Women in Construction Week 2nd-8th March 2025
2nd-8th March 2025 is Women in Construction Week (WIC), and this year’s theme, ‘Together We Rise’, celebrates the strength and knowledge of women and the vital role they play in shaping the future of the construction industry.
HPA Architects is proud to note that women make up over 50% of our practice, against an industry backdrop recording 33% of UK Architects to be women (ARB EDI data 2025) with women representing only 15% of the UK construction workforce.
Reflecting on WIC Week, Director Zoë Hooton explains, “There are amazing schemes now like Design Engineer Construct (DEC) by Class of Your Own started in Lancashire by Alison Watson MBE and her team, which are now in schools all over the World . I’d like to see more schools and colleges locally offering real alternatives.”
Apprentice Holly remarks, “More events which showcase women in construction would be helpful, but people need to be shown from a young age that working in construction is a possibility.”
Zoë went on to say, “I’ve met a number of women ‘on the tools’ who have often been influenced by their father’s passion for the work, but the responsibility for encouraging women into construction must lie with contractors having inclusive but also zero-tolerance policies for discrimination. I love being on site and working as part of a construction team, and I’ve been really helped by supportive men who have invested time in me to help bridge the gap between my knowledge and my practical experience. This has all been down to individuals, but often the culture of a contract has influenced this. The ability to bounce back with a bit of banter also helps.”
To celebrate WIC Week, we ask how can we at HPA support women in construction and what more can be done to encourage more women into the industry?
“Share passion”, Associate Emma remarks, “it’s about sharing stories of our career and tutoring and mentoring the next generation. I’m really pleased that because of our involvement with Lancaster University we can have an influence on this.”
“This may have to go further into schools, as construction and architecture isn’t necessarily a natural choice. I’m pleased our influence on the early groups of our Architecture Club at Escape2Make has led to joinery apprenticeships and girls studying construction.”
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) has reported that companies with more diverse workforces are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors; therefore with the building industry struggling to recruit, now needs to be the time we ask – why not more women?
HPA Architects is committed to continuous improvement, developing the knowledge and skills of the whole team to drive new ideas and innovations that build on our experience whilst embracing diversity, and continue to buck the trend within the construction industry valuing our strong female representation.
