About architect

AIA Japan Board Member • 2021 President  • Chair of Honorary Fellow Council, Strategic & Accreditation, and Design Awards

AIA International Board Member • 2023-2024 Secretary • Chair of 2022 AIA International Spring Conference

Professional, Architect, Designer, Masterplanner, at Nikken Sekkei

Segene Park, born in Seoul, Korea in 1973, is a distinguished architect and urban planner with a rich and diverse professional journey. In 1990, he embarked on his educational journey in the United States, initially at Lake Forest Academy before transferring to Mather High School in Chicago.

His academic achievements include earning recognition from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1996 and subsequently receiving the John E. Walley Memorial Scholarship in 2002, culminating in a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Segene’s dedication and excellence were evident during his service with the Defense Security Agency (DSA) in Korea from 1998 to 2001, where he was honored with the 2001 Excellence of Duty Award while serving as the chief’s private assistant.

Post-graduation in 2003, Segene joined Epstein’s Annex 5 as a project designer. His creative prowess and commitment to punctuality contributed significantly to the team’s success, resulting in numerous awards and publications in prestigious platforms such as Architectural Record, New York Times Online Edition, AIA Magazine, and more, solidifying his reputation as a talented and forward-thinking architect.

In 2007, Segene transitioned to Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), Chicago, a globally renowned architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. His portfolio expanded to include overseas projects, notably a 354m-tower in Russia, showcased at the Venice Biennale in 2008, lauded as a groundbreaking form of Russian modern architecture.

After marriage and relocation to Tokyo, Japan, Segene’s interest in design evolved into urban planning. In 2015, he joined Nikken Sekkei, Japan’s largest and global design firm. Under his guidance, the team won 3 major international architecture/masterplan competitions, gaining recognition in ArchDaily and other Russian publications. From 2020 to 2023, Segene’s team was honored with 4 major Architecture and Urban Planning Awards in Moscow. This prestigious accolade, selected from a pool of 1,513 nominated residential complexes, involved the evaluation of over 400 independent experts, underscoring his exceptional contributions to the field.

Segene’s global perspective and commitment to the architectural community are further demonstrated by his role as President of AIA Japan (AIAJ) since 2021. His involvement with the Cliff Dwellers since 2005 and service as a committee member of the CD Arts Foundation from 2008 to 2012 underscore his dedication to supporting the arts.

As a thought leader, Segene has shared his expertise as a guest design critic at Meiji University, I-AUD Program, and Nihon University. He has organized and instructed Urban Plan Workshops with ULI Japan, collaborating with universities such as Meiji, Waseda, Tsukuba, Nihon University, and KAIST in 2021 to 2022.

Segene’s recent engagements as a key speaker at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and as a panelist for the YLG Forum during the ULI Asia Pacific Summit highlight his commitment to sustainable and impactful design.