At MAP, we believe that “Design” has the power to shape a better world. We are positioned from being more than “problem solvers” to creators of new possibilities. Our work bridges dichotomies: Utopian yet pragmatic; Iconic yet integrated; and unconventional yet functional.

Diversity – both in terms of project location and typology – is crucial to our practice. We aspire to work in different climates and cultures that lend the opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas, and inspire innovation. We see the world as one, and recognize a growing need to address the challenges by converging global insights sensitive to the locale.
Our design solutions are evolutionary in process. Spirit of inquiry, challenging preconceptions and testing conventions sets apart all our work – past and present – and provides purpose for our future. We aspire for inclusive design process, the one that includes clients and other stakeholders inputs right from the beginning. Divergent goals and interests are garnered to identify unique opportunities for projects – eventually resulting in designs that are distinct and striking.
Climate dependent design is at the center of our ‘green’ agenda, as it is also the underlying force behind creating new generation of built environments. From the way things are oriented, shaped and constructed to the way they are operated and managed, our work leverages nature’s free energy sources – sun, wind and rain – to their greatest potential for heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilating; minimizing reliance on fossil fuels and other artificial means. In other words, we view sustainability and climatic responsiveness as two sides of the same coin. Vegetation is integral part of the built form to provide natural shade, block harsh wind, reduce noise and other forms of pollution, and minimize the heat island effect and storm water run-offs, but most importantly create memorable environments where humans and nature co-exist.
LEADERSHIP
Map Design's Founding Partner Kiran Mathema
Kiran is a Founding Partner at MAP. He is based in Washington DC, USA and serves as the Creative Director responsible for providing overall design leadership on all the projects of the firm. With an experience spanning two decades in leading firms of the US, Kiran brings a distinct cross-disciplinary expertise in urban planning, architecture, and interior design. His projects span the globe, including major cities in the US, Germany, Singapore, China, India, South Korea, Brazil, KSA and Nepal. The common thread that ties his wide range of work is his environment-sensitive approach, and the rigor with which he designs projects down to the smallest details. Before establishing MAP, Kiran served as Design Director/Associate Principal at Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn Architects in Washington DC (now part of Perkins Eastman Company), spearheading the firm’s large-scale projects in the US and overseas. Prior to that, he was Assistant Director for the Urban Planning and Design Group at Michael Baker Jr. Inc., and led several key citywide initiatives in Washington DC.
Map Design's Partner QIan Li
Mr. Li is a registered architect (New York, USA) with over a decade of experience in large-scale, mixed-use, academic, commercial, industrial and housing projects. As a partner, Qian shares a joint-responsibility in design and execution of MAP projects with a particular focus on the ones in China. Previously, Qian served as Senior Associate at Ehrenkrantz Eckstut and Kuhn Architects in New York (now part of Perkins Eastman Company), where he was involved in many prominent projects, including Shanghai North Bund Office Complex and Houston Intermodal Transit Center. Shanghai North Bund complex – the overall project – is LEED-CS Gold pre-certified and one of its buildings is BREEAM certified, the first of its kind in Shanghai. Subsequently, Qian joined Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s NYC office, as a senior architect where he led the Dongguan Factory Complex project from its concept stage to construction phase. Qian received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2001 and Master ofArchitecture degree from Cornell University in 2003. He recently moved to PRC to establish a project office in shanghai.
Map Design's Partner Ajaya Mathema
Ajaya is the Managing Partner at MAP. With MBA from Georgia State University and Bachelors in Accounting from Eastern Connecticut State University, he spearheads the overall operations and financials of the company. Ajaya brings a decade long management, financial, accounting and M&A experience working with Fortune 500 companies of the US. Prior to joining MAP, he served as a CAO of Blue Cross Hospital. Ajaya is currently based in MAP’s Kathmandu office where he serves as Partner-in-charge for all local projects. His management and financial expertise is also leveraged at the project level – on a daily basis, he works closely with the technical team to streamline the project delivery and quality control processes.
Map Design's Associate Miloš Krstić
Miloš has a Master of Architecture degree and has worked with design consultants, governments, private investors and property developers in the MENA Region and Europe. In the KSA, Miloš has been involved in the design of exclusive hospitality and residential developments. His experience ranges in scale from residential & mixed-use to planning for new and existing cities and city areas. Based in the UAE, Miloš is responsible for client relationships and design development for the IMEA Region.
Map Design's Associate Nemanja Petrović
Nemanja has a degree in industrial design and wide experience in the design industry. He has been responsible for leading design teams in one of the biggest wayfinding firms in the Middle East. His has brought his skills to the development of transformational projects such as Neom, KSA and EXPO 2020, UAE. Based in the UAE, Nemanja is responsible for client relationships and design development for the IMEA Region.