Women in architecture
We celebrate women in the fields of architecture,
design, engineering and related fields, with a special focus
on the women architects for South Africa at this year’s Venice Biennale.
Leading Architecture and Design August/September 2023
Kate Otten
Threads is an installation by Kate Otten Architects and tells a visual story of Johannesburg, the city where the practice’s work as architect takes place. It is a story about how gold came to be here, the mining thereof, and the outcomes of this process, narrated by women through different weavings and readings that describe this long history. The golden thread of Johannesburg’s history started some two billion years ago when a meteorite crashed into the Earth. Gold deposits were buried in seams deep below the surface. The discovery of gold in 1886, and the gold rush that followed, led to the establishment of Johannesburg. Kate Otten Architects worked closely with two creative collectives, namely The Herd Designs and Frances vH Mohair, for the realisation of the work. Unlike a linear, patriarchal recording, this story is presented as a simultaneous intuitive reading of landscape, narrated by women through craft and making.
Sumayya Vally
Sumayya Vally of Counterspace, well known as the first South African to be invited to design the Serpentine Pavilion, featured prominently at the main exhibition. Her installation, The African Post Office, is a speculative proposal that imagines an intercontinental infrastructure of gathering. A vertical ‘post’ is the most essential element of architecture that convenes gatherings, from totems and prayer staffs to minarets and sound systems. By playing with the double meaning of ‘post’, a vertical element and communication mechanism, it takes the form of an actual office. It brings together African communities, their diaspora, and the Venetian Lagoon through rituals of musical performance, convened by various ‘posts’ from across the continent.
Huda Tayob
Huda Tayob is a South African architectural historian. She is currently a lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester. Her installation, Index of Edges, draws on the worlds of East African coastal cities to gain deep historical knowledge of living with and along seas. This project gathers sites and stories that point to coastal pasts and futures through joyful, dangerous, abundant, and difficult encounters. It has three parts: a visual index based on 16th to 19th century maps; Watery Archives with film footage from 1897 to 1941; and Watery Stories that includes research, stories and songs from 16 contributors.
Gloria Pavita
[Na Bulongo] With Soil is a material exploration of narratives that centre practices of care, repair, reclamation and repatriation through soil, a body that holds and hosts the extractive, exploitative and violent practices of the colonial and apartheid regimes, from the context of Philippi in Cape Town, South Africa, to that of Camp Mutombo in Lubumbashi, Congo (DRC). ‘Though we were scattered across the most unbearable and least arable of soils, we have started to soar.’
Tanzeem Razak
Drawing Memory into Being, by Tanzeem Razak of Lemon Pebble Architects & Urban Designers, and Nabeel Essa of Office 24-7 Architecture. This installation is about the relationship between material erasure and historical forgetting. The act of performing salah on the ground of a historic, racist, forced removal is an act of poetic protest; this resistance and reclamation forms the catalyst. It takes the form of a ghostly ruin, broken and made of fragments. It is about presencing erased and interrupted histories. A fading, photocopied image is inspiration for a ghostly and evocative marking of erased buildings – drawing memory into being.
Ilze Wolff
Ilze Wolff, together with Heinrich Wolff of Wolff Architects, presented Tectonic Shifts, which explores the diversity of themes in the work of Wolff Architects’ office through the metaphor of a geological section. Key projects are represented with a consideration of the sedimentation of work and ideas that inform the major preoccupations of the office. As much as two tectonic plates can pull apart, this installation explores the modification of geological formations.
Kgaugelo Lekalakala
Tales of the Vulnerability of African Women in Transit Spaces looks at transit and transitional spaces as both ‘real’ places of movement and as metaphorical spaces that describe where we come from and where we are going. Using Surrealist imagery, Kgaugelo’s drawings explore the ways African women traverse the city, navigating taxi ranks, walkways and sidewalks every single day, moving quickly to avoid the gaze of men who regard them merely as artefacts in space.
Gugulethu Sibonelelo Mthembu
Gugulethu Mthembu is a young practicing architect, performer and gender activist. Her performance work, entitled Embodiments, has been published and performed internationally. Her work draws on African oral storytelling, slam poetry, design research and critiques of colonial and patriarchal power structures. Her work argues for the right to present ‘live’ work in place of a traditional written thesis, a tradition that, ironically, replicates the viva voce format of academic and judicial testimonies.
Mareli Stolp and Clare Loveday
You Will Find Your People Here (with Caroline Wanjiku Kihato, and Sedinam Awo Tsegah) is a collaboration of performance, film, composition and artwork. The work is based on Caroline Wanjiku Kihato’s book, Migrant Women of Johannesburg: Everyday Life in an in-between City, which explores the lives of women from different parts of the continent who came to live in Johannesburg. It was transformed into a composition by Clare Loveday, and performed by Mareli Stolp. Sedinam Awo Tsegah joined the project, providing fabric maps and artwork.
