Mother's Day is an important occasion that holds special significance for women who are architects. It is a day to celebrate the contributions of mothers and their unique role in shaping the world around us.
For women architects, this day is a time to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of balancing motherhood and a demanding profession. It is a day to honour the resilience, perseverance, and creative vision of women who have overcome obstacles to pursue their passion for architecture while also raising a family.
Architecture is a field that has traditionally been male-dominated, and women architects face unique challenges in balancing the demands of their profession with the responsibilities of motherhood. Despite these challenges, many women have thrived in the field and have made significant contributions to the built environment.
Mother's Day marks an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of these women, to acknowledge the sacrifices they have made, and to inspire future generations of women architects and designers to pursue their dreams and make their mark on the world.
This year we are celebrating Mother's Day by highlighting the perspectives and insights of a handful of the mothers across our 11 studios on the challenges and rewards of being both a mother and an architect.
Jessica Liew
Principal - Melbourne
“It is extremely important to have mothers in key leadership roles within any business. It helps further shatter social barriers and inspires younger professionals working in architecture and design to see that being a parent and principal/director is possible.
”I am now the mother of two beautiful sons. My life has become more of a juggling act than a balancing act but I have found it is often its about picking your priorities at different moments of the day.
“I make sure that in both my work life and home life I start from a foundation of patience and encouragement.
“Whether you’re decided to focus more on parenting or your career, stick to your decision and be happy with your decision because you will find balance when its coming from a place of happiness.”
Rebecca Wright
Principal - Brisbane
“We face numerous challenges due to the demanding nature of the profession and societal expectations. The architectural field often requires long hours, leaving little time for family and self-care.
“Balancing these demands of motherhood and projects becomes overwhelming resulting in sensory overload. The constant buzz of emails, deadlines and business demands on top of the life admin, juggling family and household activities leaves little opportunity to disconnect and shut off.
“The pressure to excel in both roles can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Together we must support each other and recognise when those may need help.
“We must provide support systems that allow for work life balance and mental well-being .We must go back to our roots and as a village raise and teach our future generations.”
Ivona Golubovic
Associate - Melbourne
“Working women have had to deal with this dilemma for decades now, when is a reasonable time to pull the break on one’s career to welcome motherhood, whilst taking into consideration their biological clocks, partner availability, financial stability, family support etc… That alignment, for many unfortunately may not happen naturally.
“Support, encouragement and flexibility of one’s employerbecomes an integral component on this critical path.
“We all differ in our parenting styles, circumstances under which we are bringing our children up, career expectations.
“There are no golden rules, but it is important to be patient and forgiving of yourself as well as the little ones. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a recital, an odd basketball training or last day of school. It’s far more important to be present, to embrace and remember the experience.”
Kim Ling
Associate - Perth
“There has always been that struggle between returning to work (and at what capacity) after becoming a mum and the right balance of both.
“It is essentially having two jobs, with one being 24/7, unpaid and without leave–both high pressure. Plus has allowed me to return part-time with flexible arrangements and I think that has really helped with alleviating the guilt of not being to juggle both jobs and doing a terrible job at both.
“My advice to a mother, designer or architect right now is to find a studio who shares the same values and understands the importance of providing flexibility whilst still allowing for opportunities of growth.”
Candice Ng
Principal - Melbourne
“It can be difficult to run large complex projects whilst in the office and then having to switch your mind to something as simple as what your kids need to eat for dinner tonight.
“Flexibility is important, but also – having the ability to test and reassess what works for you and not feeling guilty when your priorities change.
“It takes a village to raise kids, and having a strong support system makes all the difference. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Do what feels right for you and don’t feel guilty about it. Own it.”
Shannon Winsor
Senior Project Architect - Melbourne
“There’s a little-spoken ‘belief’ that choosing to become a mother in architecture means that your career takes a back seat and that you stall your progress for a substantial amount of time.
“But I believe this is not the mother’s doing, rather, the viewpoint of the industry and leaders that see a woman come back to work after parental leave and seem to think she’s lost her skills.
“At Plus, I see the opposite – the mums here come back firing on more cylinders than ever - we have pent up our creative energy, and we’re even better at multitasking now. Plus recognises this and gives women the opportunity to amplify this energy in a flexible way.”
Elke Vermeulen
Associate - New Zealand
“In so many ways as an architect life is so much easier now, women are thriving and accepted in our profession, there are new technologies and materials in the industry that can make our lives as architects much easier.
“However, on the other hand we have had to battle lockdowns, material and labour shortages and the whole world coming to a standstill. The challenges we face and how we decide to tackle them will forge the way forward for our profession.
“Every generation will have its own challenges and successes within our ever-evolving society and the architect will always play a central role.”
Chrisney Formosa
Principal - Brisbane
“I believe the role of the woman and in fact the role of the modern parent, mother or father, has changed so much over the past decade.
“Being able to balance the juggles and stresses of parenthood whilst performing and pushing forward in a career (particularly one as demanding as Architecture) is hard for any parents.
“I know at Plus we strive to create a workplace which supports all of our staff not just parents find that balance between the obligations of life and our careers.”