Sumayyah Shaikh

BAS, MLA

Sumayyah joined the team in March 2019. She graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2017 with a Masters in Landscape Architecture. Her final dissertation project, titled Tactile Textile, was focused on materiality and was inspired by Textile Design. The project explored the act of Textile Design and manipulation and its prospective relationship with Landscape Architecture. The project aimed to revive the City of Cape Town’s blue-green network through the introduction of play and biodiversity. While studying she had the opportunity to participate in building a water platform in the informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu.

Sumayyah was previously employed at a passive and low-energy design company in South Africa as an Architecture Intern. During this time she worked closely with the Green Building Council of South Africa, utilising their building rating tools and earning her qualification as a GBCSA Accredited professional.

Since joining Allen Pyke, Sumayyah has had the opportunity to work in both the Cambridge and Kingston offices on a number of different projects, with the senior members of the team. She is now based in Kingston. Apart from her technical work she has also taken on the role of Mental Health First Aider and looks after staff’s wellbeing.

Sumayyah has passed her professional practice exam in July 2025 and is now a fully fledged Chartered Landscape Architect!

In her spare time Sumayyah enjoys travelling and making leather bags.