‘We fully recognise that to respond to society’s challenges in our work, we need the talent, passion and creativity of diverse teams at all levels’

BDP was founded on a culture of collective responsibility. The practice’s ethos of the ‘continuous collective’ instils in our teams a sense of family. We strive to be an inclusive organisation where everyone has a sense of belonging, is respected, feels valued and is seen for who they are as an individual.

As one of the largest employers of female architects in the country, we are delighted to be a partner of the W programme and to be able to lead a step change in the industry.

We know that women are underrepresented in architecture – not just at the top of the field but at all levels of practice. So we need to level the playing field in our profession, remove unconscious bias and find ways to provide further support for all of our people regardless of ethnicity, class, sexual orientation or gender.

We need to recognise the issues that impede the progress of women in practice and to take action to break down those barriers. We need to focus on promoting architecture as a rewarding and worthwhile career for young women, focus more on development at mid-level professions and encourage companies to promote more women to board-level positions.

Sue Emms, Principal and North Region Chair