5 minutes with … Margherita Pende at TFT

2026-08-28T06:00:00

The consultancy’s director and project manager on her transition from working as an architect, the industry’s mental health challenges, the female leaders who inspire her and her pizza connections

Why did you choose construction as a career?

From a young age I was fascinated by imagining how people might live in their homes in the future. When I was around 10 years old, I used to create an imaginary family and design their ideal living environment. I would start by drawing the plan and then move onto the elevations. It was like an old-school version of The Sims video game, I guess!

This interest led me to apply to study architecture at university, eventually qualifying as an architect.

After a few years in that role, I decided to move into project management following an interest in the wider project picture. I still have a strong fascination with imagining an initial concept and bringing it to life.

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