Some might consider the AEC industry to be a male-dominated sector but there are women who, with their impactful work and creativity, are making heads turn. Today, we will talk about 10 women whose work has made a significant impact in the AEC sector.”
Influential women in construction and architecture
Zaha Hadid
The late Zaha Hadid (1950-2016) was considered a significant influential figure of the late-20th and early 21st century architecture. She was known as the “Queen of the Curve” for her willingness to go beyond conventional architectural styles and add curves and sharp angles to produce elegant designs.
Zaha Hadid’s notable works include-
- One Thousand Museum in Miami.
- Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Azerbaijan.
- Innovation Tower in Hong Kong.
- Riverside Museum in Glasgow.
- Dominion Tower in Moscow.
Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. Her trophy cabinet also features the Sterling Prize (2010, 2011), Structural Steel Design Awards (2010), Glamour Award for Architect in Chief (2012), and European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (2003).
Her work was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II who conferred the title of Dame (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) upon her in 2012.
Jenna Knudsen
Jennifer “Jenna” Knudsen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is the Managing Principal of CO Architects. She is an industry leader in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and has always focused on creating sustainable and efficient designs. Knudsen’s leadership helped CO Architects develop the Virtual Operating Room (OR) Experience, a virtual operating room created us AR/VR.
She has appeared as a speaker at conferences like Ecobuild America and Powerful: AIA Los Angeles Equity Conference, covering BIM and IPD. She was awarded the AIA Young Architect award in 2011 and Interior Design Magazine’s Best of the Year Firm leader: healthcare award in 2021.
Theodora Oyie
Theodora Oyie has championed diversity and inclusion for women within the construction industry for years. She is also the Founder and CEO of Mindful Integration of Construction Services (MICS), a firm that specializes in the construction workforce, PLA negotiations and administration, diverse business engagement, and labor compliance.
With her vast skillset and experience, she has created effective strategies for her clients and enabled project teams to meet different contractual obligations like hiring local workers, following labor compliance, and more.
Liz Mahlow
Liz Mahlow has over 17 years of professional experience in the construction industry. She has worked in hospital campuses and schools in Africa, affordable housing in her Los Angeles community, and emphasized seismic design and client education on building performance outcomes.
Liz Mahlow is also a founding partner at Nous Engineering, an LA-based structural engineering firm that uses collaboration tools, BIM platforms, and more, to deliver sensible solutions to complex and unique structures.
Dianne Lee
Dianne Lee is an AEC sector advocate with over 15 years of experience. She has strongly represented women in all areas of the industry and has ensured that they get recognized appropriately for their work.
She currently serves as the President of the Asian American Architects and Engineers (AAa/e) Association of Southern California, a Board of Director, and Program Chair for the Society for Marketing Professional Services of Los Angeles (SMPS/LA) and serves on the Executive Board of the Western Winter Workshop (WWW).
In 2021, she released a book called “Leveraging Stereotypes to your Advantage” where she talks about how negative situations, stereotypes, and biases can be transformed into growth.
Elizabeth Diller
Elizabeth Diller is a polish-born American architect known for her visionary structures. She appeared in 2018’s Time 100 list.
In 1979, she and her husband founded the Diller Scofidio + Renfro, a firm that has massive projects under its belt like the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, the New Museum of Transport in Budapest, the Museum of Modern Art, and more.
Elizabeth Diller has also contributed to academics. She has worked as a Professor of Architecture at the Princeton University School of Architecture and a visiting Professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture.
Margaret Ingels
Margaret Ingels was the first American to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. She is known for her work in air conditioning, and her fascination with AC helped Carrier Lyle Heating and Ventilation Corporation develop the Anderson-Armspach dust determinator, which went on to become an industry standard for air filtration. She also developed Sling Psychrometer, which is used to measure air humidity.
Shakuntala A. Bhagat
Shakuntala A. Bhagat (1933-2012) was the first woman civil engineer in India and was known for the design and construction of several bridges. Since completing her graduation at 20, her life has been a series of achievements. She earned a master’s degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1960 and then worked as an assistant professor of civil engineering at IIT-Mumbai.
She and her husband filed a patent for an innovative modular system called Quadricon Prefabricated System for Bridges. It consisted of prefabricated steel modules that were lightweight and easy to handle. The steel modules could be assembled to form strong, load-bearing bridges of different spans and widths.
In 1970, they founded Quadricon, a bridge construction firm that has designed over 200 bridges across USA, UK, and Germany.
Chitra Vishwanath
Chitra Vishwanath has influenced Indian architecture with an ecological approach. She has designed hundreds of sustainable structures by utilizing ecological principles.
She is also the Founder and Managing Director of Biome Environmental Solutions, a Bangalore-based design firm that focuses on water, architecture, and engineering.
Abha Narain Lambah
Abha Narain Lambah is a conservation architect from India. She is the founder of Abha Narain Lambah Associates, an architecture firm specializing in Architectural Conservation, Museum Design, building restoration and Retrofit, Historic Interiors, Preparation of Urban and Regional Level Conservation Management Plans, Conservation Assessment Studies, Urban signage, and Street furniture.
The firm has restored UNESCO World Heritage sites like Ajanta Caves, Mahabodhi Temple, Golconda Caves, and more, and is also the recipient of multiple awards.
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