Arquitectas Latinas (ArLA) is a rapidly growing community of female Latin American architects in Australia, which focuses on professional development, connection and wellbeing. Established in January 2022, it began with an ArchiPicnic and only five members in Sydney, but has since grown to 500 members nationally. ArLA is based in seven capital cities across Australia – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart.
Membership and engagement
Our members are all female Latin American architects. However, most of our information is accessible to the public, and we have reached other architects – regardless of gender – from Australia and overseas through YouTube and social media.
With more than 500 members across Australia, we primarily engage with our community via WhatsApp groups. These chats focus on addressing members’ needs and organising both local and online activities.
Our team currently consists of 22 volunteers. Each city has two to three coordinators who report to the National Coordination team. We also have sub-groups managed by some of our city coordinators and additional members. These sub-groups include ArLA Village (support for mothers), Social Media, YouTube, Marketing, Graphics, Website Support, and APE Study Group Support for those enrolled in the registration process.
Motivation and aims
Dani Silva, ArLA’s founder, established the group after facing difficulties in securing a job with her overseas degree and lacking professional connections in Australia, finding only negativity regarding the possibility of working professionally.
She decided to create a community where members could support each other in transitioning into the architectural workforce. Today, ArLA serves as a support network for both newly arrived Latin American female architects and those already well-established in the construction and design industry.
ArLA helps Latin American women in architecture understand they are capable of succeeding in Australia without overextending themselves. We guide members on how the national and state systems work, and clarify the role of an architect in the industry, addressing common misconceptions.
We also provide networking opportunities, inspire members with peer success stories, and offer mutual support. ArLA creates a safe space to ease the transition into the Australian workforce, challenging the belief that migrant women lack qualifications, and emphasising their valuable skills.
Activities and projects
Each city tailors its activities to meet the interests of its local community. These activities range from our signature ArchiPicnic – a tradition that started with our group in Sydney – to networking events, exhibitions, and city walks. We have also partnered with architectural firms that have kindly opened their doors to our members, offering informative sessions about the profession.
Online, we connect through webinars focused on professional development and wellbeing. As immigrants, many of us have limited support networks, or none at all. Our community provides a safe space to discuss important topics, such as building self-confidence during the job search and coping with spending the holiday season away from family.
Future plans
In the short term, we aim to become a not-for-profit (NFP) organisation, which will allow us to secure sponsorships to fund our initiatives.
Our long-term goal is to continue expanding, both in scope and impact, by connecting our community with Australian companies, universities and other organisations that share our values and vision.
This will provide our members with better access to professional development courses and networking events. We also aim to promote Latin American architecture and innovation, enabling the Australian construction and design industries to better leverage our knowledge, experience and expertise.
Challenges
One of our main challenges has been securing sustainable funding to support the community’s activities and cover basic expenses. We never anticipated that creating and maintaining a community would involve such ongoing costs. As many of our members are still establishing their professional footing in Australia, we are working to find creative ways to keep our resources affordable.
Advice to others
Stay focused on your mission and vision – the reasons you started the organisation. This focus will help you create a plan to move forward and address any challenges that come up.
Contacts
Web: www.arlacommunity.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/arla.aus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arla-community-australia/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@arlacommunityaustralia?si=2vNeTok249Roa6v8
People can contact us by filling out the form on our website, and the national coordination team will get back to you. We are happy to connect with potential new members, discuss collaborations and sponsorship opportunities.
