Collaboration is easy to talk about. Harder to describe. But everyone at Hyphen has a moment – maybe small, maybe unexpected – where everything just clicked.
To mark 25 years of Hyphen in Paris and Madrid, we asked people across the business to share the best team moment they’ve had here.
The replies speak for themselves.
Collaboration that doesn’t need explaining
When you’re truly in-synch, handovers are seamless because you’re already connected and aware of what the next person needs.
“Hyphen is the third WA100 practice I have worked for, but, unlike the other two, Hyphen feels more like a smaller design practice, in a good way. The management is approachable and always interested in improving our work culture. There is a very high level of transparency and knowledge sharing between the different offices.”
Arjun Uppal, associate
Shared purpose in the moments that matter
Whether it’s a critical site visit, a tight feasibility deadline, or the fifth Teams call of the day, the way Hyphen teams show up for each other makes the difference. When Marie Mathey recalls her experience of working on different retail stores at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle, it’s not just the high pressure and the challenges of the location that stand out, but how they worked together to adapt and navigate the unexpected twists and turns:
“Collaborating effectively with team members, stakeholders, and clients is essential for success. Being open to new ideas, adjusting timelines and strategies, and embracing change has allowed us to adapt swiftly when needed.
Marie Mathey, interior designer
“What I enjoy most about these projects is the opportunity to see everyone work together towards a common goal: the construction of an entirely new building, with a lot of luxury stores.”
This approach is the reason we’ve been collaborating with SDA and our partners at GAMA Ingenierie and Concept & Structure for more than a decade.
These aren’t dramatic moments. They’re day-to-day realities. A quick sketch to clarify a design intent. A note left overnight that answers a question no one’s asked yet. A call where everyone’s already on the same page.
That’s what shared purpose feels like: quiet alignment, not loud declarations.
Knowing when to lead — and when to let go
Working in-synch doesn’t mean everyone does everything the same way. It means understanding what the goal is, and trusting others to get there with you — even if the path looks different.
Katia Souni joined us as an architectural assistant. Over time, she was supported with completing professional qualifications and trusted with more responsibility to lead projects:
“I particularly appreciate the trust that exists between us in our Paris team. It allows you to quickly prove yourself and progress internally. When I completed a project management course, I was able to deepen my skills during this training, and I now have the freedom to practice my profession in several new ways.”
Katia Souni, project manager
In Spain, Beatriz Morán Muñoz’s career shows a similar journey of empowerment, with support and trust from colleagues:
“Since joining Hyphen as an architect in 2010, I’ve been given the freedom to develop my skills and take the lead on some exciting projects. I’ve built long-lasting relationships with clients and colleagues and, together, we’ve achieved a lot!
Beatriz Morán Muñoz, associate
“I’ve enjoyed watching our team in Madrid grow and I’ve learnt a lot from working with our other offices, across Europe and Latin America.”
There’s structure. There’s a process. But often, what makes collaboration work at Hyphen is the confidence that someone will step in at the right moment — and step back when they’re not needed.
Across cities, teams, and time zones
Our way of working doesn’t stop at the edge of one office. Whether you’re based in Paris, Madrid, London or Berlin, the best collaborations happen when we leave ownership at the door and pick up the brief as one team.
Our teams often collaborate across offices when delivering projects for global clients. This year, we’ve been working with PVH for 10 years. One of our recent proud moments was delivering two Calvin Klein stores in Gretna and London, where multiple of our teams came together:
“Working with other colleagues from other countries always helps to understand different ways of approaching challenges. For Calvin Klein, we were incorporating more efficient ways of collaboration in BIM360, while dealing with urgent changes and updates, which is always a challenge. But our constant and fluid communication with each other and the client at all stages of the project was crucial for the successful delivery.”
Luis Adrán, architect
It’s a rhythm. A working culture built over years of mutual understanding and shared wins — where people anticipate needs before they’re asked, and speak up when it matters.
The same spirit. A bigger stage.
What makes Hyphen collaborative isn’t just how we’re structured or where we are geographically. It’s how we think. The way we listen. The way we back each other.
That’s what “in-synch” means — not a slogan, but a shared experience.
Happy 25th to our teams in Paris and Madrid — and to every colleague who’s made collaboration more than just a process.