Plus, outstanding women from the fields of construction materials,
interior design and engineering.
Audi Snÿman, Audi Snÿman Interior Architecture and Design
“I established Audi Snÿman Interior Architecture and Design in 1997, after deciding that my career as a microbiologist didn’t fulfil the deeply creative side of my persona. It’s 26 years later, and I have never looked back!” says Audi Snÿman. Among their many accolades is ‘Gorgeously Grand’, a multimillion-rand luxury residential project that was the 2021 winner in its category in The International Design & Architecture Awards. In 2022, 'Maison Bénie' was shortlisted in all three categories entered. These included Residential Market Value Over £5 Million Award, Interior Design Scheme – Middle East and Africa Award, and Bedroom Award. As a woman working in a sector that is often adjacent to male-dominated fields such as construction and architecture, Snyman says, “I’ve worked with many male professionals across the industry, and have always found a welcoming environment conducive to growth.” She does, however, believe that women bring an added dimension to design projects. “I think what we bring is the ability to interpret the big picture while incorporating the female touches of care, attention to the finer detail, understanding the ergonomics of spaces, and being prepared to listen, engage and cater to specific client requests.”
Shelley Galliver, Eva-Last
Eva-Last’s Director: Marketing & Brand has more than two decades’ experience in the building materials industry, having worked for various building materials companies, including PG Bison, AfriSam, Cobra and now, Eva-Last. Throughout her career she has worked in male-dominated workplaces, and she believes some companies can make the mistake of reinforcing perceptions about the gender divide, even when they set out to address workplace equality. “By hiring men for technical positions and women for less hands-on work, barriers can remain in place. It’s about hiring the right candidate for the role, despite any preconceived gender partiality. I can honestly say, from my experience, if you are competent, confident and can add value, you are treated equally.” Her advice for women working in the building industry is, “Be willing to get involved and understand all the technical aspects of the business, projects and products. This equips you for working in a technical environment and speaking to technical people. Be the most competent person in the room, and gender shouldn’t matter.”
Thandiwe Siyakatshana, Bridge Engineer, AECOM
Thandiwe started her career at AECOM legacy company BKS as a bursary student and has never looked back. She says that it has often been daunting, not only being a black woman in the engineering field but in any STEM-related career. “There are unique challenges due to underrepresentation and historic disparity,” she says. Gender stereotypes and biases can influence perceptions about women’s abilities and suitability for engineering roles, leading to biased judgments and discrimination during hiring, promotions, or work assignments. She points out, however, that her simple presence at a project meeting shows diversity in action at AECOM. “Breaking barriers in a historically male-dominated field can also be very empowering,” says Thandiwe. “You are always motivated to challenge stereotypes to create a more inclusive work environment.” This is something that is important in her field because engineering projects often impact diverse communities. “Having women involved in the decision-making and design processes ensures that the perspectives and needs of all stakeholders are considered and addressed,” she says. She points out that the absence of mentors or sponsors who can provide guidance and support can make it harder for women to navigate the challenges of their careers successfully. She concludes, “My message to other women is to embrace their identities and to be as authentic as possible, which is key. Let that be a source of strength and inspiration to pursue your dreams and goals.”
Liliana Lopez Ortiz, Associate Geotechnical Engineer, AECOM
Liliana is a passionate civil engineer specialising in geotechnical engineering, with 20 years’ experience in Latin America, South and Central Africa, the Middle East and Oceania. Her extensive project experience ranges from small to large scale in sectors like water, mining, commercial and industrial developments. Having worked at AECOM for over a decade, Liliana considers it a privilege to be able to work in a global, diverse and vibrant environment that shows one different perspectives. “Diversification should not just be about equality but enriching our industry with different perspectives, experiences and innovative ideas; it is paving the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future to bring about positive change and progress, and provide opportunities for everybody,” she says. “While gender should be irrelevant to face technical engineering challenges, you cannot avoid realising how little representation women have in my field.” She says that it is vital to have a strong female presence in engineering because women not only contribute to overcoming current challenges with their diverse perspectives, unique problem-solving skills, and collaborative approach but also serve as inspiring role models for the next generation of women. However, she adds that limited access to female mentors and a lack of support and guidance in navigating challenging situations can further compound these obstacles, as male mentors may not fully understand women’s unique experiences and perspectives. “Embracing gender diversity is not only essential for an inclusive industry, but also as a catalyst for greater innovation, productivity, and positive social impact within our profession,” she says.
Leading Architecture + Design is South Africa’s leading showcase of the country’s most exciting and innovative architectural and design projects. This bimonthly magazine speaks directly to South Africa’s architects, interior designers, engineers, construction companies and property developers. It also offers readers a showcase of the latest innovations, products and developments in the field of architecture and its related industries. The print edition of Leading Architecture + Design is complemented by a vibrant website, fortnightly newsletter and social media platforms.
Built with Shorthand