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I was going to write my column comparing the latest news from Cern with the antics on the X Factor (a piece about risk and unpredictability, you understand) but I found myself, entirely unexpectedly, crying as I read a piece in the Observer by Gaby Hinsliff, its former political editor, about her decision to resign to spend more time with her young son. So I鈥檝e changed tack to write about what is really on my mind.

Generally, I don鈥檛 spend time thinking about being a woman working in a male-dominated profession: it鈥檚 not an issue but simply the status quo. I鈥檝e rarely felt discriminated against and I鈥檓 generally taken seriously, except by the odd rep who thinks I鈥檓 the office assistant and in a rather pathetic way, at my age, I feel faintly flattered. I don鈥檛 participate in women-only shows because I want to be judged with my peers, most of whom happen to be men. And I don鈥檛 believe women design differently from men.

There have been years where I was the only woman in the office, although now we鈥檙e almost 50/50. Without doubt that makes for a better, more interesting working environment, but I鈥檝e never taken someone on just because of their sex. It is only recently that we鈥檝e had architects with young children in our office (both guys, as it happens) but however equal or not our society is, I don鈥檛 think it will ever feel quite the same for men. That鈥檚 not to say their contribution as parents is less than ours, but we鈥檙e given the gift of childbirth and with that comes certain responsibilities and feelings and if it鈥檚 this that sets us apart from the boys, well so be it. It is a privilege not a burden and we鈥檙e fortunate to live in an age where we can chose to enact it or not.

I wrote the report for our competition entry for the Lord鈥檚 Media Centre in hospital the day after my son was born. A bit extreme, but it was a crucial deadline 鈥�

But why did I cry? What cord did Hinsliff鈥檚 piece pull? Because goodness knows there have been enough articles and books about this subject over the years. Probably because my son is on the cusp of manhood, the tables are turning and that has caused me to reflect on the way it was. The issue of whether or not I鈥檇 continue working after having a child never occurred to me. I work because I love it. I spent a long time in education to get where I am, and I derive enormous pleasure from the work I do and the people I work with. I find it fulfilling and frustrating in equal measure. I may have the odd moan about being permanently exhausted but I wouldn鈥檛 really have it any other way. I鈥檓 privileged to be able to afford a lot of help and I鈥檓 very dependent on those who support me.

I wrote the report for our competition entry for the Lord鈥檚 Media Centre in hospital the day after my son was born. A bit extreme, but it was a crucial deadline. I was in any event insanely happy and living on postnatal endorphins. I don鈥檛 regret winning the job.

There were tragi-comic moments. On my way to a planning committee meeting with a client, my six year old rang from his nanny鈥檚 phone in the street outside his karate class to say he was desperate to go to the loo 鈥� and the story unfolded in graphic detail over the airways. There was the time I lifted my son out of bed in the middle of the night to show me how to use Sky so I could watch myself on 精东影视night Review.

There was the time I lifted my son out bed in the middle of the night to show me how to use Sky so I could watch myself on 精东影视night Review

And there were many special moments with my son that had nothing to do with holidays, being around at half term or staying at home most nights 鈥� these moments happen when they happen and they can鈥檛 be planned. There are times I鈥檝e longed to get back to work after interminable holidays and times I鈥檝e wished they would last forever.

There鈥檚 no right or wrong way; you just have to find your way of doing it. Your values don鈥檛 become distorted because you work long hours, it鈥檚 just that logistics are more complicated. It鈥檚 more a question of balance. I鈥檝e obviously written this from a personal perspective but finding a work鈥搇ife balance is as pertinent for men as women. Paternity leave is not always taken up. One could put that down to a macho work culture, but I think it鈥檚 more to do with men not addressing balance in the way that women have over the past few decades, and it鈥檚 about time they did.

Money is a benefit but it鈥檚 not the reason I work. At the weekend, in a petrol station with my young niece we decided to buy a lottery ticket. I had an angst-filled moment as I fantasised about how I鈥檇 feel if I won millions, as there would no longer be the need to work. But it didn鈥檛 take me long to figure out nothing much would change. Do I work to support my son? No, I work for myself. But as my son becomes a man I just hope he will be as proud of me as I am of him.