{"id":329806,"date":"2026-03-14T19:53:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T19:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/329806\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T19:53:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T19:53:37","slug":"women-reshaping-aotearoas-spaces-and-design-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/329806\/","title":{"rendered":"Women reshaping Aotearoa\u2019s spaces and design culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Phaedra Applin, Head of Architecture at WSP<\/a>, trained in the UK and has worked across Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Pacific before settling in Aotearoa. Her career spans the most visible shift in the profession. \u201cWhen I qualified as an architect about 30 years ago, only 2 per cent of architects were women,\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

Te K\u0101hui Whaihanga The New Zealand Institute of Architects<\/a>\u2019 own membership data shows much has changed since then. By 2025, just over 42 per cent of members identified as women. While there\u2019s still some distance to go to improve retention and career progression,\u00a0Phaedra\u00a0is positive about what she\u2019s\u00a0seeing.<\/p>\n

What has changed, and why it\u00a0matters<\/p>\n

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Phaedra Applin, Head of Architecture at WSP.\u00a0Image:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Supplied<\/p>\n

Phaedra was drawn to a career in architecture from the start. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to be an architect. It combines something creative with something very practical. It\u2019s a way to influence the built environment and the world we live in,\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

However, she describes her early career in architecture as defined by long, unsociable hours and work patterns that were treated as non-negotiable. In her view, the biggest change has been flexibility and the normalisation of different working arrangements. Career breaks are now more accepted. Flexible schedules are more common. Technology enables people to step away from work to fulfil their other day-to-day life obligations and log back in later.\u00a0Phaedra\u00a0has also seen a shift in expectations around caregiving, with more men taking parental leave and childcare being shared. For the profession, it is a practical evolution, and it benefits\u00a0everyone.<\/p>\n

Construction culture has shifted too.\u00a0Phaedra remembers building sites as places that could feel intimidating, even down to basics like gear that simply did not fit. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t even get site boots in your size,\u201d she says. More recently, she has been on projects where many women are present across contractor teams, transforming the environment from the work boots\u00a0up.<\/p>\n

This is something Charlotte Dunning<\/a>, an emerging Architectural Graduate at\u00a0Warren and Mahoney<\/a> progressing towards registration, has seen from the start. Working in multi-residential design, her early career experience has been defined by supportive\u00a0environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a job as a personal assistant to a kitchen designer and manufacturer in Auckland, working myself up and becoming the design assistant, creating high-end residential cabinetry. That was really fantastic. But then I realised, not only did I want to design the kitchen, I wanted to design the whole house,\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

The mentorship she received from fellow women in the profession on graduation gave her the courage to keep going despite early fears, especially as someone who has struggled with dyslexia.\u00a0Charlotte says accessible leadership, day-to-day peer support, and professional networks such as NZIA that help young practitioners build confidence and capability over time have made her experience of the profession an incredibly positive and inclusive one. In her view, those ecosystems matter because \u201carchitecture is not a solo sport\u201d and collaboration within the industry is imperative for great\u00a0outcomes.<\/p>\n

This greater inclusiveness isn\u2019t limited to architecture practices themselves, but has flowed through to the way the profession in New Zealand approaches\u00a0design.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can definitely see that cultural awareness has really changed \u2014 people are really thinking about that now,\u201d\u00a0Phaedra says. \u201cPeople notice what their own lives have taught them to notice, whether that is accessibility requirements within a family, or what makes a home workable across\u00a0generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has seen accessibility and safety \u2014 not just in buildings, but in the spaces between them \u2014 move from discretionary parts of a design to core aspects. She believes this is where diverse perspectives have significantly influenced design policy and practice, as more people from different genders, backgrounds and experiences have entered the profession and shaped standard thinking. She points to the way consenting processes now demand stronger rigour around accessibility, and to the growing emphasis on safety-led planning and\u00a0design.<\/p>\n

Within her own team, she has encouraged training that increases the emphasis on safer environments, including CPTED approaches that put everyday safety into the design conversation earlier. This is not about designing for a single type of user, but about recognising that features that improve accessibility often improve the experience for\u00a0everyone.<\/p>\n

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Charlotte Dunning, Architectural Graduate at Warren and Mahoney.\u00a0Image:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Supplied<\/p>\n

Charlotte\u2019s perspective is grounded in the daily realities of multi-unit housing, where small decisions have a big impact on liveability and outcomes. It starts with the simplest question: who is this building actually for? \u201cIt\u2019s less of an abstract concept and more of a day-to-day operational one. For example, where is someone going to park the pram?\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

In high-density housing with little space to spare, the answer affects not only things like storage or flow through a home, but whether people can stay in it as their needs change. Both women agree that diverse perspectives strengthen the whole built environment, something reflected in efforts by BCITO and others to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented communities in the building and construction\u00a0trades.<\/p>\n

What does the future look like for women in architecture and how can the profession attract and retain even more female\u00a0members?<\/p>\n

Phaedra\u00a0is supportive of The Diversity Agenda<\/a>, a joint initiative with NZIA,\u00a0Engineering New Zealand<\/a> and\u00a0ACE New Zealand<\/a> that aims to foster more diverse and inclusive engineering and architecture workplaces. Through its Accord, business leaders commit to practical action, including addressing pay equity, removing barriers and taking a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and\u00a0bullying.<\/p>\n

While she notes that more than half of university students studying architecture and design are now women,\u00a0Phaedra says the profession also needs structures that keep talent in practice long enough to become leaders and mentors. \u201cIn terms of registered architects, it\u2019s still only at about 30 per cent. And so it is that sort of transition piece. For me, role modelling and mentorship are critical to that progression, especially for people who might feel isolated or uncertain about their pathway,\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

Charlotte\u00a0is also in favour of mentorship, having stepped up as co-leader of the NZIA Auckland Emerge group. She believes the most effective professional development happens through networks and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. She belongs to study groups and professional communities like\u00a0Architecture + Women<\/a> that help demystify registration and strengthen the talent\u00a0pipeline.<\/p>\n

Phaedra\u00a0has no regrets about choosing architecture as a career, and is keen to encourage more women to join. \u201cI think that we have got that ability now to have that seat at the table and be involved in creating these very inclusive environments is really fantastic.\u00a0I strongly encourage women to pursue a career in architecture. Being able to create enduring and inclusive environments is incredibly rewarding\u201d she\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

In celebration of International Women\u2019s Day<\/a>, which was on Sunday 8th March, ArchitectureNow has put together a selection of some standout collaborations, stories and news from women in design over the years.\u00a0See the selection here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n


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