INDUSTRY
WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION everything will always work itself out no matter what decision you make. As an overthinker, I was so afraid of making mistakes, but this advice changed my life forever.
What advice would you share with women just entering the industry?
Instead of working harder, focus on community and branding yourself early on. The most significant barrier I had was this constant fear that I had to work harder to prove myself because I wasn’t being heard. That’s a mistake a lot of young architects make early on in their careers. We think we have to work hard for many years to eventually become a leader in the profession. This leads to burnout, toxic work culture and unnecessary peer competition. What I realized is that in reality, you need two things: Find a community that supports you and build a personal brand that communicates your worth. Focusing on these two aspects helps me let go of my imposter syndrome and self-doubts. It helps me become more confident and I no longer need to work overtime to prove myself. This is why I built the Women Architects Collective and offer personal brand coaching to other architects. The support in the community and making an impact by coaching is what gives me the motivation to show up every day.
What’s the biggest lesson the 18 months has taught you?
Your life is what you make of it. I used to work, work and work non-stop, and I was a proud workaholic. This past year has been eye-opening. I had more time to stay at home to contemplate what I wanted in life. I realized I was just accepting my burnout and constant work schedule as the norm, but it really shouldn’t be. I was letting my career drive my personal life away, so I put a lot more intention into how my life should be. This is part of the reason I made a career change.
What’s the biggest item on your to-do list?
Revamping the content side of Monograph. I’m very excited about this new role because it’s the perfect combination of my
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There’s a cultural shift in architecture driven by the next generation of architects. I think we no longer accept the mentality that you have to work 80 hours a week to be an effective architect. love for marketing and architecture. I can’t wait to implement all of my ideas for our content strategy.
How did you get started in the industry?
I moved to the US in 2006 after I graduated from high school in Hong Kong. I went to a community college at first and took many of my general classes there. In Hong Kong, for the last two years of secondary school, you had to choose between liberal arts or science. I was in science class in high school, but I also took art as a minor. When it came time to go to a university, I initially thought I wanted to attend art school for illustration or become a doctor. Then my dad prompted me to look into architecture. I had no idea what architecture was, but like every good child, I followed his advice and went to a college fair asking
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2021
everyone if they had an architecture program. One person recommended the New Jersey Institute of Technology. I applied; I was accepted, and started architecture school. After graduation, I worked for a few smaller firms before ending up at Gensler for the past six years. I recently made a career transition to Monograph, a startup that develops project management software for architects. I’m now helping architects build a better practice.
The first thing you’re going to do when everything gets back to normal?
Go home to see my family. I had to cancel my flight last year because of COVID, so I haven’t gone back home to Hong Kong in two years. I have missed my niece growing up and my sister is having a second baby, so I’m very excited to see them. CCR
