Designing Belonging: Gardens as Living Poems with Zain Masud

What does it mean to build beauty with purpose?
In this episode of Forward_Moves, host Raja Haddad is joined by Zain Masud, a London-trained art world professional turned landscape designer, who is reshaping how we experience space, memory, and nature in the Middle East.

🎙️ In this episode, we explore:
- Zain’s journey from the global art scene to land-based design in the Arab world
- Why she views nature as storytelling—and gardens as living archives
- How beauty, emotion, and identity are layered into space
- Designing spaces that heal, include, and speak to a deeper sense of belonging
- Letting go of perfection and trusting the process of reinvention

Zain’s gardens are not just visual—they’re emotional, ancestral, and bold in their quiet defiance.

🌱 This is an episode about starting over, looking inward, and designing spaces that feel like home.

👉 Watch the full episode now on YouTube, or tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. 


Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves/ 
X: https://x.com/forward_moovz 
Lina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lina_movements/ 
Raja’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj/ 

Follow Zain: https://www.instagram.com/zainmasud/?hl=en 
Follow Zain’s Studio: https://www.instagram.com/studiozainmasud/ 


Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Song Choice
00:19 Personal Connection to The Beatles
01:17 Life Advice and Personal Growth
02:22 Welcome to the Show
02:40 Guest Introduction: Zain Maud
04:13 Early Influences and Love for Nature
08:52 Career Transition and New Beginnings
18:14 The Art of Garden Making
28:27 Exploring the Urgency of Climate Change
29:32 The Invitation to Learn and Discover
30:37 Earliest Memories of Gardens
33:10 Navigating Career Challenges
37:06 Creating Poetic Spaces
41:04 Sources of Inspiration
50:13 Imagining the Inner Garden
53:25 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections