Women in Landscape

Landscape ME meets the female powerhouse at InSite. The urban designers and landscape architects share their stories of working in the region.

Tina Heers Landscape Architect

Kerri Chuaquico Senior Landscape Architect

Ann Ibrahim Graduate Urban Planner

How long have you been in UAE and what brought you the here? Milica Blazincic, Landscape Architect of the Women I guess a sense of adventure and a desire to explore something new and unknown. Here I am 8 years later, still on the same path. Kerri Chuaquico, Landscape Architect of the Women I’ve been living in the UAE for over 6 years, I was discovered by CH2Mhill/ Jacobs with the help of Landscape ME and they offered me a permanent Job in Dubai. Ann Ibrahim, Landscape Architect of the Women I’m Middle Eastern and have been living in the UAE since 2017. I initially started working in the master planning industry in Cairo, Egypt in 2015 before moving to the UAE at the beginning of 2018. Shipra Narang, Landscape Architect of the Women I got a job offer to work at KEO and have been here now for 3 years; what excites me about the GCC is its limitless possibilities and continual focus on creating a better future.

Noor Khalek, Landscape Architect of the Women I have been in the Middle East since 2007 and moved to the UAE a year later, which was the starting point of building my career and challenging my creativity. Tina Heers, Landscape Architect of the Women I was approached through LinkedIn with a job opportunity from a recruiter and decided to follow through with the interview. It has been four years since I arrived here and I’m still enjoying it thoroughly.

What made you get into this industry? Milica: I kind of always knew that I wanted to be in creative circles. At one-point I found it difficult to choose between architecture and landscape, but in the end nature prevailed. I believe that we can offer so much more to the humanity then just a “pretty building” (this is where I get crucified by the architects). Jokes aside, I really love my calling and find it challenging and fulfilling. And never boring.

Shipra Narang Project Designer

Noor Khalek Associate Landscape Architect

Milica Blazincic Senior Landscape Architect

Kerri: I was working in the Philippines for 4 years as a landscape architect before I moved to Dubai. I wanted to expand my knowledge on how to contribute towards “Improving Quality of Life” through people’s experience and their environment, and to understand the relationship between “Life and Form” in which I try to bring though in all my designs. Ann: I am an Architectural Engineering Graduate, however I studied urban planning while doing my Masters. I chose this career because it is much more interesting than Architecture on its own, I love the scale, it’s like doing a 10,000-piece puzzle! It never gets boring with super exciting projects and scopes every day! Shipra: We create things that have a permanence. Having explored various scales within my career, what attracted me towards urban design is the complexity, layering and interaction of various urban fabrics. I feel the urban scale expands my canvas of influence and allows the creation of spaces that blur the edges and adds intangible value to the community. Noor: I love being outdoors and the beauty of Landscape Architecture is more than the design of spaces, but the designing of experiences. My knowledge allows me to integrate and connect the overall project development with sustainable design solutions, critical research, data analysis, planning, and comprehensive landscape management! Tina: I had originally set out to be an architect but diverted into a landscape career as I found my passion for designing large open spaces. This allowed me to push the boundaries through creativity, whilst implementing new eco-systems within nature as well as providing sustainable designs through landscapes to protect the environment.

What are your goals within the industry? Milica: Keep learning and challenge yourself until you reach the top, and then learn some more. Also, have fun doing it. Kerri: Create beneficial relationships between people’s quality of life and their built environment in the region. Ann: I want to learn and get out of it as much as I can! I cherish my experiences here and I’m learning new things every day. My goal is to always stay interested and attached to the Master planning industry. Shipra: Bring the focus onto creating better and more responsible built environments that are ready for the future. I want to channel the power of design in creating a resilient and sustainable future for all. Noor: I would like to emphasize the importance of sustainable landscape design and the beauty of utilizing natural resources in order to create healthier environments and to fight climate change. Tina: My goal is to redesign and rebuild war torn countries, to bring back the beauty of lost cities and their cultures. It is important to me to pass on my knowledge and skills to women in those countries in the hope that they can play an active part in rebuilding their city to what it was.

Have you encountered any challenges being a woman in the industry? Milica: Sure, I do, especially in the Middle East. Any women in any business in any part of the world that says “no” to this question is lying. Of course, there are challenges, but we are standing firm and fighting for our seat at the table. Kerri: As a woman, I’ve experienced discrimination and being ignored in most instances where I found myself to be the only woman in a meeting room. But being in this industry for a decade now, I have gained strength out of this discrimination and sexism. It’s a challenge for me to grow and become stronger. Ann: So far, I haven’t seemed to find any challenges. Noor: I found that being a woman in the industry creates more opportunities than challenges, as all the obstacles have strengthened and elevated my career in diverse spaces. I’m great at multi-tasking and so I’m able to create a good work-life balance as well having amazing opportunities to collaborate and build strong support networks. Shipra: In my thirteen years of experience, it is always about how you break the gender stereotypes. As a woman, you need to put in that extra effort just to get the recognition you deserve for

your work and prove your quality. But as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Tina, Being a woman in the industry can be a challenge and when sitting in a male dominated meeting room you must prove to others that there really is no difference between the genders. This allows us women to bring a unique approach to the table and positively impact the conversation.

What advice would you give other women that want to get into a landscape or urban design career? Milica: I will steal a quote from Michelle Obama and I believe this applies to all industries: “You have to start by getting those demons out of your head. I have been at probably every powerful table that you can think of… they are not that smart.” Kerri: Always have 3Cs in your purse, “curiosity, creativity and a sprinkle of craziness”, every time you design, always do it for humanity! Ann: Be very cooperative, it takes a lot of effort and team work to

produce a brilliant master plan and associated reports. Learning and growing in the industry is not easy but very rewarding, so be patient! Lastly, if you are still considering it, then GO FOR IT BLINDLY! Noor: Just do what you love with passion and create your own career journey and be realistic in your design expectations, but don’t let that hinder your creativity. Learn to trust your instincts, embrace opportunities that come along that may be different to your ideal path. Shipra: Design engulfs you and surrounds you like no other profession; so be passionate. Second, be yourself and don’t shy away from expressing your opinions. Supporting diversity in all its forms is what truly makes design more powerful. Tina, That this is a challenging industry and to excel in it you need to push yourself, think outside the box and challenge the status quo. The opportunities for us women have never been so great and we need to utilize them to advance ourselves and advance the industry itself.