At the 6th annual National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC) Awards held in Perth, 48 finalists across nine categories were featured.
Environmental sustainability manager for Lendlease’s Communities Business in WA, Nadja Kampfhenkel, was awarded the John Holland Social Responsibility in Construction Award.
Kampfhenkel was responsible for the implementation of a Builders Construction Waste Recycling Program for the Alkimos Beach development, which achieved a 90% recycling rate with participating builders.
She has also played a key role in implementing a Behaviour Change Program for residents that included sustainable living workshops, an eco-coaching program and an Australian first -a community scale battery storage trial, which resulted in the community being awarded a 6 star Green Star Community award.
As part of an exclusive three-part series on the winners of this year’s NAWIC awards, Inside Construction discusses the role of women in construction and the level playing field Kempfhenkel has found at Lendlease.
How important is it to recognise women in construction?
It’s fantastic that women who work in the Australian construction and development industry are recognised by NAWIC and other industry associations. It highlights the contribution women make to the industry and motivates and empowers other women to follow suit.
I believe women are generally more reluctant to step up and say, “Hey, look what I achieved”. If it weren’t for one of my previous managers, who is a female role model in the construction industry herself and encouraged me to nominate for the NAWIC award, I probably would never have found the courage to do so.
What is your role in the company you work for?
I am the Sustainability Manager for our Western Australia Communities business. I am mainly responsible for implementing best practice carbon management and water conservation opportunities at our master planned communities in WA, including Alkimos Beach.
I also manage Lendlease’s requirements to enhance and protect the natural environment, including those covered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, for our WA Communities projects.
What made you want to work in construction?
I was brought up in a gender equal household and never felt that women cannot achieve the same things as men.
My father is a mechanical engineer and had his own business in the construction industry, so I was exposed to the sector at a very young age and I was always giving my dad a hand to fix things around our house.
I started my career as a design engineer for a façade engineering company in Germany that did some very high profile projects, like the Sony Centre on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. I am very proud to be part of a team that made this project happen. It’s incredibly rewarding seeing the end result of something you built.
I am also passionate about reducing our impact on the environment and studied environmental and quality management.
The combination of design engineering and environmental and quality management have allowed me to carry out the job I have today.
What challenges have you faced in the sector?
I was the only woman in my year group when I studied engineering at a small university in Berlin, Germany. It wasn’t always easy being accepted by tradespeople when working on building sites, lecturers who were still getting used to the idea of women working in the industry and even fellow students.
I wanted to become an engineer because I had an interest in the practical side of things and felt passionate about seeing a project come to fruition and having been part of the process.
Fortunately, I’ve had family, friends and mentors that have supported me along the way and given me the energy and courage to continue on my path. Being a mum of twin girls and wanting to work part-time in my profession was another challenge when I came to Australia. Fortunately there have been companies that started offering flexible work arrangements 10 years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Does the sector have or need to have an equality movement?
I am fortunate to work for a company like Lendlease that is committed to a level playing field giving women and men the same chance to succeed as we know this hasn’t always been the case for women in our industry and society.
At Lendlease, we allocate resources and programs and make decisions fairly without any discrimination on the basis of gender. It also means we address any imbalances in the benefits available to men and women. It is about ensuring everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources to reach their full potential.
Is it important to reach out to girls in schools and universities and encouraging them to pursue a career in construction?
The options for women in the construction industry are plentiful so why wouldn’t you want to encourage girls and young women to work in that sector. I strongly believe the sector can only benefit from employing more women.
What does the future look like for women considering a career in construction and where would you like to see women in the future?
Diversity and inclusion is at its best when people encourage difference. This means having the courage to do things differently by questioning and challenging stereotypes because it’s the right thing to do. That’s why Lendlease are making important steps in the areas of flexible work, inclusive leadership and gender equity, and working closely with industry groups like NAWIC.
However, I feel we still have a long way to go, but with the strong female role models that work in the Australian construction industry and the advocacy work being done by NAWIC, I am sure we will tackle these and other issues as well.