Bold, Whimsical and a Riot of Colours – these are the words that best decribe the projects by Teresa Sapey + Partners of Madrid, Spain. And today we continue our chat with designer Francesca Heathcote Sapey, Partner & COO at Teresa Sapey + Partners to know more about her work. But first things first, if you haven’t seen Teresa Sapey’s instagram page yet, you are in for a colourful surprise. Visit @teresasapey
In our Feature Friday interview today, Francesca tells us about her role at Teresa Sapey + Partners – founded by her mother over a quarter of a century ago – about her background, experience and what she’s been doing to stay sane during the global pandemic.
WOD: Thanks for joining us. Why don’t we start with your background? Give us a timeline summary of how you got to your current role…
FHS: “I was born in Spain, but my mother is Italian and my father in quarter English, quarter Dutch. Not quite sure what that makes me? A proud European woman I guess! I hold a BA in Architecture, a MA in Cultural and Critical Studies and MSc in Urban Design and City Planning. I have always been passionate about how people move through space: how they use and experience it, how they feel about it, how it enables certain interactions or not. Hence my interest in cities and architecture. Our studio focuses on designing bespoke spaces that provide high quality experiences and translate brands into spatial identities. As such, we also design, redesign and rethink office spaces of all sorts!
I am currently Partner & COO at the company. It’s a family-based practice, founded by my mother over 30 years ago. I joined a couple of years ago after spending over 10 years in London. My role involves a lot of things: overall, a little bit of everything!”
WOD: Wow, what an incredible story – your family must be very proud to have been in business for over 3 decades! Could you tell us more about your role?
FHS: “I think varied is the right word! Every day is different! I am basically in charge of overseeing and managing the company and all of the projects, designing business development strategies, implementing sustainable solutions, turning our design concepts into viable solutions.”
WOD: What is the industry doing right now to positively impact the careers of women? And what can the industry do better?
FHS: “WOD! This is the kind of initiatives that really make a difference in the industry, on one hand supporting women worldwide and on the other hand connecting them!”