Cosentino celebrates International Women’s Month with the return of Deep Dive in Design with Kelley Cheng

Honouring International Women’s Month, Cosentino returns with Deep Dive in Design, a collaborated series with Kelley Cheng of Studio SML, focused on celebrating the women in the creative and design industry by giving them the much deserved platform to showcase themselves. Having worked with several women designers in the past, this was the perfect opportunity to honour them and shine a spotlight on them!

Held on Thursday, 14th March, at Cosentino City Showroom, Deep Dive in Design featured Lee May Anne, Principal Architect at Makk Architects, Gwen Tan, Founder of Studio IF, and Jacqueline Yeo, Co-Founder of PLYstudio Architects. The talk gathered close to 100 guests, and was moderated by Kelley Cheng, Founder and Creative Director of The Press Room and Studio SML.

The event focused on uncovering the lives of the three featured guests, highlighting their achievements and accomplishments throughout their years in the industry. The speakers also talked about their personal takes and philosophies on the craft, highlighting their various projects.

“Like a chef, we as designers have ingredients. A lot of the time, how we play around with these ingredients, is what makes it more special”, believes Gwen Tan, contributing to the discussion. Having worked on various projects in an island nation like Singapore, as well as overseas, Gwen has observed over her years in the field that ideas and strategies are almost always constricted, which leads ‘project-hungry’ designers here to look for “the right perspective, and the ability to turn similar ingredients into totally different dishes.”

Adding to the discussion, Lee May Anne stated, “When you build functions, you build buildings. When you build ideas, you build architecture”. Understanding the local versus international landscape, Lee May notes that “we are shaped within this highly urbanised environment to refine strategies and ideas, and to distil whatever it is that we're looking for, both inwards and outwards”, which aligns with her philosophy of embracing the familiar within the unfamiliar, and vice versa.

As women in this male-dominated industry, the three speakers shed light on their limitations and obstacles faced throughout their journey. Jacqueline Yeo commented on the autonomy and power of decision-making (and the lack thereof), stating that it is often only acknowledged and recognised through one’s own practice. She adds, “The fact that we are women in architecture, we do need to empower women to join us in this field to make their own life choices.”

Cosentino has always believed in pushing the boundaries of the industry, by providing the tools and platforms needed for industry personnel to boost themselves. This includes creating events and talks like Deep Dive in Design, where the design community can learn, get inspired and connect with other professionals, at the time they showcase their work. The Deep Dive in Design series doesn’t end here, with three more exciting talks in the helms, to be conducted quarterly at Cosentino City. Details about upcoming dates will be provided soon.