Frasers Property awards 2022 Architecture Scholarship for Women

• Maryann Aziz named scholarship recipient for 2022
• Two-year scholarship is worth $60,000, open to Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) students at Western Sydney University
• Initiative encourages women to pursue careers in architecture, build greater diversity 

Frasers Property Australia has named university graduate Maryann Aziz the second recipient of its $60,000 scholarship designed to encourage more women to advance their careers in architecture.

The Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) Scholarship for Women is worth $30,000 per year across the two-year Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) course at Western Sydney University and is open to both full-time and part-time students who have completed undergraduate studies in architecture.

“I’m the first woman in my immediate family to study architecture,” Maryann says.

“Mum’s uncle was one of the first architects in my home country, who established many buildings there. So, it’s a huge honour to be doing this.”

Maryann believes that architecture is different from most other disciplines in that it reflects human diversity and brings people together, citing the Green Square Library in inner Sydney as one such example.

“The forms are quite simple, but the way it draws people in and becomes a meeting place for the city, I think is so beautiful,” Maryann says.

Following the completion of her studies, Maryann hopes to follow in the footsteps of her idol, British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid, one of the first women to break the glass ceiling within the architecture industry worldwide.

“I really hope that in the coming years, the industry is celebrated as much for its diversity as it is for its creativity,” she says.

It is a vision shared by Frasers Property Australia, explains Nicholle Sparkes, General Manager Delivery and Operations.

“Architecture, and the wider property industry, have long been male-dominated, which is why initiatives such as the Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) Scholarship for Women are so important – to encourage and support more women into the field,” says Ms Sparkes.

“Diversity enriches everything we do, from our daily working lives to the built environments we create for current and future generations.

“As a WGEA (Workplace Gender Equality Act) Employer of Choice, and one of the only property-related companies in Australia to achieve this citation, Frasers Property is proud to continue as a sponsor of the scholarship and encourage more talented women like Maryann to forge successful careers in our industry.”

Dean of the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Professor Mike Kagioglou, commended Frasers Property Australia for their ongoing commitment to the next generation of female architects and offered his congratulations to Maryann.

"Western Sydney University is incredibly proud to partner with Frasers Property Australia on the Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) Scholarship for Women which is supporting a second talented student,” says Professor Mike Kagioglou.

“The scholarship will connect Maryann to one of Australia’s leading property developers with strong connections to Sydney’s west, providing valuable support and professional development opportunities.”

Maryann is the second recipient of the Frasers Property Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) Scholarship for Women, after Sarah Abu Dareb was awarded the inaugural scholarship in October 2020.

Now in the final stages of her Masters degree, Sarah also congratulated Maryann and wished her all the best with her studies.

“The Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation) Scholarship for Women helped shape my academic development, provided me with an opportunity to embark on my career as an urban designer and heightened my confidence in the field,” says Sarah.

“I have no doubt that Maryann, too, is able to use this wonderful opportunity for her academic growth and build her career in the design industry."

Western Sydney University’s Master of Architecture (Urban Transformation), led jointly by Chair of Architecture, Professor Paul Sanders and Professor Peter Poulet, is the only course of its kind in western Sydney and offers students access to real-world learning opportunities, including Australia’s once-in-a-generation infrastructure projects underway such as the Aerotropolis that are set to transform the western Sydney region.

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