

Marjane Satrapi and the Humanity Behind the Headlines
A friend from the BBC gave me a copy of Persepolis shortly before I began my Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of St Andrews. I remember being immediately captivated. As someone trained in design and architecture, the stark black-and-white illustrations drew me in, but it was the humanity of the story that stayed with me. Today, as Iran once again risks being reduced to headlines, strategic calculations and military analysis, I find myself return


Returning Is Not the Same as Going Home
Reflections on the World Cities Report 2026, displacement, and the phenomenology of home The recently published World Cities Report 2026: The Global Housing Crisis, Pathways to Action offers a stark assessment of the state of global housing. According to UN-Habitat, as many as 3.4 billion people worldwide now live without secure, safe, or adequate housing. The report describes a world shaped by spiralling housing costs, displacement, informal urbanisation, climate vulnerabili


The Theatre of Silence
Rebuilding Mariupol’s Drama Theatre as an Act of Erasure by Frazer Macdonald Hay, Uniform November In March 2022, Russia bombed the Mariupol Drama Theatre, a building clearly labelled with the word “CHILDREN” (“ДЕТИ”) in enormous white letters visible from the sky. Hundreds of civilians were sheltering inside. According to investigations by the Associated Press , at least 600 people were killed. It was one of the deadliest single attacks of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Uk


Building - Emotional Entanglements
Written by #FrazerMacdonaldHay Quick read: Over time, buildings accumulate cultural value as society assigns meaning and memory to their...


What We Remember is What We Are
Written by #FrazerMacdonaldHay Short Read: Memory is fundamental to human experience, shaping our identity, relationships, and ability...


















