Hi, I’m Akua Appiah-Adu, a Ghanaian architectural designer currently completing my graduate studies at Cornell University. I grew up in Accra and studied architecture at KNUST, where my interest in the relationship between people, place, and everyday life began to take shape.

I want to design places that people value and spaces that make people feel valued. My interests span community infrastructure, housing, education, and healthcare, with a particular focus on how local materials and climate can inform thoughtful, adaptable architecture.

Through my experiences at Adjaye Associates, SmithGroup, and SDI-Ghana, I’ve worked across different scales and ways of practicing, from developing designs in the studio to learning directly from communities. These experiences have taught me to listen closely, question assumptions, and understand the lives a project will become part of.

My current thesis, Dua no Ase / Beneath the Tree, explores how architecture can extend the gathering spaces beneath trees in rural Ghana, supporting learning, care, exchange, and community life.

Across my work, I’m interested in creating architecture that responds to present needs while leaving room for future generations.