This year marks 110 years since the International Women’s Day was first commemorated and legions of women have become inspiration to, and influenced, generations of women architects and the built environment professionals. In the same way, women today are continuing to inspire and mentor a future generation of leaders. Here, we ask five women leaders from a cross section of the built environment professions about who they are inspired by and what qualities or skills do hope to develop in those they lead.
Christina Cho, director of Cox Architcture
“The diversity of women I look to for inspiration defines who I am and my leadership practice. Just as I do in the process of creating architecture, I look to a spectrum of disciplines to be informed and inspired. These are women who have moved beyond stereotypes such as, South Korean politician Kang Kyung Hwa – former Minister for Foreign Affairs, and United Nations High Commissioner for Humans Rights; more directly, Eloise Atkinson, architect and independent chair of Brisbane Housing Company; and Kelly Greenop, an advocate for social housing and Indigenous cultures, and a academic at the University of Queensland.
“Women have an enormous capacity for empathy. These women I admire are in powerful positions to influence and bring about change, and they do their work with emotional intelligence and consideration. Their work goes beyond themselves and they do it with a sense of generosity and their acts of everyday service benefits the greater community.
“One of my main endeavours in the studio, is to make myself accessible. I take great responsibility in my role as director to advocate and champion emerging talent and the greater team.
“I attempt to demonstrate what I believe are important qualities, through an open-minded and flexible way of practice. We should work for a greater purpose; we should bring optimism to all creative challenges; believe in our creative endeavour as a core strength to bring value to community; be energizing for the team; ask for advice, and feedback and don’t be afraid to be judged and receive criticism. Most importantly, positive outcomes are inevitable when you embrace diversity and equality.”
Nicky Drobis, director of Fender Katsalidis.
Nicky Drobis, director of Fender Katsalidis
“Great women leaders like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Zaha Hadid and Melbourne’s own Elizabeth Alexander have been inspirations to me and have shown that open and considered communication is fundamental to effective leadership, as is being clear and respectful.
“When developing young women and men into effective future leaders, a terrific starting point for defining one’s career is to assess what is most meaningful to them and what their true sense of purpose is. It’s a rather philosophical question, but even if there are elements to distil, this can help direct them towards what they really want to achieve – and hopefully it’s something they enjoy.
“When you’re working in collaborative environments like ours it’s important to feel confident in your voice, your ability and your creativity. Architecture and design, like many businesses, present many challenges and rewards throughout our career journey.
“To be prepared for the constant ebb and flow of work life, and potentially family life, a level of resilience is essential. Part of having good resolve is not taking things too seriously. That’s also where positivity comes into play, reminding ourselves that there is always a solution to whatever we encounter.”
Jocelyn Chiew, director city design of City of Melbourne.
Image: Ross Coulter
Jocelyn Chiew, director city design of City of Melbourne
“Mum was an early influence and it is to her that I owe an initial awareness of, and curiosity with the world. After emigrating from Borneo via the UK to Australia, Mum worked as a clinical nurse specialist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Her leadership style is one of inclusion, resourcefulness and empathy – traits which I continue to admire and aspire to.
“I’m inspired by people with vision, who communicate through narratives that are rich, surprising and compelling, and whose work is contributory to the broader discourses and/or communities of which they are a part.
“In recent years, I’ve been fortunate to work with and observe intellectual powerhouses in Margaret Gardner AC, Renaye Peters, Naomi Stead, Maudie Palmer AO, Justine Clark, Shelley Penn and Charlotte Day. I admire their steadfast and inclusive approaches to leadership.
In the context of #choosetochallenge [the theme for IWD 2021], I am continually inspired by the growing cohort of women leaders in Melbourne who are redefining the practice of architecture in ways that are more equitable – offering flexible work, defined pathways to ownership and placing caps on overtime for their staff (complemented by realistic timeframes for projects) as well as verifiable environmental performance targets.”
“Architects are well versed at communicating their ideas to mentors and peers, having long practised this art form as a part of their training. However, decisions on project funding and design often hinge on effective communications with a broad range of stakeholders including decision makers, clients and authorities who may have varying degrees of design literacy.
“Anticipating the concerns and priorities of each stakeholder group and communicating how the project proposal or design proactively responds to various, sometimes competing concerns and requirements, is key to a project’s viability and/or success. Bringing stakeholders along on a journey is an acquired skill and this needs to be considered an essential part of the architect’s toolkit.”
Polly Harbison, principal of Polly Harbison Design
Polly Harbison, principal of Polly Harbison Design
“I was fortunate to work with Helen Tribe, who coached me at a critical time in my career, when I was transitioning from working for others to establishing my own practice. A woman of such warmth, empathy and charisma – as well as incredibly intelligent and at the top of her professional game.
“She embodied the idea that strength, determination and success can coexist happily with empathy and kindness – dispelling the myth that strength of leadership requires toughness or dominance. She taught me that the best leaders are the best listeners.
“Everyone who has worked for me has been both smarter and better at what they do than I am. That’s why I have employed them! The best way to keep improving professionally is to keep learning. Working with talented people, who know their own unique expertise, and who are willing to both absorb and share knowledge, to my simple way thinking, is the most effective team.
“We have a laugh, and all ideas – good, bad and sometimes a bit crazy – are welcome. I love it when people have a go – see something can be better and fix it. In fostering a spirit of couragement, it’s important to be supportive of failure. Rather than wasting energy on blame, no fear of failure means problems are flushed out early with focus always on the remedy.
“My first employee – Jennifer Macmaster, had a clear goal when she started – to gain experience in order to establish her own practice. It is fantastic to see her firm Trias go from strength to strength.”
Iva Foschia, founder and principal of IF Architecture
Iva Foschia, founder and principal of IF Architecture
“On a broad scale, I am consistently inspired by the women who are ambitiously pursuing their passions whether that be in the field of design, science or motherhood. They are the women that you read about in the newspaper, newsletters, Instagram and hear about through your network of colleagues and friends. I don’t want to single out any woman or women in particular because today I want to celebrate us all.
“As a toolkit, I believe the qualities of honesty, empathy, compassion, venerability and fearlessness will help you navigate any difficult and/or challenging situation in life.”
