mapping_ais.pdf By Meryerhi Efe-Duku

Maddie Anderson This map shows where I’ve been and where I’m heading. From a ‘street’ of childhood homes and first sense of place, to Abu Dhabi, where travel widened my sense of design, a route stitched by choice. There are detours present: choosing art, listening to the ‘road of doubts’. At the centre is the now, October 2026, and the question: what kind of architect do I want to be? One who is curious, connects with people and place, respects what already exists, designs for those too often left out, and above all is kind. The needle and thread wait at the staircase to the future. The thread isn’t finished, and neither am I.

Leena Shandala My journey through architecture has been shaped by movement between places, cultures and ways of living. Mosul taught me the value of heritage, identity and community; Dubai and Abu Dhabi introduced me to ambition, innovation and new possibilities; and Manchester continues to shape how I learn, question and practise. Moving between these places has taught me to observe before designing, to question rather than assume, and to understand architecture through people as much as buildings. Moving forward, I want to practise with curiosity, care, resourcefulness, responsibility and openness, creating architecture that responds meaningfully to people, place and change.