Day in the life of...
Lynda Henderson is an architect with RMJM, a large multi-national architectural practice
What do you do in a typical day?
I do some drawing on the computer and talk to a lot of other consultants. At the moment I’m spending quite a lot of time on site, dealing with things as they come up and talking to the contractors. Then I go back to the office and put everything we’ve discussed down on paper.
How did you get started?
I chose to become an architect at school because I was good at maths, science and art and I thought it would be a good combination of these courses. So I went to university and did a degree in architecture followed by a diploma. Then I took professional exams and became an architect.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I get to see things that I’ve worked on, and things that I’ve designed and drawn, become real. It’s a huge responsibility though. You’re working on a building and if you don’t do things right it could leak, or any number of other things could become a problem. But when you do things right it’s really satisfying.
What’s your experience of being a woman in the industry?
Being a female in the construction industry is exciting. It’s no more of a challenge than being in any other industry. There’s not a particular imbalance any more between males and females. As a female I’ve not found it’s held me back at all, it’s not made a bit of difference.
What skills do you have?
Since I started working as an architect, I’ve learned loads and you never stop learning every day. When you leave university you know a lot of the theory of design and you know some theory relating to construction. But it’s nothing compared to how you actually do the job once you start working in an office and start working on projects that are being built.
Proudest career moment?
The thing I’m most proud of is probably the Commonwealth athletes’ village. It’s the highest profile and biggest project I’ve worked on.
Where’s your career going next?
I have an interest in conservation architecture, so I’m starting a part-time MSc in Architectural Conservation. So hopefully in 10 years I’ll be a conservation architect working on historical and listed buildings.
Any advice to people looking for careers in architecture?
I’d say you need to be very patient, because a drawing can take years to become reality. You need to be willing to work hard and you also need a passion for buildings.
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