Selma and Salwa Mikou are sisters and architects based in Paris. In 2005, they founded Mikou Architecture, a Franco-Moroccan studio that works at the intersection of architecture, cultural narratives, and materials research. They have collaborated with prominent architects such as Renzo Piano and Jean Nouvel.
Their work is structured around what they call an "Atlas of Resonance," a way of interpreting territories through their hidden layers: memory, geology, local histories, and artisanal traditions. From this perspective, architecture becomes a spatial and narrative device capable of revealing the latent resonances of a place. They are particularly interested in how construction itself can become a form of writing, a way of articulating relationships, revealing latent structures, and connecting with the cultural depth of a site.
Their work has been recognized with numerous awards and invitations to prestigious international competitions. It has been featured in various media outlets, including ARTE's Metropolis program and a monograph published by Quart Verlag.
Their recent projects include a mixed-use complex along the Garonne River in Bordeaux, conceived as a permeable urban composition; a cultural and business campus in Casablanca, integrated into repurposed industrial buildings; and a museum park in Normandy for a private collector.
They have taught both in France and abroad, including at the Architectural Association in London.
Salwa Mikou. Architect, Associate of Mikou Design Studio since 2005. She collaborated for 5 years, from 2001 to 2005, with Jean Nouvel on many international projects. From offices to housing in Beirut, Seoul and Paris to urban projects in Doha, Valencia or Rabat. She also takes part in a leisure complex in Kuwait City, a park in Barcelona, and an urban project for the Tanger harbour.
2012 MICQ consultant since January 2012
2011 Selected for the Europe 40 under 40 of 2011
2009 Training at IHEDATE, Institute of Advanced development studies and regional planning in Europe
2004 Further Education in Sustainable Development, Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne
2005 Creation of Mikou Design Studio
2001-2005 Project Manager at Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Paris
2001 Diploma in Urbanism, School of Architecture, Paris la Villette
2000 DPLG diploma, School of Architecture, Paris-Belleville
Selma Mikou. Architect, Associate of Mikou Design Studio since 2005. She collaborates for 4 years, from 2001 to 2004, with Renzo Piano on plenty of international projects such as offices and housing in London, urban projects in Abu Dhabi, the LACMA Museum in Los Angeles and the London Bridge Tower.
2011 Selected for the Europe 40 under 40 of 2011
2005 Creation of Mikou Design Studio
2001-2005 Project Manager at Renzo Piano
2001 Diploma in Urbanism, School of Architecture, Paris la Villette
2000 DPLG diploma, School of Architecture, Paris-Belleville
