the feminine touch


The Serpentine Paviliion designed by Kazuyo Sejima


The feminine touch


How female architects are leading the way in architecture the world over Interview by Jade Tilley


Female architects are responsible for some of the greatest structures in the world. From Zaha Hadid and her award-winning MAXXI Museum in Rome to Kazuyo Sejima for her Serpentine pavilion creation that perfectly blends architecture with nature, women have carved a name for themselves in the stony face of professional architecture, but, it wasn’t always like this and even now, women represent only a small number of architects in the world.


T


The idea that women are treated differently in business intrigues me as so many of our wonderful buildings and


26 Architects Choice


design concepts have come from female-led practices. Do they, as professionals feel differentiated from the rest of the architectural world? What is it like to be a top architect in what is more typically seen as a male dominated environment and, mostly importantly, what do they think of architecture today? Architects Choice decided to search for the


answers. Tanja Smith, an Associate Architectural Technologist with GRADONARCHITECTURE and Barbara Weiss, Director of Barbara Weiss Architects stepped up to the plate to reveal what it’s like being a woman in the world of structural design.


Q


What made you want to be an architect?


Barbara Weiss: I was born and raised in Italy and during my childhood I was very affected by seeing so many beautiful buildings in a sad state of neglect. I first thought of studying architecture when I found out that this was required in order to specialise in conservation and restauration of old buildings. I subsequently became fascinated with the creative opportunities offered by design of new buildings and refurbishment.


Tanja Smith: Architecture kind of crept up on me. I attended an open day at my university in


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