What is your current title for work?

Architect & Director at Chow:Hill

How many years have you been in the construction industry:

18 years

When did you decide working in construction was the thing you wanted to do:

It’s a little hard for me to decipher if it was a clear decision or a process of careful and creative brainwashing: my Dad is an architect. Now retired he was the founder and former Director of Chow:Hill, and built the practice from three staff in 1992 to the two Studios and 60+ staff that it is today, and inspired me in the process.

In addition, the desire to be involved in a profession in which you ‘design and make stuff’ has been a key personal driver for my career to-date and is what keeps me inspired and energised in architecture and construction. 

What are you most passionate about?

The opportunity and the impact of design and the design process.

The opportunity to work alongside clients, communities, consultants, and colleagues in the process of creative problem solving. Engaging with a broad range of perspectives, needs and challenges and helping transform a project from blank sheet of paper and a glimmer of an idea into a built reality with meaningful positive impact.

Design and construction can be a very challenging and a long process but looking back at the completion of a project and seeing the transformational change the team has achieved is such a rewarding feeling at any scale and keeps you coming back!

Why did you join NAWIC?

A successful and sustainable construction industry both locally and nationally relies on a collaborative approach, open minded and positive partnerships, as well as a diversity of skill and perspective. I was therefore keen to support and be part of an organisation that actively promotes all of these aspects.

What would you like to see for the future of women in construction?

An industry in which ‘being a woman in Construction’ is no longer seen as a thing due to the overall diversity of the sector as a whole.

The precursor to this being a clearer range of pathways into the industry for students. This requires greater visibility of the career options and opportunities available and the variety of ways you can enter and develop in the construction sector. NAWIC can be pivotal in providing that visibility and showing that the construction sector is both exciting and rewarding.

Words of wisdom or tips for women at the start of or considering a career in construction:

I’m not sure I’d define it as wisdom, but I have a favourite quote by a ‘notable American Architect’ which I believe can be applied across the design and construction sector as a whole...

Architecture is not created by individuals

The genius sketch is a myth

Architecture is made by a team of committed people working together

and in fact, success has more to do with dumb determination than with genius.

....my takeaway from the above has been that teamwork, collaboration (an overused word but an important one) and fostering positive long-term relationships is everything in this industry.

You can’t turn ‘a blank sheet of paper into a building’ without close teamwork and continual collaboration. .

Keeping this front of mind and placing value in the relationships and connections you build in your career is as important as all the technical stuff!.

What is your favourite thing to do for fun:

Being in the outdoors and exploring NZ - mountain biking, hiking or just sitting still and enjoying the view!