Fourth-year Diploma student Lena Lali and recent Diploma graduate Chisei Ye have been selected as members of the 2025 cohort of New Architecture Writers. New Architecture Writers (N.A.W.) is a free nine-month programme supporting emerging design writers of colour to develop journalistic skills, editorial connections and a critical voice. It began in 2017 and has since become a platform for new writing about architecture and cities. AA students and alumni – including Daniel Owusu, Ferial Massoud, Leela Keshav, Calvin Po, Nana Biamah-Ofosu and Aoi Phillips – have been members of past N.A.W. cohorts.

N.A.W. is directed by Thomas Aquilina and Tom Wilkinson with support from the Architecture Foundation and the Architectural Review. The programme’s advisory board is made up of leading practitioners and writers in the architecture industry, including Priya Khanchandani, David Ogunmuyiwa, Adrian Lahoud, Farshid Moussavi and Lesley Lokko. Over 100 writers, curators and critics have volunteered their time to New Architecture Writers as contributors and mentors since its inception.

Congratulations to Lena and Chisei – we look forward to reading the work that develops from their involvement with the N.A.W. programme.

To find out more about New Architecture Writers, visit their website and Instagram.