Memorable, rooted, evolving places

19:15 - 19:45

La Centrale, Nuvola Lavazza

A multidisciplinary studio gives new meaning to design and planning. Place, story, and sustainability shape the city’s next chapter.

Founded in 2004 by Christophe Egret and David West, Studio Egret West is a London-based architectural and urban design practice dedicated to creating layered, memorable places that are deeply rooted in their context. Bringing together a team of around 85 architects, urban designers, landscape architects, graphic designers, and filmmakers, the studio fuses memorable architecture, strategic urban planning, and ecology-driven landscaping in rich, symbiotic neighbourhood projects.

Instead of rigid masterplans, Studio Egret West develops flexible frameworks—collaborative strategies for places to evolve over time, guided by coherent narratives and local identity. Their work places public space as the “DNA of place”: a blend of creativity, commercial pragmatism, and compelling storytelling. The studio’s portfolio spans major urban regenerations—such as Mayfield Park in Manchester and the Earls Court masterplan in London—to Passivhaus homes in Swindon, always integrating sustainability, ecology, and community at the heart of urban innovation.

Studio Egret West is also distinguished by its internal ethics and governance. In 2020, the practice became an Employee Ownership Trust, empowering all staff to share in decision-making and contribute to the studio’s future direction. This structure fosters a collaborative, open environment that values experimentation (“more like a jazz band than an orchestra”) and serendipitous creativity—a culture where new ideas can flourish.

London

David West Founding Partner and Director

Studio Egret West

David West is the founder with Christophe Egret of Studio Egret West. With over 20 years of experience delivering visionary urban projects, he worked on global masterplans (China, Abu Dhabi, Brazil) and led radical urban strategies at Alsop Architects before co-founding SEW in 2004. He chairs design panels for RIBA, TfL, and the Mayor, continuing to promote resilient, high-quality, and memorable urban places through practice and teaching.

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