ON SITE
INTERVIEW
WIC Profile: Maryam Hosny Jason Saundalkar talks to Killa Design’s Maryam Hosny about her inf luences, career and gender diversity in the construction industry ollowing our special edition dedicated to women in the construction industry, Middle East Consultant continues to share the inspiration and experiences of women working in the male-dominated industry across the GCC. Here, Jason Saundalkar catches up with Maryam Hosny, architect/ inspector at Killa Design.
2017. Since then, I joined Killa Design and I’m currently based on-site for the Museum of the Future project. Working on-site for both iconic museums has given me great experience in the field of project realisation and completion, with regard to initial design guidelines and ongoing site and construction constraints. Diversity in the construction industry is important because of the value women can bring to employers, clients and customers. How have you made your mark in the industry working on
What drove you to get into the construction industry?
projects specifically?
My interest was cultivated at home before any other external influence, as my family practises interior design. Site visits were common trips for me when I was growing up and this gave me my first exposure to the construction industry. My interest then grew in my early undergraduate years while studying architecture at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). I was exposed to working with my hands and controlling the final output, which in turn instilled a desire to get closer to the product, so I could help better direct the final output. Getting closer to the construction process gives me hands-on experience and allows me to understand the little tweaks that could make or break a design detail. Working with materiality during my undergraduate years was also a great eye opener into how a design can be translated into different languages as the material used changes. This, in fact, has continuously helped me understand the compatibility of design with materiality. This learning curve did not stop with my education, it is being cultivated through my ongoing site-based roles.
I believe the value of women should not be made more or less than that of a man in the field. Ultimately, we are all humans with different experiences, which is what should be used to differentiate between different employees – it should not be based on their gender. What a man could offer in this field may or may not be more than a woman, and this is solely based on their individual education, experience and motivation to perform well. Nonetheless, it is a great achievement for companies to hire women in this field, as it conveys a message of equality wherein an employee is treated with fairness, regardless of their gender and stereotypical presumptions. On-site, the gap between women and men employees is large. However, it is shrinking and my proudest moment happens every day as I walk the site, knowing that I may be a minority. I know I am exactly
Share a brief about your career.
After graduating from AUS in January 2014, I started working with Ateliers Jean Nouvel, where I was based on the site of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. I worked on the project for over three years and helped with the successful delivery of the project – it opened to the public in November 34 APRIL 2019
“My graduating class had over 60% women with architectural bachelors, and this high rate is increasing the supply of female architects to the industry”