Meet the 2019 Interior Awards judges

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The 2019 Interior Awards jury includes Richard Harris, Deidre Brown, Dave Strachan, Melanie McDaid and Federico Monsalve. Image: Toaki Okano

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The 2019 Interior Awards sponsors.

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Now in its ninth year, the 2019 Interior Awards will celebrate not only the country's top commercial interiors, but it will also include a residential category for the first time ever. Meet the group of industry experts who will be responsible for choosing the best of the best.

Richard Harris

Richard is an architect and an idiosyncratic collector of books, art, chairs and old ceramic tiles inspired by Islam. He is passionate about design, watercolours and land yachting.

Following a career leading one of New Zealand’s major design practices, he recently established Richard Harris Architect to provide clients with individual design and advisory services. In addition to his day job, Richard has held several leadership roles across the wider design sector. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Deidre Brown

Deidre is a professor and the Head of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, where she has worked for the last 15 years, teaching New Zealand, Oceanic and Indigenous architecture and studio design.

She believes that the stories, ecologies and topography of the land, waterways and ocean are important design generators. These perspectives are informed by her experiences as a member of the Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu iwi (tribes) of northern New Zealand.

Dave Strachan

As SGA design director, Dave has more than 40 years’ experience in the fields of building, interiors, teaching and architecture. He has a Master of Architecture degree in Sustainable Design, is a 2002 graduate of the University of Newcastle Glenn Murcutt Masterclass and was Adjunct Professor for 10 years at Unitec School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Enthusiasm, energy and experience are brought to the practice through Dave’s commitment to creating an innovative contemporary architecture, appropriate to New Zealand and its unique landscape.

Melanie McDaid

Melanie founded Sloane & Peach on her recent return to New Zealand. Sloane & Peach endeavours to connect people with extraordinary, genuine and intelligent design of ‘places, spaces and objects’. Believing in the positive benefits of working across design disciplines, Melanie designs, writes, reviews, visits, curates, lobbies, advises and advocates all things design.

She studied at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London, and her experience and skills span interiors and architecture. She currently takes part in critiquing design at the architecture school, writes for leading design publications and advocates on flexible working.

Federico Monsalve

Federico has been the editor of both Interior and Urbis magazines for almost five years. He has also been the convener of the Interior Awards for a similar length of time. Federico is a senior editor with experience in culture, design, lifestyle and current affairs topics in publications based locally as well as in New York, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, Mexico City and beyond.

He is a faithful follower of literature, film and music, and he professes a budding fascination for pro baseball.