In Search of Arab London: two way street – a design conversation

Join the Arab British Centre and the Barakat Trust in this special event for the London Festival of Architecture 2019. London designers from the Arab world and working with the Arab world share experiences of melding ideas between the Middle East and Britain – in a quasi-global world, what does it mean to develop a multifaceted design identity?

Panellists:

May Fawzy – Interior Architect & Director – MF Design Studio

May is an award winning interior designer with a great passion to the profession. Through her boutique design house (MF Design Studio) she has been creating iconic environments for global clients such as Citrix, L’Oréal, La Prairie, Clive Christian and NGAM. She managed in a few years to carve her brand in the City as one of the most praised design houses winning the 2016 BCO award for London and the South East.
For May a space is an experience, it starts the minute you walk in and unfolds as you continue to explore. The journey to transform a space to a home for a client is a huge responsibility and with London pace it can be a stressful time, nevertheless it should be inspiring and enjoyable and that’s what MF Design Studio is about.
May is on a mission to improve the workspace environment and prove that functional spaces can be elegant. She is on a mission to transform desk-stacked offices to nourishing collaborative environments. She is adamant to further integrate the role of interior designers in the commercial world through her contributions with the British Institute of Interior Design.

Randa Hanna. BA ( Hons) AA DIP RIBA

Randa is an architect and founding partner of Map Projects, a design and architecture studio based in London. The practice has undertaken numerous bespoke residential projects all over the world and were the first designers of “parklets’ in London—small moveable gardens placed in urban settings. Randa has extensive experience working with Neighbourhood Forums and planning groups, but remains, at her core, dedicated to the art of creating beautifully crafted, buildings, homes , furniture and products. Randa graduated from the Architectural Association in London and is a proud mentor to young aspiring architects.

Hedayat Islam – Principal Interior Designer & Founder – Jam Space UK | Founding Partner- Eklego Design

Hedayat graduated from the American University in Cairo with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Fine Arts before obtaining her degree in interior design at the New York School of Interior Design in 1996. On returning to Cairo, she worked as an interior designer for several years while pursuing her Master’s Degree in Islamic Art and Architecture at the American University in Cairo, before partnering with Dina El Khachab in 2000 to establish Eklego Design. Since 2001, they have successfully completed over 200 projects all over Egypt and the region, in addition to designing and manufacturing their own furniture collection. Their work has received international recognition, having been featured in various international design publications and winning several awards and accolades.

In 2014, Hedayat relocated to London with her family and created Jam Space, a London based interior and product design firm. Hedayat continues to work with her Cairo based Eklego Design firm, designing spaces and products as well as taking on key projects in the Untied Kingdom. Jam Space has also launched a home-ware collection inspired by the rich ornamental history of Egypt.