Shelley Penn

Shelley Penn Architect, Melbourne

Shelley Penn.

Photography: Paul Bradshaws

As a sole practitioner architect who combines design with government advisory, advocacy and writing, Shelley Penn has been instrumental in pushing for gender equity and greater diversity in the profession.

I interviewed her during her term as national president of the AIA, when she took on the unpaid role for one year to draw greater attention to those important issues.

“I thought, ‘that’s a lot of work’, but I saw it as an honour and an opportunity to try to inspire others, especially women and sole practitioners.” - Shelley Penn

You can read the full story here.

Photography by Paul Bradshaw.

STEEL PROFILE®, BlueScope and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited © 2026 BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved. Article originally published: https://steelprofile.steelselect.com.au/editions/115