International Women's Day. Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress

The theme set for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.’ We are all invited to imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, and a world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

In the architecture and design sector, there is a lot of work still to do to drive meaningful change. According to the organisation Women in Architecture, there remain “deep-rooted, well documented gender disparities within the profession and education.”

This year, Heatherwick Studio is launching a major new programme to inspire the next generation of makers and celebrate young people’s creativity.

Ye Jin Lee , an architect at the studio, is working on this programme as a secondment alongside her core design role. To mark IWD, Ye Jin answered some questions on the programme, her design journey in the industry, and the steps architecture industry can and should take to be more equitable and inclusive.

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How did you begin in design, and what was your design journey that led to where you are now?

I’ve always been a maker - quilting, painting, and sculpting. When my family moved back from California to Seoul when I was younger, it was a tough adjustment as a teenager, but this opened up my curiosity to this idea of “surroundings” and how that shapes people. I have no idea what my 16 old self was thinking, but I phoned up an architect called Peter Winston Ferretto and started interning in his office after school. Since then, I have never stopped thinking about space and place.

What types of project are you most passionate about designing?

I think it’s obvious that any architect loves working on cultural projects. But more recently, I’ve become more excited about hospitality projects as well because I feel that there are so many opportunities to experiment.

Why is the studio developing a creative education programme?

There are two big thematic reasons - inspire and grow. The programme offers young people from low-income neighbourhoods a chance to embrace and explore their creativity and understand the career paths it can lead to. It also trains our in-house designers to engage and involve people who aren’t designers.

So often, architects end up only really speaking to themselves and to clients, but our role must surely involve speaking to a bigger public audience, not just the industry. Ultimately, our projects are for the public. And we need the skills to be able to speak with everyone about them.

What drew you to the role managing this programme?

I’ve always been interested in pedagogy. I’m lucky to have parents that are open to non-conventional education, but that also gave me the education that was needed to pursue my dream. So I guess I’d like to be that spark of inspiration for some kids that are in need for this. It’s an honour to be managing a project that has so much value and importance to the studio and to myself.

How has it been working on the programme as a secondment alongside your core design role? And how have the young people responded?

If I’m being honest, it hasn’t been the easiest, especially when I’m on a competition or a small team that requires me full time, it’s been a lot of juggling and time management. But I’ve been growing as a person and a leader. The interactions I get with young people also give me a lot of joy!

Do you think initiatives like this can create avenues into the profession for those who are too often excluded from it?

Yes, more and more I learn about the education system in the UK, I’m quite shocked by how this beautiful city and country doesn’t have enough resource to educate and inspire people properly.? Spending my formative years in California, I remember being surrounded by questions and choices that allowed me to think of “creativity”. These years truly led me to think about where I am now. For the 100 kids that I’ve came across so far through our initiative – I’m certain that they were actually inspired and had an hour or two to think about the creative industry.

This year’s International Women’s Day is themed around taking action to drive gender parity. What steps do you think the architecture industry can and should take to be more equitable and inclusive?

As a Korean architect, and a female in the studio, these questions always linger in my mind. I would say that there are definitely big picture tasks that need to be done across the industry. However, I think having more people being transparent with the fact that there is inequality helps, and I think it also really comes down to individual behaviours and the culture of your workplace.

I’ve worked with so many male colleagues that don’t see gender in workplace. But as a really positive example, on a site project with my Project Leader, he always pushes me and gives me a lot of responsibility dealing with contractors directly and I really value that. I’m also encouraged that there are quite a few women in senior roles at the studio who have a family and are able to juggle that with work. My mom was a working mom so I never realised how difficult it must be, but as I’m approaching an age to think about my life with a family, I’m amazed seeing these women in the studio. Having examples like this around me day to day which gives me hope for my future at the studio.