2025 Women in Construction: Victoria Ponce de Leon, P.E., TYLin International

What is one project or achievement in your career that you are most proud of, and how did it impact your organization or community?

The Whitney Museum of American Art was the first time I worked on a sophisticated architectural design as part of a very large team. I collaborated with the architect on two feature stairs: one hung like a chandelier as a focal point of the galleries in the heart of the building. The ongoing Waldorf Astoria renovation is a very complex project comprising more than one million s/f with 80% of the footprint located over functional Metro-North Railroad tracks. Major challenges were growing as a project manager, managing our team, and working with client and project teams.

What trends or innovations do you believe will shape the future of your field, and how are you positioning yourself (or your firm) to be at the forefront?

Perhaps a new “old” trend: adaptive reuse and renovation. It’s great to see that owners are embracing adaptive reuse, specifically in the face of climate change. As pioneers in historic preservation engineering and experts in complex building renovations, we have massive knowledge of structural systems used in the NYC area and have completed thousands of projects. Adaptive reuse and renovation are not radical ideas and will continue to shape structural engineering as we reduce embodied carbon in the built environment.

Who or what has inspired you most in your career, and what advice would you share with the next generation of women entering the A/E/C industry?

I was inspired by the strong women in my family. My grandmother was an Italian immigrant who started her own hairdressing business in the 1950s in Queens when that was unheard of. Her daughter, my mother, was the first to graduate from college and worked full-time as a teacher and guidance counselor. Their tenacity and persistence were impressive. I’m also inspired by the women at TYLin and in the A/E/C industry. I’m on the board of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation and am impressed by the enormous expertise of the board members, many of whom are leaders at their firms.

Do you have a hidden talent or a surprising fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?

Recently I wrote and illustrated a children’s story inspired by a bedtime tale I told my two sons. 

What’s your favorite way to recharge or get inspired outside of work?

Cooking allows me to recharge, is an act of love, and gives me space to be creative and focused.