INTBAU World Congress 2025: Meet our volunteers, supported by ADAM Architecture
Posted 14 Aug 2025
This October, INTBAU will host its fifth World Congress and celebrate 25 years of championing tradition in the built environment — with the support of five outstanding volunteers from across the globe. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of ADAM Architecture, a leading UK practice, the volunteers will travel to London to take part in delivering the Congress and engaging with a global community committed to a more humane, contextual, and enduring built environment.
Progress in Tradition: a global gathering to chart the role of tradition in today’s built environment
From 22 to 24 October, London will become the meeting point for architects, designers, craftspeople, academics, and urbanists, all shaping a built environment that is both tradition-rooted and forward-looking. Under the theme INTBAU 25: Progress in Tradition, this milestone Congress will reflect on a quarter century of evolution and momentum in traditional architecture, building, and urbanism, while laying down thoughtful reflections for the next.
In a world where headlines often highlight what is broken or lost, INTBAU’s World Congress aims to do the opposite: to celebrate what is being built, restored, taught, and imagined. We will spotlight people and projects — big and small — that are grounded in tradition, yet visionary in their contribution to thriving, livable, and enduring places.
Nansledan, designed by Adam Architecture, is a sustainable urban extension to Newquay, designed with the community to reflect Cornish character, support local jobs, and create a walkable, mixed-use neighbourhood rooted in humane urbanism. As part of the programme on 25 October, INTBAU will host a special tour of Nansledan in collaboration with ADAM Architecture. Learn more.
A global call for volunteer support
As part of our commitment to nurturing the next generation of talent, we launched a global call for volunteers to support the delivery of this year’s Congress. Nearly 30 students and early-career professionals from across the world applied. The response was nothing short of inspiring.
We are thrilled to introduce the five individuals who have been selected to join us in London as Congress volunteers. Their diverse academic and professional journeys span continents and disciplines, from architectural practice in New York to adaptive reuse in Nairobi. Each brings a unique voice, perspective, and set of skills that reflect the global character and multidisciplinary strength of our network.
Progress in Tradition: meet our volunteers, supported by ADAM Architecture
We are also delighted to announce that ADAM Architecture— a leading international practice specialising in classical and traditional architecture and urbanism, and longtime supporter of INTBAU — has generously agreed to sponsor the travel and accommodation costs of all five volunteers. Their support will ensure that our volunteers can fully participate in the Congress, gain hands-on experience, and connect with the broader INTBAU community.
Hailing from five countries and diverse backgrounds, they are:
We are pleased to support INTBAU’s 25th Anniversary World Congress and to sponsor this inspiring group of volunteers. At ADAM Architecture, we place great value on mentorship, learning by doing, and international exchange — all of which are embedded in INTBAU’s work. We have been proudly involved with INTBAU since its founding, and we look forward to seeing these young leaders both contribute to and be shaped by this important event.”Robert Cox, Design Director, ADAM Architecture
Hailing from five countries and diverse backgrounds, they are:
Luke Alcock
I am Luke, a Part III Architectural Assistant working at BDP and completing my Architect’s qualification.
I have a strong interest in classical architecture, historic buildings, craft and construction, and conservation. These passions formed the basis of my master’s project at the University of Sheffield, winning the student category in the Traditional Architecture Awards, hosted by TAG, host to INTBAU UK, for a new heritage stonemasonry school in a restored and reinterpreted monastic dorter ruin at Worcester Cathedral.
Alongside my academic studies, I have also enjoyed hands-on experiences of these traditional crafts, such as stonemasonry, having recently attended an INTBAU summer school in Barr, Alsace, through La Table Ronde de l’Architecture, host to INTBAU Belgium, to understand vernacular colombage construction techniques in the region. In my free time, you can find me relaxing by playing my violin or perched precariously on some rocks sketching architectural details or scenes that catch my eye.
Sohaib Ahmed
I am an architecture graduate from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, with a deep-rooted passion for traditional design, cultural heritage, and sustainable building practices. Growing up and studying in Lahore — a city rich in history, art, and architecture— shaped my understanding of how the built environment reflects identity and values.
Currently, I am working under the guidance of Architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz, one of Pakistan’s most respected voices in traditional and regional architecture. This experience has deepened my appreciation for design that is rooted in place, responsive to context, and aligned with cultural continuity.
I have the honour of serving as a volunteer for the INTBAU World Congress in London, a global platform dedicated to the preservation and advancement of traditional architecture and urbanism. I look forward to engaging with international peers, learning from diverse practices, and contributing meaningfully to this important dialogue.
I aspire to continue working at the intersection of architecture, heritage, and community, promoting thoughtful, place-based design in Pakistan and beyond.
Megha Sahu
Hello, I am Megha Sahu, currently pursuing a Master’s in Urbanism at TU Delft, with a background in architecture from SPA Bhopal, India.
Passionate about spatial storytelling, my work explores how inclusive and context-sensitive design can strengthen the relationship between people and place. Coming from a multicultural background has deeply shaped how I think about identity, community, and the emotional layers of urban space. This has always drawn me towards traditional knowledge, human-scale urbanism, and long-term resilience, values that INTBAU strongly upholds.
I’m excited to contribute to a Congress that brings together such a thoughtful and global network.
Olive Muthoni
From Kenya, I’m a graduate of Architecture from the University of Nairobi (September 2024). I transitioned into Architecture after discovering my true passion in 2017, having previously worked in Environment & Energy Advisory.
I am passionate about heritage architecture, conservation, urbanism, and exploring architectural integration in the future built environment while promoting sustainability. For my final year, I completed a research thesis and design project on adaptive reuse of a former colonial settler house in Kenya into a country lodge, protecting heritage value while addressing modern spatial needs. Recently awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship, I will pursue a Master’s in Sustainable Heritage Management at the University of Liverpool starting this September.
I have served as a Trustee of Heritage Trust Kenya and participated in several international programmes, including INTBAU Belgium’s Alsace Summer School in France and the INTBAU Qatar Winter School. This opportunity offers a great platform to support the INTBAU Congress and learn from experts as I embark on my architectural career.
Cole Wagner
Cole Wagner
Cole Wagner holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural history (2022) and a master’s in construction management (2023). His academic journey includes participation in the inaugural Let’s Build A Beautiful City summer school in Utrecht, and he currently serves on the executive board of the Citymakers Collective, which organised the inaugural edition of the Summer Studio programme in Charleston, SC.
Cole’s leadership experience extends beyond academia: as Vice President of Campus Life at Columbia University’s School of General Studies, he managed large-scale event programming, coordinated cross-departmental teams, and administered significant budgets. Presently, he works as a research specialist at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, supporting design through historical precedent research and facilitating events with prestigious architectural and urban institutions.
Deeply committed to traditional, classical, and vernacular architecture, Cole’s passion is rooted in rigorous historical study combined with practical engagement. He looks forward to contributing his expertise to the INTBAU World Congress and furthering its mission of advancing thoughtful, contextual design.
ADAM Architecture is a leading international practice specialising in classical and traditional architecture and urbanism from its studios in London and Winchester. Its portfolio includes master planning and development, private homes, public and commercial buildings, and historic and listed buildings. A multigenerational business, ADAM Architecture is run by five design directors, each bringing invaluable expertise and insight to the executive board through their own project work, industry outreach and academic contributions.
Focusing on traditional practice, ADAM Architecture ensures new built environments take a holistic approach to development, preserving legacy and sense of place, while increasing comfort and adaptability. Sustainability is at the core of every stage of ADAM Architecture’s commercial operation, delivering projects that endure by drawing on the inherently sustainable principles of classical architecture.
