Across the world today, women’s achievements are being celebrated. To highlight the ‘Press for Progress’ campaign we asked the women in the practice what led them to pursue their career within the industry.

Georgina Bignold, Associate Director 

I became an architect as the surroundings I am in have a deep affect on me and I wanted to be involved in changing the built environment in a positive way. Buildings and places have a long term impact on everyone who comes into contact with them and an emphasis on quality is key at every level, from making a place, down to the materials and detailing. This is the reason I have stayed at Proctor and Matthews for 18 years. Major projects in my career have been about regeneration or creating new communities, with an emphasis on design quality for everyone. From a new quarter of London at Greenwich Millennium Village that pioneered sustainability, accelerated construction and mixed tenure; to Abode, Great Kneighton, that created a sense of place based on the history of the locality, embedded in the arrangement of a range of typologies right down to the detailing. I look forward to our designs being realised for Thamesmead.

Catherine Tucknutt, Architect

For me, one of the best things about the architectural profession is the diversity and creativity of my colleagues. I like the teamwork aspect of being an architect, the opportunity to collaborate with designers, researchers and consultants, all with so many different expertise. Through drawing and dialogue, we challenge one another, discuss design and develop beautiful buildings. The built environment around us, has always been a passion and interest shared not just by architects, but by anyone who finds themselves living, working or travelling in the city. I find this common language a great inspiration to ‘press for progress’ in encouraging and sharing everyone’s experiences, further developing and enriching our work. This campaign and the recognition and support it brings to equality issues is incredible important.

Samantha Algret, Architectural Assistant

I am so lucky that my first job in architecture has been with Proctor and Matthews Architects; the office has a balanced female to male ratio which I am told is, unfortunately, not that common in many practices. Here I have worked with some inspiring female architects on the Thamesmead project, and I feel this has given me a lot of confidence and has taught me countless things. I am fortunate enough to have had female role models at university too. I was part of a studio group with five female tutors, and I will never forget it because it seemed like such a rare occurrence in an architecture school. It would be normal to have an all-male group of tutors. I am currently applying for Masters courses at university in order to progress onto my part II, and I am hoping for similar representation. I feel the industry is becoming more aware and less accepting of the imbalances of gender and race. But there is still a long way to go in all professions, particularly at higher levels.

Regina Kertapati, Architect

At the time I graduated from architecture school and entered the profession, I was quite conscious of the industry being male dominated and gender imbalanced. As I tried to find my feet and understand what kind of architect I wanted to mould myself to be, I sought inspiration from other more experienced female architects whom I worked closely alongside. The common attributes my female role models have that I believe contribute to their success are patience, persistence, courage, sincerity, self-confidence, kindness and last but not least, a good sense of humour. As an architect I believe it is important that I do my best to help make the built-environment industry a more equitable working environment not only for women, but people of different ethnicities, class and LGBT backgrounds.

Monica Baia, Studio Coordinator

Choosing philosophy as a career, and aiming for knowledge as your goal, means to embark in an interdisciplinary journey where your inspiration comes from multiple places, people and disciplines. Soon you learn that limits and borders are relative, and you move them around, displacing and replacing ideas and concepts, in order to have a new understanding of reality. When I moved to London, from Porto, I was awed with the dimension of this city. I still ask many times: “How does this work? How do we manage to get some order out of this chaos?” That’s when I decided to approach and work in an architecture practice. I believe that understanding the complex systems of these contemporary urban spaces - how they evolved since ancient times until they become the mega-structures that they are today - helps to comprehend what it means to being human, our potentialities, and our enterprise(s). Some of my “teachers” were Hannah Arendt (The Human Condition), Julia Kristeva (Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection), and Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex). They taught the meaning of 'Strangeness' and 'otherness'. I am now involved in two very exciting Projects: Ebbsfleet and Almshouses (this last one in collaboration with Anglia Ruskin University).

Annabel Quigley, Communications Manager

I think I first developed an interest in architecture when I moved to London to study Graphic Design at the London College of Communication. I spent the first few weeks exploring the different neighbourhoods and villages of my new home, becoming aware of how the built environment shaped the way I perceived the character and personality of the city. At Proctor and Matthews many of the projects involve creating new neighbourhoods with a strong sense of place and identity and since joining the practice I have become more aware of how architecture can shape people’s lives and the ways in which they connect with their surroundings. Seeing so many women succeed within the practice gives me the confidence to continue to pursue my career within the industry. I'm proud to support the ‘Press for Progress’ campaign for International Women’s Day to push for full gender equality and for women to be represented in equal number in the workplace.

Noelia Portugal, Architect

I started my career in architecture without really knowing what was expected from me, with no inspiration figure. I have learnt to love my profession with passion, to draw people’s dreams and play with their space. From aiming to provoke a feeling and an experience I learn from everybody, everywhere and each job. As a woman, mother and professional sometimes it is not easy to find the right balance amongst all these feelings and I try to find motivation in great women from throughout history and across all fields. They are my daily inspiration.

Parniyan Salari, Architectural Assistant

Architecture is a lifestyle, we start and end each day interacting with the city. The streets that we walk through, the local shops, our favourite gathering spots and the place we call home, all have their own unique characteristic which reflect our personality. To be an architect is to know much more than how to draw or choosing materials. Architecture is the practice of psychology; it is an art which is successful in its practicality of considering people’s presence and spirit in spaces. Buildings portray the architect’s character through their form and shape. While a lot of architecture is full of roaring egos, Kazuyo Sejima’s silky buildings slip gently into a city street or a rural landscape with an ambiguate presence and blurred boundaries in the solid layer of spaces which are soul stirring. I have started my journey by working on a wide range of projects at Proctor and Matthews Architects. From expanding the existing neighbourhood of Tweedbank to provide new homes, jobs and workspaces; to private cottages and assembly drawings for exhibitions. In the steps of becoming an architect, I would like to have an agenda for the community and experiment in ways which my architecture will have a genuine impact on how the societies operate, rather than it being reserved for a white walled gallery.

Constanze Leibrock, Associate

I have always been inspired by the close link our work has to the way people live their lives and interact with their surroundings. Every architectural project is different and has to consider its specific physical and historical context and respond to the ever changing challenges and opportunities of our social, political, and economic environment. Good design not only shapes the spaces people inhabit but can encourage communities to develop and thrive. I feel very fortunate to be part of such an exciting and inspiring profession and to be able to learn something new every day.