Insights What it feels like to come home: meet Alexandra Danciulescu, Principal Architect at Atkins

Tell us a bit about yourself? My name is Alexandra Danciulescu and I am Romanian. Being born and growing in a country at the confluence of East and West allowed me to be very adaptable to various cultures and this has proven to be a great advantage. At a very young age, I knew two things: that I wanted to travel, and be an architect. I have been very fortunate to achieve both of my wishes.

I have completed my first Master’s degree in Romania with a major in Architecture and minor in History and Theory, followed by my second one in Germany in Advanced Architectural Design. Having had the opportunity to expand my horizons during my studies by interacting with amazing professionals influenced my choices later on and led me to a career that took me from Germany to Netherlands, Qatar, India and then UAE. I am deeply grateful for the professional opportunities I have been given in the past 15 years, the people I met and the projects I was part of.

What inspired you to become an architect?

I have chosen to be an architect since I was seven and never doubted my choice. Both of my parents are architects and growing up talking about buildings was part of our everyday lives. I admired my mother in particular. She has always cherished her work and have been an example for both my sister and I to follow our dreams even when times were hard. I loved seeing designs appear on paper and then rising from the ground, as well as the happiness of the clients when a project is finished and their dream, no matter how small, has become reality. Of course, I also saw the hard work that comes with that, but I believe it is all worth it in the end. I wanted to be part of that.

You left Atkins, and recently re-joined, why is that?

When I first joined Atkins, a member of the AtkinsRéalis Group, I had the opportunity to work on Route 2020, the extension of the Dubai Metro to Expo 2020, and it was the first time I got involved with Rail design (previously having worked mostly on Hospitality and Mixed use design). In the Route 2020 project team, I found people that helped me grow and learn, but also helped me be a better person. They opened my eyes about how transport projects change the city and help making a better life for millions of people. I believe that was the moment I realized that I will try to work on as many transport projects as I can and that was one of the reasons that brought me back to the company in 2022. Of course that was not the only one, I appreciate the fact that the company offers a close interaction with all disciplines, growth opportunities, an inclusive and diverse work environment, and flexibility. When I returned, it felt like coming home and I knew it was the right decision.

What is a typical day like for a Principal Architect?

There is no typical day for a Principal Architect and this is one of the things I love about my profession. I generally start my day going through my emails and identify the priorities for the day, then most likely there are client meetings. During lunch I try to spend some time with my colleagues and have 15-20 minutes of down time. The afternoon is reserved for internal meetings, workshops with the teams I collaborate with and preparing for next day meetings. No day is the same, particularly in the ME region where the projects are very large. One day you may have to challenge the perception on traditional planning or design, the other day think about how we can achieve the most efficient or sustainable solution. The scale also changes from interiors to large scale projects. One must be adaptable, efficient, understand very quickly what a client or project requires and take decisions that keep all those factors in mind. The most important skill as a Principal Architect is to be able to switch from a global to a detail perspective and never forget what the goals of a project are. The only downside of leading projects is that I don’t get time to actually design, however that is compensated by the energy I get seeing young architects grow and being able to contribute to that.

What’s the best thing about being a Principal Architect?

I would say there are a few, but for me the best thing is working with people and for people. Behind each project there are hundreds of people who work hard and put all their energy in getting the best result. Behind each building there are clients, people who inhabit them, people that build them. Every line we put on paper, changes so many things so we bear a lot of responsibility to take the best decisions.

What is the most challenging thing about your job?

Time. In the Middle East everything moves so fast, faster than anywhere else I have worked. This is both a good thing and a challenging thing. The work I do absorbs all my energy and there is very less left after. Sometimes I wish we could slow down a bit, but that is not an option. It is part of achieving big goals. And it’s a choice we have to make.

What advice would you give other females who want to become architects in the Middle East?

I would say the first one is not to believe in gender stereotypes. I have worked in the Middle East for most of my career and I was always given the same opportunities the same as my male colleagues. Many clients, particularly in public institutions are women. Companies also make it a point to promote equality and this is visible. In general, I believe this is a place where women can thrive and develop. Second is to trust themselves and pursue their dreams.

How do you think we can encourage more women to study architecture?

I try not to influence people’s decision, women or men, as I think it is very personal and comes with both pros and cons. The only thing I can say is that I am very happy with my choice. It is a demanding profession, so spend time to understand what it implies, but if you truly enjoy what you do, this is a very rewarding path to follow.