This International Women’s Day, we are exploring the theme of mentorship and its role in creating a framework of support for women across the practice. We spoke to a number of women mentors and mentees at Foster + Partners about their experience and how it has helped and enabled them through their careers. The mentorship experiences vary – as part of a formalised programme as well as more informal arrangements – and provide a glimpse into how women have accessed and contributed towards creating an empowering, sympathetic and inspiring community at the practice.
Eleonora Neri
Associate, Senior Environmental Design Analyst
“The mentorship programme has been an incredibly beneficial experience. Having another woman to talk to who has extensive experience in the industry has helped me grow in confidence. My mentor has always been a supportive person to whom I can turn for advice. Having a safe space with a woman mentor has allowed me to discuss my achievements and challenges and my career development in a frank and honest way. As my role within the practice continues to change and develop, my mentor has helped me gain confidence, be assertive, and learn how to manage people and projects. Her support has set me up for success in achieving my ambitions.”
Francesca Carino
Senior Staff, Senior Modelmaker
“Women mentoring other women is highly significant. It not only grants them access to valuable opportunities but also nurtures their self-assurance, particularly in environments that continue to be largely dominated by men. They support and promote the advancement of women in the workplace. As more women ascend to leadership roles, it fosters a diverse leadership team that values and integrates diverse viewpoints, improves decision-making and strengthens the organization to face the challenges of the future. I've had the privilege of being guided by a remarkable woman who embraced me as her mentee. This experience has highlighted the profound impact of mentorship, having someone who not only believes in you but also actively supports your career journey is invaluable, particularly during times when self-belief wavers. Such support can grant you the confidence and determination to pursue professional opportunities beyond what you initially considered to be viable or worthwhile.”
Idil Kantarci
Staff, Architectural Assistant
“When I have new ideas, a mentor becomes the most precious resource to discuss and test them, because they can provide honest advice and opinions using their relevant knowledge and experience. I believe mentors can help set up new goals and offer constructive feedback when I face challenges and enable me to grow professionally. I think everyone should have a mentor who they trust and are able to communicate with openly. Building trust is a key to success in personal and professional relationships and there is nothing better than building it around a common passion like architecture and design.”
Katy Harris
Senior Partner, Head of Communications
“Having been with the practice for several decades, I felt it was time to pass on some of my tips and experience. Although my experience runs the danger of showing its age as Millennials and Gen Z have quite different expectations in the working environment. Listening to women colleagues and hearing where their confidence prevents them from expressing their opinions and ideas, constantly encourages me to remind them that they have the knowledge and skills to rise above any diffidence and prove themselves. Demonstrating ideas and originality is always appreciated and will help women progress. It is vital that we support women colleagues and call out sexism, make sure access to training is equal, help everyone understand that having children should never be an obstacle to career progression.”
Sara Anand
Associate, Urban Designer
“I have had the privilege of gaining mentorship from a brilliant female colleague. They have been a true inspiration in demonstrating an invigorating leadership style that builds collegiality centered around everyone’s wellbeing. By embracing their mantra of ‘let’s just try to have a good time’, I’ve experienced firsthand the possibility to navigate challenging dynamics with ease using comic relief. The experience has helped me understand the soft power of humour. It nurtures camaraderie and a culture of care and support, thus solidarity. Additionally, their consistently kind and honest management approach has also strengthened my desire to foster a sisterhood within the practice - a place where there is safety and vulnerability amongst female colleagues, and the ability to seek advice through shared wisdom.”
Laura Narvaez Zertuche
Partner, Urban Designer
“Being a designer and an academic, my motivation to become a mentor stems from a desire to help others to achieve their best, to provide guidance, support, and knowledge to help individuals achieve their goals and aspirations. Empowering women mentees to pursue their long-term career aspirations involves a multi-faceted approach. This may include providing them with access to professional development opportunities, helping them build a strong professional network, offering guidance on navigating workplace challenges, and advocating for gender equality in the workplace. The most common advice I would give to other women is to use their voice. Using their voice means not being silent about their opinion, not being intimidated by an all-male presence, not staying quiet when you can offer a solution to a problem, and never thinking that your opinion matters less. Having a voice should be equal for all.”
Sarah Abiad
Staff, Architectural Assistant
“As I joined the office during one of the Covid-19 lockdowns, my mentor helped me navigate the company remotely during my first few days, enabling me to integrate within the team and overcome the difficulties of starting a new job. Not only did I see her as a professional role model, but also as a genuine friend who welcomed me to the practice. Seeing her rise through the ranks is an inspiration and shows that achieving your goals is possible for women in a largely male-dominated world. Having a woman mentor is a very enriching and empowering experience, as they are more likely to understand your struggles and support you on your journey. This is why I encourage women to participate in a mentoring programme.”
Taba Rasti
Senior Partner, Architect
“Sharing knowledge and creating a supportive environment for female colleagues is essential for progress. We also need to see more female leaders and women in senior management roles within the industry, which will have a positive effect on future generations.
Last year, I mentored a young female architect who won the Kaplicky Internship, a programme that gives young architecture graduates from Czech universities an opportunity to take part in a three-month paid internship. She worked alongside me in the Madrid office, we were so impressed by her attitude and performance that we offered her a permanent position within our team. I also mentor other female architecture students in Madrid, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”
