Maysa Phares
Senior Associate
I joined SEW in 2018, and since then, the studio has never failed to keep me on my toes. I have been lucky to work on a number of complex public and private projects with ambitious clients and collaborators who share our values of shaping resilient environments that people can connect with, nurture, and adapt over time.
The most rewarding aspect of my work as an urban designer is helping to breathe new life into forgotten or undervalued parts of a city or fringe. Because place shaping is as much about design as it is about communication and engagement, I enjoy crafting stories and building relationships that spur momentum for change. Working from the outside in is my strength, whether it involves interrogating the strategic drivers of change or identifying liminal places where special, unexpected moments can happen.
The past few years have taken me from Earls Court in London to Holt Town in Manchester, as well as to many other fascinating places and projects across the UK and overseas.
Alongside my work at SEW, I am a proud member of the Board of Directors of Our Yard, a social enterprise that has transformed derelict farm buildings in North Cricklewood, turning them into a force for good.
