The women shaping Limberlost Place

Breaking ground, breaking barriers

In the construction and architecture world, where women have historically been underrepresented, the women of Limberlost Place have carved out space for themselves and future generations.

"I think my entire life I've had such strong female role models," shares Nerys Rau, Director of Design and Construction and Project Director for Limberlost Place. "I was brought up with the idea that I could do anything I wanted to."

This foundation of confidence helped Rau navigate challenges in an industry where women often feel pressure to prove themselves. "For women, that's one of the biggest challenges because you're so intent on finding your way in this male-dominated industry," she explains. "Some younger women think that the worst thing they can do is put up their hand and say, 'I'm not sure, or I don't understand.' But I think that helped me with the challenge of being the only woman around the table because you get used to being able to admit that you don't know."

Carol Phillips, Partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects, echoes this experience: "It takes a level of comfort to say that. And I was comfortable at that point. It's certainly not anything I would have done the first day I showed up." Now, Phillips mentors younger women in her firm, telling them, "If you need to leave early, leave early. Don't feel that you've been given this choice that you have to make between work and family commitments. Know that we're here to support you."

Building sustainable futures

Limberlost Place stands as a beacon of innovation, with its mass-timber structure, solar chimneys, deep lake water cooling, and green roof representing the future of sustainable design.

"This will be the first mass-timber building of its size, for its type of use, which is really inspiring," states Michelle McCollum, Vice-President of Facilities and Sustainability. "It's a once-in-a-career opportunity to do something and be involved in something that is so innovative, that's different, that's quite frankly, changing the world."

“Part of the incredible beauty about the Limberlost project is that it's always been creative problem solving,” says Phillips.” We’re part of something really big and beautiful, meaningful and purposeful. Sustainability has always been in our DNA at the firm, and we couldn't have imagined a more progressive and aspirational project than this one.”

Lakshmi Sundararajan, Project Coordinator at PCL Construction, sees the building as revolutionary: "I always see this building as something from the future." Beyond its environmental impact, she notes its human significance: "I see this building draw people from the rest of the world to come here and look at all these awesome and innovative design components. I don't think a lot of buildings can do that."

Constructing inclusion

For these women, Limberlost Place represents more than architectural innovation—it embodies a shift toward inclusivity in the industry.

"International Women's Day is important because it provides a platform to highlight women's achievements across all industries. But importantly, in construction, where historically we've been underrepresented," explains Chloe Dagenais, Building Systems Coordinator at PCL Construction. "When we see women in leadership roles or on a job site, it inspires and encourages future generations."

Leslie Quinlan, Senior Vice-President of People Enablement and Experience, emphasizes the ripple effect of visibility, "It really inspires other women, the acknowledgement of the many contributions of women in this building and allows other women to be inspired to also be trailblazers and go into an industry they might not have thought about before."