Rossana Miles - ADAM Architecture - Women in Luxury Property
Rossana Miles - ADAM Architecture
Associate Director
Architecture
Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Equality between genders is still an unfulfilled objective, and until that changes we need yearly reminders of how much work is still there to do, as well as celebrating all the works that has been done.
Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman and if so, how did you overcome them?
I could mention the times, at the beginning of my career, that I have felt out of place on a building site, or at a meeting table with only men around. However, none of these experiences has ever made me doubt my abilities or my determination as much as the prospect of going back to work after having children. I had no role model, in my field and around me, of career-driven female architects, running multi-million jobs, who were also mothers. I seriously questioned whether it could be done. For anyone else wondering that right now, it can.
Is there another woman on whom you would like to shine a light, in the luxury property industry and why?
Not just one, but a wonderful group of women, colleagues and friends. ADAM’s Women in Architecture group has been instrumental in creating a vibrant and engaging conversation within our company and beyond, has provided a support network and a platform for career development for our female staff, and is setting in motion a number of changes to our companies policies that will ultimately make it an even better workplace for everybody. These women have immense, shining talent and I cannot wait to see them turn into inspiring role models for the next generation of architects.
How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in the luxury property industry?
Representation is the key. You can’t be what you can’t see.
We also need to shift the focus from attracting talent into an industry, to really work to retain that talent. We have learnt a lot about flexibility in working arrangements in the past two years, and there is a real opportunity to capitalise on this and see a fresh influx of people – women – returning to a profession they did not think viable before.
What is the best advice you have been given?
“Architecture is an old men’s job”, told to me by an old male architect at the beginning of my career. Best advice, mostly because of the three-word response it elicited from me. I knew I had a challenge.
At The Luxury Property Forum we truly believe in “you cannot be what you cannot see”.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, throughout March we are shining a light on our wonderfully inspiring female members who are all leaders in luxury property. If you are an LPF Member and would like to celebrate a senior female member of the your team, please get in touch at marketing@theluxurypropertyforum.com