Nancy
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Name and credentials:
Nancy Chew MAIBC
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City and country of birth:
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
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Education:
BA in Fine Arts 1985, BArch 1989 from University of British Columbia
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Achievements:
Charles Tiers Award, UBC Architecture School
Public Art Award of Excellence 2008 for “aboreus (after Rodchenko)” for Lynn Valley Library and Town Centre, District of North Vancouver
Public Art Award of Excellence 2009 for “out/look” for Mahon Park, City of North Vancouver
Public Art Recognition Award 2009 for “voyage” for Ventana Development, City of North Vancouver
5. A few of my favourite things:
my boys
my work
my partner in crime Jacqueline Metz MAIBC
living in Vancouver.
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Tell us about your practice as an architect.
I worked in architecture on and off for eight years amongst having babies, trying to get registered, and picking off my NCARB exams. I now have a practice that incorporates public art.
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What architectural work are you most proud of?
Hard to choose ….
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What was it that brought you to architecture?
I thought it would be a creative career.
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How many children do you have? Ages?
Two boys age 17 and 14.
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How do you manage to practice architecture while raising children and running a household?
Barely. With young children it is very challenging. Like all new mothers, they are in the back of one’s mind – whether you’re in the middle of a meeting or designing a building. Daycare and afterschool care were my children’s “home away from home”. I was very fortunate to have excellent care for my boys by very caring and skilled childcare givers. Participation in office culture, and the ability to work overtime, was near impossible as I was the primary parent – pick-up time was pick-up time. Fortunately, I had family to look after my children when they were sick – but if I hadn’t, I don’t know how I would have managed. Now that they are teenagers, and wonderful teenagers at that, being a single parent is easy. I credit that to the excellent care they had as small children by skilled caregivers and being surrounded by family. It does take a village to raise a child.
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Can you recall an instance where the dual responsibilities of being a parent and an architect came to a head?
Just one instance? I’m afraid there were many. I don’t think that this is exclusive to being an architect. I suppose that’s why I started my own practice: flexibility.
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Do you think that being a parent has actually influenced your approach to architecture?
No.
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“There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall.”
- Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise, 1938
What do you think about this quote?
Didactic, exclusive and dated. Architecture/art comes from life.
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What is the best piece of advice you would give to a would-be parent/architect?
Deadlines are arbitrary.
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If you could change public policy that impacts on child-rearing, what would that be?
Anything and everything that equalizes the parental role between men and women.