Leading and emerging women working in architecture and construction discussed the experience of working in both fields at a talk held in Knauf's London showroom.

Moderated by Dezeen's assistant editor India Block, the talk took in insights from the panel of leading and emerging women about the experience of working in architecture and construction.

The panel explored what challenges women working in both fields face and what can be done to support and encourage women to make their mark on the industry.

On the panel is Bryony Spottiswoode from Hopkins Architects, Helen Taylor of Woods Bagot and Aaliyah Lawal from Black Females in Architecture.

Spottiswoode is a project architect from London-based firm Hopkins Architects, which has recently completed a massive renovation of a 1960s building at Harvard University. 

Taylor is a senior associate at the London studio of global architectural practice Woods Bagot. She has over 17 years of experience working in architecture and construction and has recently been leading the design of the Londoner, a hospitality scheme set to open in London's Leicester Square in 2020.

Woods Bagot has recently completed the last stage of a weathered beach house in Australia that has been 20 years in the making and was last year chosen to design a major new contemporary art museum in Adelaide together with Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Lawal is a committee member of the London-based network Black Females in Architecture, a group dedicated to promoting the visibility and inclusivity of black and black-mixed-heritage women in the architecture and construction industries.

The group organises meet ups, talks and workshops to foster opportunities and networks for young women working to establish themselves in the field of architecture and other industries within the built environment.

Lawal also works as an architectural assistant in Make Architects' London studio.

This was the third in a line of talks hosted by Dezeen in Knauf's London showroom, which opened last year during Clerkenwell Design Week.

Previous talks explored the motivations driving the next generation of architects and how digital tools are shaping the architecture industry.

Dezeen hosts and livestreams talks and panel discussions from around the world. Recent examples include a talk on the circular economy in architecture held at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven and a talk with speculative architect Liam Young about how drones are changing our cityscape.