Mark Shtanov

(MENAFN- The Conversation)

• Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester

Profile Articles

My work strives to make architectural thinking work beyond design. I work with communities, students and professional groups through participatory architectural methods, such as drawings and physical models. My PhD used four drawing modalities to examine the disposal of imported anatomical specimens at the British waste incinerators. Bridging between waste and death studies and involving several stakeholder groups, the project demonstrated the importance of waste labour and infrastructure for the global economies of human tissue and healthcare.
As an advocate of multi-modal ethnographic and design methods, I co-run Manchester-based 'Draw Your Research' sessions to help researchers use drawings in a range of ways. I also run participatory making workshops through no, an independent practice I established in 2017 to help students, architects and members of the public think through making.
Between 2018 and 2024 I progressed from an assistant to a senior architect at TP Bennett, designing buildings in education, hospitality, and residential sectors, alongside doing the PhD. I completed my MPhil at the University of Cambridge in 2018. The MPhil thesis, Another Hotel in Africa, received a commendation at the RIBA President's Medals in 2018 and led to two publications.

Experience

• 2026–present Honorary Senior Research Fellow, The University of Manchester
• 2021–2026 PhD Researcher, The University of Manchester
• 2018–2024 Senior Architect, previously architect, TP Bennett

Education

• 2026 University of Manchester, Phd in Architecture
• 2018 University of Cambridge, MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design
• 2015 University of Bath, BSc in Architecture

Publications

• 2026 Antipode, Decouplement: commodity geography of the corpse
• 2025 Social Epistemology, Respectful Disposal
• 2020 Radical Noir v.2 (African Futures Institute), Another Hotel in Africa

Grants and Contracts

• 2021 SEED PhD Studentship Role: PhD Researcher Funding Source: The University of Manchester

Professional Memberships

• Architects Registration Board (ARB)

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