Construction World September 2019

to do this. Unfortunately many women architects don’t believe they can, because it is so male dominated.” Ironically, in their experience, the more male colleagues are exposed to working with professional, competent women, the more mindsets change. In the past 30 months Walele has seen a notable shift in attitude from the foremen and managers on site who’ve often witnessed inappropriate behaviour towards her first hand. “It has opened their eyes and made them more sensitive and appreciative of the challenges women face, and may have a positive impact on the treatment of women on sites in future,” says Walele. “Once men become aware, it is easier to deal with incidents, and to confront someone if you need to.” While both women command immense respect, it has taken some time to get that message across. Atkins, who has mentored Walele since she joined the Co-Arc team in 2016 as a candidate architect, understands the depth of the fight ahead. The only woman among three male partners, Atkins admits it takes a lot more for her to make an impact outside the office than her male counterparts. “Yes, over the years you move your way up and you make yourself heard, and you secure the right to lead, but it’s a constant push,” she says. Recalling her words to Walele when she began working on site, Atkins recollects how she told the young architect to become harder: “Malika is petite, so she had to ensure that none of the guys thought they could walk all over her, but the partners believed she had what it takes to succeed.” These words proved prophetic for Walele, who admits to having toughened up in a matter of months. “I didn’t have time to play around and find my feet,” she recalls, adding that Atkins’s perspective and understanding proved invaluable. Certainly, Co-Arc’s bias to the

intellectual rigour, technical skill, passion and resilience of people, rather than gender or race, has created an environment where women can flourish. Unfortunately, says Atkins, discrimination is a constant theme for women in architecture; even during their time at university. “Back when I was studying it was a male-dominated world and there weren’t a lot of women around, so you had to speak up for yourself. This means that if you don’t have the right personality you might fade away and not be taken seriously.” But, as the Co-Arc team and women like Atkins and Walele build impressive resumes across the African continent, it becomes harder to side line their achievements. As a result, their own confidence is growing. It is for this reason that Co-Arc’s predominantly all-female team sends such a strong message, says Atkins. “This is highly unusual,” she admits. “Fortunately I’ve worked with our client, The Legacy Group, since I started at Co-Arc, so my relationship with them has grown over 15 years.” She had to earn their respect, but now they rely heavily on her and demanded she was part of the team for The Leonardo project. Ultimately, Atkins’ team has managed a slick operation and carved out a piece of South African architectural history in the process. “It’s hugely rewarding,” she admits, adding that over and above their professional expertise women bring stability and communication, and a notable level of detailing to any architectural project. For Walele, the Co-Arc team “is proof that women can change cities and create buildings that will be the tallest in Africa”. She adds: “I’ve never understood why architecture needs to be a male- dominated industry. Women are more than capable of doing this; it’s frustrating that more women in the industry aren’t doing it.” 

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2019