Assael announces leadership promotions
We’re delighted to share a series of significant senior promotions that reflect continued impact and leadership across the practice and the contributions of some key members of our team.
Emily Newton and Ed Sharland have been promoted to Directors, and join the Management Board, recognising their leadership, commitment and impact they’ve shown over many years. Their new roles mark an important step in the continued evolution of the business.
We’re also proud to announce the promotion of Amye Stead and Kathlyn Atienza to Associate, and Abi Selvanathan and James Gillis to Senior Architect – a well-deserved recognition of their ongoing contribution to the practice.
Ed’s journey at Assael, from Architectural Assistant in 2012 to Director, has seen him cover a variety of projects across all RIBA stages. Initially focused on implementation, Ed has brought this experience leading planning teams and bringing a deep-rooted passion for design that works practically and beautifully. A leading voice in the co-living movement, Ed has helped shape award-winning projects like Sunday Mills and Florence Dock and contributed to raising awareness of co-living through his involvement in campaigns, forums and the formation of design standards and local authority guidance. His more recent work includes John Lewis Partnership’s Build to Rent community in Bromley, London to inventive reuse projects in Chiswick and Sutton, and new build schemes in Luton and Brent Cross. His appointment to Director marks an exciting new chapter for Assael and a bold step toward its future.
Emily joined Assael in 2011, and since then has made a lasting impact on the practice through her design leadership and has played a key role in elevating the studio’s focus on design quality, resulting in numerous award-winning schemes such as Leaside Lock and Sunday Mills. Emily oversees a broad range of projects in the UK and internationally, varying in scale, context, and complexity. She is passionate about delivering thoughtful, contextual architecture and promotes consistency and clarity across all projects. She also sits on the Wandsworth Design Review Panel and contributes to wider design discourse. A champion of continual improvement, she is involved in R&D initiatives exploring the future of the living sector and is a committed mentor and advocate for women in architecture. Her promotion to Director reflects her significant contribution to the practice – both in her leadership and her long-standing commitment to design excellence. We are delighted to see her step into this new role.
Since joining Assael in 2018 and qualifying in 2020, Amye has become an integral part of the planning team. She has led key, complex projects including the planning of High Street Woking development which will provide 329 co-living studios, and the recently consented Plot 23 which is part of the Brent Cross Town masterplan by Related Argent, which will deliver 352 co-living studios with thoughtfully integrated amenity spaces throughout. Alongside her project work, Amye has chaired our Giving Something Back committee for the past 5 years, leading charity initiatives and community events at Assael. Her promotion to Associate is a well-earned recognition of her dedication, expertise and design leadership, as well as the valuable contributions she brings to both our projects and practice culture.
Kathlyn joined Assael in 2023 as an experienced senior architect with a broad portfolio spanning all RIBA stages. Since then, she has played a key role in the ongoing delivery of major developments – most notably a Castle Street community in Luton, which will provide 414 Build to Rent homes. She has also assisted in the implementation of Walthamstow Mall and on the tender process for the Plot 23 Brent Cross Town masterplan. She recently completed her RIBA Building Regulations and CDM Principal Designer Course and providing Building Regulations Principal Designer services, reinforcing her commitment to Assael’s technical delivery. Kathlyn’s technical expertise and leadership in project delivery make her promotion to Associate a well-deserved and natural next step.
Abi joined Assael in 2020 and qualified as an architect in 2022. Since then, she has been an integral part of both the planning and implementation teams, contributing to major schemes such as Peninsula Gardens in Greenwich, which will provide 1,300 homes. She has also worked on the implementation of 479 Build to Rent homes above the new Nine Elms underground station, as well as Springfield Village in Wandsworth – delivering 253 houses and apartments across the final four plots of the wider Springfield Hospital masterplan. Abi’s promotion to Senior Architect recognises her technical skill and growing leadership within the team and we are excited to see her thrive in this role.
James joined Assael as a student in 2021 and became a chartered architect in 2023. Since then, he has supported a variety of planning and feasibility studies, including the redevelopment of a former bakery site in Twickenham into a residential community. He also contributed to Chiswick Green, which delivered 137 new homes and 9,000 sq ft of retail space, revitalising a key part of Chiswick High Road. Most recently, James has taken a leadership role in the High Street Woking project, which will deliver 329 co-living studios and regenerate a key part of the town centre. His technical strength and growing leadership make his promotion to Senior Architect a well-earned milestone.
Well done and congratulations to Ed, Emily, Amye, Kathlyn, Abi and James on your well-deserved promotions – we look forward to your continued success at Assael.