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Women's Month Profile: CLAUDIA MELA, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DHK ARCHITECTS

This August, in celebration of Women’s Month, Leading Architecture + Design has profiled a dozen inspiring women in the fields of architecture, urbanism, interior design and engineering, showcasing their skills and achievements, as well as their views on the challenges that the industry faces.

CLAUDIA MELA, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DHK ARCHITECTS

Claudia Mela joined dhk in 2012, bringing her experience in design, master planning and advanced knowledge of Revit to the team, which has proved valuable in largescale mixed-use developments.

Claudia has worked on a wide range of projects, both locally and internationally, from conceptual to completion work stages. Career highlights include Newtown Junction, Oxford Parks and, recently, Ellipse Waterfall. While she says that there is no essential difference between what men and women bring to the profession, she believes “gender balance is key in all professions”. She adds, “Yes it’s been a male-dominated industry, but times are changing and society is adapting accordingly.

“If industries, especially typically male-dominated industries such as the construction industry, do not change, we will never gain global equality,” she says. Claudia points out that 50% of dhk’s management team is female. “Ultimately, hiring females within architectural practices makes firms more balanced,” she says. “Women bring a level of productivity and organisation to a firm that builds a firm up from its core and maximises everyone’s potentials and strengths.

“Respect needs to be a living unconscious system among cultures, in the office environment and respect in the industry,” she says. “Equally, if you portray respect, you will receive the same treatment.”

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