Shahed Saleem is Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Cities where he leads a BA Design and MArch Dissertation studio. His particular research and practice interests are in the architecture of migrant and diasporic communities, and in particular their relationship to heritage, belonging and nationhood. Saleem was commissioned by English Heritage to research and write the architectural and social history of the British Mosque, published by Historic England in 2018. He continues to research, write and lecture extensively.
Saleem founded East London architectural practice Makespace in the early 2000s through which he has worked with a range of clients including faith communities in designing and delivering places of worship.
He was invited to co-curate the V&A pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2021, and collaborated in the design of a public installation at the Folkestone Triennial 2021 and he continues to develop public art work.
His design work has been nominated for the V&A Jameel Prize 2013 and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2016 and his research work won a RIBA President’s Medal for Research commendation 2020 and was nominated for the Historic England Angel Award and the SAHGB Colvin Prize 2019.
Between 2016-2020 Saleem worked with the Survey of London on the Histories of Whitechapel, a co-produced research project of urban history. He continues to further research into public and underrepresented histories, and publishes regularly across academic and non-academic platforms.