Designing top women

Report: Caroline Huze
Photography: MGS Architects

"We believe our role as architects is to not only build, but in line with the early Greek ideals: to leave the world a better and more beautiful place than you found it."

Directors Rob McGauran and Eli Giannini of McGauran Giannini Soon (MGS) hope to inspire talented women to thrive in their field by creating the 'MGS Women in
Architecture Scholarship' in the Faculty of Art and Design at Monash.

"We've been deeply impressed by the University's leadership and have felt supported and valued as a member of the Monash community. With the new Architecture degree in place, it seemed an opportune time to contribute to Monash's great strides in equal opportunity and diversity; values we hold dear."

As head designer at MGS, Eli Giannini is all too familiar with the dearth of women in senior roles in architecture firms. There has been a shift at the undergraduate level, with 50 per cent of Monash University's intake now female. However, in Australia only 1 in 10 female architecture graduates is still practising 10 years on.

In the majority of leading Victorian architecture firms there are no women in top positions. Outdated project commissioning practises, limited leadership opportunities on offer and inflexible work hours are some reasons for this.

"The retention rates of senior women are even significantly lower than in fields such as building, law and medicine," said Eli.

MGS hopes their scholarship will help reverse this mid-career fall-away. Each year the 'MGS Women in Architecture Scholarship' will provide the opportunity for one female Masters student to travel for their professional development and growth. She will also receive ongoing mentoring from MGS's female architects who cover the spectrum from director and associate level to newly-registered.

Eli Giannini recalls not having any role models that she could identify with.

"I had plenty of mentorship from male colleagues and bosses, but there was no mould to fit, no woman I could emulate and say that's what I'd like to be like in 10 or 20 years time. It was actually only when I was given a bursary to attend a winter school from my university, that I met a renowned Italian architect, Ana Castelli Ferrieri and it dawned on me for the first time that, 'I want to be just like her.' It was a very affirming experience!"

Rob highlights that he learnt at an early career stage not to sit back and wait for others to enact change in society.

"By creating the 'MGS Women in Architecture Scholarship', in our small way, we hope to get the industry talking and encourage other practices to follow suit in supporting talented women to progress in this field."

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