From an early fascination with building design to a career dedicated to shaping the future of the built environment, Chloe Howarth, who is a Senior Architect at the Office for Design and Architecture SA, has been driven by curiosity, collaboration and continual growth.

What began as a childhood passion for imagining spaces evolved into a professional pursuit of architecture, first through study, then in practice and now through leadership in the digital transformation of the industry. Chloe’s path reflects a deep belief that architecture is more than design, it is a dialogue between people, technology and ideas, with the power to create spaces that connect and inspire.

Here Chloe talks about her passion for design and how to perfectly blend this with her enthusiasm for digital transformation and why she became part of Women in BIM.

I have always loved buildings. As a child I spent hours creating houses in computer games, tweaking layouts and imagining what it would feel like to live in them. That curiosity for design and how spaces make people feel is what first drew me to architecture.

After high school, I followed that passion into a Bachelor and Master of Architecture, eventually becoming a Registered Architect. But what I didn’t realise back then was that the real learning starts once you step into practice.

Those early years in the industry taught me a lot, how collaboration brings ideas to life, how communication and problem-solving drive every project and how creativity thrives when it’s shared. It was during this time that I began to see architecture as not just design, but a connection between people, disciplines and ideas.

That drive to keep learning (and to share what I had learned) led me to tutor at University of South Australia in Digital Communications. I have always been fascinated by where technology and creativity meet, where digital tools can push our ideas further instead of limiting them. That is really where my interest in the digital side of architecture began to grow.

After almost a decade in architectural practice, I moved into State Government at the Office for Design and Architecture SA (ODASA). It was a completely new experience and felt worlds apart from private practice, the first month I joked that everyone spoke another language (mostly acronyms!). Over the past two years, I have grown both professionally and personally, completing the buildingSMART Foundations accreditation and stepping into a BIM Advisor role. ODASA have supported my professional development and the empowerment of women in the industry – values closely aligned with Women in BIM’s (WIB) philosophy. This is one of the reasons I joined WIB as a Regional Lead in South Australia, to be part of a community that celebrates and supports women driving digital change across the built environment.

I still have a long journey ahead in developing further within the Built Digital field, but I hope to grow my network, learn from others and share knowledge with those following behind me. I believe the future of our profession is digital, but it is also human and it is strongest when everyone has a voice in shaping it.