Evelien
Interior Architect
& Space Planner
"If you want to do something and enjoy doing it, you are capable of anything."
- Name: Evelien Menu
- Age: 34
- Studies: Interior Architecture (University of Antwerp)
- Position: Interior Architect & Space Planner
- Hobbies: Photography, designing clothes and walking
The 34-year-old Evelien Menu works as an Interior Architect & Space Planner at VINCI Facilities and accompanies clients from A to Z on a daily basis. This includes developing creative concepts, creating concrete plans, and finally executing the projects.
What makes your job so exciting?
Evelien: Ever since high school, my interests lay in the creative disciplines and it is this creative aspect that drew me to my current job. Besides creative tasks, I am also partly responsible for the administrative follow-up of the projects. Although that may sound monotonous, there is enough variety. Every day I am faced with various new challenges that require a different approach. Furthermore, there is enough room to work autonomously, which for me demonstrates VINCI Energies’ confidence in my skills. However, if I need help at some point, someone is always there for me.
Do you manage to find a good balance between your work and your family?
Evelien: It’s not always easy. I am a mother of two children and therefore decided to work 4/5 over five days. I am very happy that VINCI Energies offers this option, because it gives me the chance to stand at the school gate every day and spend more time with my children. I attach great importance to that.
Is working with men different from working with women?
Evelien: In the space planning team, I only work with other women, although VINCI Facilities mainly has male employees. There are also almost exclusively men on site. Men are men, women are women: they are equivalent but not the same. So there are some differences in terms of collaboration, but that doesn’t cause any problems and the collaboration always goes smoothly for me in both cases.
However, when I used to arrive on site to discuss a project, a construction worker would sometimes look up in surprise or give a condescending comment, such as: “Yes, girl, explain.” If I came up with a substantiated explanation, however, they respected me immediately. I don’t think this is meant to be mean, but believe that it is rather due to the fact that women are still not considered the norm in the technical sector. My age probably also played a role, as I was younger at the time. Women who are interested in working in the technology sector should certainly not be afraid of being accepted, my experience with this is generally positive. In addition, my parents always taught me that if you want to do something and you enjoy doing it, you are capable of anything.
