05/08/2026
AKA NZ..
When I was a child, someone told me that I was not “smart enough” to do architecture. Fast forward to today - What an honour to be among the 15 finalists for Architecture + Women NZ Dulux Awards, and one of the 5 in the Munro Diversity Category! (Let alone my first time being a finalist for any award!)
It is humbling to be nominated alongside a lineup of many women who have inspired me since I started my architectural journey 11 years ago.
Being a girl, I was told that technical work was not suited for me, that it was a man’s job. And because I am Asian, that my chances of getting work would be a lot harder in a Pākehā-dominated country.
Perhaps it was twisted reverse psychology - because I was determined to prove them wrong. And in some ways, I did: Architecture *was* difficult, and it *was* tough to find work - but not because of my identity, as they claimed. It was tough because I spent years pushing my identity away instead of embracing it.
I’ve learned that my work and my identity aren’t separate things. Architecture and the spaces we build don’t exist in a vacuum - they reflect the communities we serve and the cultural contexts around us.
It is also incredibly heartwarming to see the rise of a new generation of young Asian architectural folk putting themselves out there. This is why I started Asia Kiwi Architects, and it’s only really just the beginning!
Thank you to my friends and community, and all those who participated in Asia Kiwi Architects events, and Wing Chan for putting me forward in the nominations
Congratulations to fellow finalists in this category: Elisapeta Heta, Dr Elizabeth Aitken Rose, Dr Karamia Muller, and Shana Payne.
Photo taken by Kyle Guarin Kyle Guarin
Architecture + Women • NZ Dulux New Zealand
