FUTURARC INTERVIEW
I feel I get more respect as a female, from both clients and contractors.
3
HB: I’m curious, as the founding partner of a company with a male co-founder, do you feel that you and Ying Chao have different experiences as leaders, or that different things are expected of you? CHC: Leadership is a kind of service; you have to serve your colleagues. We complement each other; so, when he is working one way, I have to work another way, to prevent us being single-minded. Interchanging design decisions this way is a more democratic method for creation. When I think too far away, my partner will pull me back and tell me “Don’t think, just do”. I do think we have different experiences as leaders. I feel I get more respect as a female, from both clients and contractors. When I go to the site, the contractor will agree with me without quarrelling or fighting. Maybe I should ask Ying Chao what he thinks. Most people don’t ask Ying Chao about this!
HB: As well as running your practice, you also teach. From your perspective as a teacher and a practitioner, do you feel architectural education prepares students to enter the profession? CHC: I enjoy teaching—it’s a relaxing break from the office. I don’t see the need to teach them how to enter the profession. Practising architects have to educate their own employees. It’s about inspiring them to think as a designer. The students have very fresh concepts and ideas, and I teach them how to communicate their ideas. It’s important to inspire students in their thinking. I always think that in order to change the world, we should teach engineers the way we teach students in architecture. Architecture is about the way you integrate everything, the way you solve challenges creatively. Engineers need to be inspired this way, otherwise we will have a lot of ugly stuff. Not all my students go into architecture— some students don’t do any architectural design after they graduate. A lot of fields need creative people, and architectural school produces them.
HB: So, you’re saying it’s more important to nurture their creativity and keep their minds open before they enter the profession? CHC: Yes, especially these days you need to have more interdisciplinary work between different fields, to inspire each other.
HB: There is a lot of data showing that while women outnumber men in architecture schools and in the early years of the profession, their numbers dwindle after the first five to 10 years as they shift to other industries, or leave larger companies to start their own practices. As both a teacher and the leader of a company, is this a trend you have observed? If so, how do you feel it should be addressed? CHC: The most outstanding students in my class are always female. They are very passionate; they work hard and make a lot of effort. I don’t think they leave the architecture profession; I think they switch to other professions. There are too many choices—too many other professions attract them. Buildings are dull because it takes at least six years to see a building built. If you do a product like a car or furniture, it can be done in a couple of months. I do think the architecture profession needs women, though. I encourage women to stay in this profession because they have the patience and persistence to finish a building, and if you do, it is very rewarding.
FUTURARC 75
3 TaiSugar Circular Village: 3D diagram of passive strategies
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