March 2025 – Every March, the world shines a light on the importance of gender equality. International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th is the United Nation’s (UN) awareness day and worldwide call to action. This feeds into the UN’s larger global Sustainability Development Goals (SDG), and SDG #5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The theme for IWD 2025 invited businesses, institutions, governments, communities, nations and society to #accelerateaction, taking meaningful steps forward to creating a level playing field for women and girls.
At ZAS, equity and inclusion are part of the corporate DNA, and the firm elevates and celebrates women every day. ZAS’ Canadian workforce is 53% female, with its Vancouver office tipping the scales at 83%. The firm fosters an inclusive workplace and leads by example, with gender parity at the senior leadership level.
“Empowering women in our studio is essential for our desire to drive innovation and foster diverse perspectives that lead to sustainable business growth. We believe in prioritizing gender equality. It enhances our competitive edge and creates inclusive solutions that shape a better future for all”
Gender is just one if the many diverse identities embraced and celebrated at ZAS. In fact, diversity is our superpower. We believe diversity of experiences, backgrounds, disciplines and expertise is essential to approach any challenge. ZAS is ahead of the curve at with 54% of its workforce identifying as female. But according to Canadian Architects Benchmark Report in 2023, the national representation of women architects is 37.9%. While this is up from 33% in 2016, it is still lower than other professions like medicine (45% female) and law (47% female).
It has been proven that organizations that operate with a diverse mindset are inherently happier, more productive, and more competitive in their industries. In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted a study of European businesses and found that those with a larger share of women in senior positions had significantly higher financial performance, especially in sectors where critical thinking, creativity, and knowledge work matter.
“Women in leadership roles at ZAS are crucial for fostering innovation, diversity, and inclusion. Our women-led teams enrich the design process, bringing unique experiences to the table and leading to innovative and sustainable design outcomes that address the needs of a wider community. I’m proud to manage our Vancouver studio and provide guidance and mentorship for our women leaders at ZAS”
#GenderEquality extends beyond representation and into daily business workflows + systems, where diversity of thought is welcomed, resulting in increased ROI. ZAS’ latest project, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus’ Sam Ibrahim Building is an innovation hub for the campus. Understanding the specific needs of higher-education students, ZAS designed a student wellness clinic on the top floor away from the classrooms, incorporated nursing rooms and quiet spaces for studying mothers.
Image: doublespace photography
As an architecture firm, ZAS’ practice is rooted in diversity of thought and ‘Design Thinking’, a framework that creatively fosters collaboration to solve problems in human-centered ways. As designers, we approach all matters through these five steps, whether creating an award-winning design for a post-secondary institution or enhancing employee engagement at the office:
1. Empathize
2. Define
3. Ideate
4. Prototype
5. Test
So today and every day ZAS invites individuals, colleagues, designers, business leaders and the entire architectural sector to prioritize women and accelerate action through:
1. Talent recruitment + retention: Employing, training and celebrating women
2. Mindful workplace ecosystems: Offering creative options like flexible hours and hybrid work environments
3. Design thinking principles: Applying an integrated, solutions-oriented approach to address systemic barriers like gender inequality
For more information about women in Canadian architecture and the 2023 Benchmark Report visit here. Together, let’s continue to #accelerateaction for #genderequality.
Tanya Phillipps is the Director of Business Development and Culture at ZAS Architects + Interiors. She leads various organizational verticals including new business, marketing, communications, and social impact.