Chair Judge: 

Biba Dow

We are delighted to have Biba Dow as our guest head judge this year to ensure that the judging team are kept in line and that the standards are maintained in the process of working through what we expect to be a high quality spread of work from within our chapter. Biba was born in London and studied architecture at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she worked for conservation practice Caroe and Partners, on a range of buildings including Rochester Cathedral; and then for Powell and Moya, working on a new mental health hospital in Hove. In 2000, she established Dow Jones Architects with Alun Jones.

Biba has led a range of complex arts, heritage and community buildings within the practice. Current projects include a new centre for Maggie’s Cancer Care in Cardiff, the Garden Museum in London and new buildings for St Mary Magdalene Church and Bevis Marks Synagogue.

Biba has taught architecture at a number of UK universities;, teaching a diploma unit at the Cass and being a visiting critic at Cambridge University, Kingston School of Architecture, and at other schools. She is an external examiner at Kingston School of Architecture and a member of the Old Oak & Park Royal Place Review Panel.

She writes about architecture and culture in a variety of publications, and has lectured widely on the work of her practice.

Biba was shortlisted for Architect of the Year for the Women in Architecture Awards 2018, for her work on the Garden Museum and she is a school governor and a mentor for a charity which supports homeless people.