Sheka Kanu

Sheka Kanu is a 22-year-old architecture student from Longford. He is in his fourth year of the architecture course at ATU Sligo, following a gap year when he worked at James Hamilton Architects.

During his gap year, Sheka had the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects. These projects vary from refurbishing an English cottage on a UNESCO World Heritage Site to designing bespoke villas in the Caribbean and winning a design competition to develop a private island in the Bahamas.

Through his studies and work experience, Sheka has become interested in socially sustainable architecture and community engagement. He is also interested in world cultures and enjoys travelling as much as possible. One of his goals is to use the knowledge he gains in architecture to impact the education and community development in his family home of Sierra Leone.

Sheka's contribution to the Building Heroes programme will highlight the various challenges and rewards of studying and working in architecture.