Women's Month Profile: TESSA BRUNETTE, CAPE TOWN OFFICE LEAD, ARUP

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.

TESSA BRUNETTE, CAPE TOWN OFFICE LEAD, ARUP

Tessa is an architect, integrator and building envelope designer who leads the Arup Cape Town office, as well as Arup’s sustainable development activities in Africa.

“I love the process of design, bringing many different voices and skillsets together to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Experiencing wonderful built spaces is an inspiration and a joy, and I strive to be part of teams that create delightful, thoughtful and well-performing spaces,” says Tessa. Tessa has experience working across a range of sectors, from master planning and infrastructure implementation to specialist façade and multidisciplinary building engineering design services, both in South Africa and abroad. Recent career highlights include working on The Ridge at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town (featured in the April/May 2021 issue of Leading Architecture + Design) where she was responsible for leading the Arup integrated multidisciplinary team, leveraging specialist skills for 13 disciplines across 11 of Arup’s global offices. “This project embodies my approach to design, and being able to work in a collaborative way to realise phenomenal sustainable outcomes,” she says. She is currently extending that approach to a master planning scale.

“Diversity is important in our profession because of the impact the built environment that we create has on so many people, and therefore the need for different viewpoints and diversity of thought in their creation,” says Tessa.

She notes, however, that one of the central challenges in her field remains retaining women throughout their career journey, and “not losing young women from the profession as they approach mid-career and often [take on the role of] primary caregiver”.

She adds, “Sexual harassment on site and in boardrooms is real, and too often glossed over. Members of project teams often make assumptions of role based on gender alone, fueling gender stereotypes and undermining progress.”

Tel: +27 (0)21 409 3500 cape.town@arup.com www.arup.com