Through a personal journey of international education, decade of practice in Abu Dhabi and Masdar City, and continuing research, Lukas explores the role of design in shaping the human condition by placing it in the context of the past, present, and future. There is a deliberate intent behind design that is guided by a vision, a goal, a definition of a problem to be solved that goes beyond the arrangement of form. How has this evolved over time, what are we facing now, and what are the challenges on the horizon?

Biography:

Originally from the Czech Republic, Lukas immigrated to the United States where he earned a Bachelors in Architecture and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona. Inspired by Urban Design he joined Sasaki Associates in Boston to work on international masterplanning projects. This brought him to Abu Dhabi where the firm was tasked with helping to establish the newly formed Urban Planning Council. He joined the Council, where he lead the Urban Design Studio for more than ten years focusing on masterplanning, development review, and policy and guideline generation. Today, Lukas is the Head of City Design, Sustainable Planning & Approvals at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where he focuses on masterplanning and development that is environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically sustainable.