 Report examines detailed evidence on the circumstances surrounding the fire. In this summary article by AIA UK sponsor Beale & Co, the first in our “Digesting the Grenfell Report” series over the coming weeks, Sheena Sood, Joanna Lewis and Michael Salau summarise some of the Panel’s main conclusions and recommendations and contemplate the potential implications of these findings for the wider construction industry and the ambition to build a safer future.

Written by Sheena Sood, Joanna Lewis and Michael Salau