Women's Month Profile: KIM NEWELL, ASSOCIATE, PARAGON 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.

KIM NEWELL, ASSOCIATE, PARAGON ARCHITECTS

Kim Newell was recently appointed as Associate at Paragon Architects. “In terms of my professional career, it gives me the opportunity to grow further and contribute towards growth at Paragon,” she says.

Kim finished her Master’s degree in architecture in 2013, after which she joined a small private practice working on museum and exhibition projects. “I have always been creative,” she says. “From a young age, I have always made things and created art. Architecture was a natural choice of career because it allows me to channel my creativity into creating buildings.”

She joined Paragon Architects in 2015, working with the team for 11 Alice Lane Phase 3. “After Alice Lane was complete, I was the project architect for 37 Commerce Crescent, a conversion of an industrial building into warehouse space,” she says. “I have worked on various projects at Paragon, including retail, office and residential architecture.”

Kim is currently working on the renovation of 105 Corlett Drive for Balwin’s new head office and a new office building in Appolonia City in Ghana.

Kim reflects how fortunate she is to work at an architectural firm that prioritises gender parity. “There are strong women in the team who choose to build each other up rather than break each other down,” she says. “This is not always the case in the construction industry.

“We need to support young women who chose a career within the construction industry and help them to grow their careers.”

33 Fricker Road, Illovo, Johannesburg Email: info@paragon.co.za Tel: +27 (0)11 482 3781