Lillian Tay cuts a tall figure in person and her stature matches her experience and standing in the architecture industry.
“At university, students are quite evenly split between male and female. However, in the workplace, the fall-out rate is higher for women. This is the norm in most industries but even more so among women architects. This is largely because women are often obligated to take on the primary home-maker role, especially in family-oriented Asian cultures,” opines Tay, 57, who also led a team to design the W Hotel Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with American firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.
The upcoming Oxley Towers by Veritas Design Group at Jalan Ampang, KL is a set of three buildings linked by bridges that will include Jumeirah and So Sofitel hotels. “With more acute awareness globally of the gender pay gap, business owners and managers should examine salaries“This gap is a reality here in Malaysia as it is in more developed societies. I believe there is an even greater onus on women business owners to promote greater awareness and commit to rectifying such gaps and other obstacles in promotion and hiring policies to ensure a more equitable workplace and greater women leadership in our respective industries,” she emphasises.
The Bamboo Playhouse is inspired by traditional Malay houses and features decks of various heights. Photo: Filepic “We get most of our work through word-of-mouth. I do very little socialising. We took part in international competitions and won a few, that’s how we started to grow,” shares Eleena, 47.“The construction industry is very complex. It’s not just about designing but also managing projects that involve contractors, clients and consultants. The architect is the leader of the project.
“Women are still expected to stay at home with the children. And when women have children and take time off, they are not given equal salaries or opportunities when they come back. Owned by her family, the retreat in Rawang, Selangor won first prize in the Malaysian Wood Awards 2017. “I felt that I needed to further explore the possibilities of an autonomous house and make it a reality. That was made possible when we bought the property in Kuang,” she explains.