Zaha Hadid Architects' gender pay gap widens sharply as UK studios show mixed progress

Zaha Hadid Architects' median hourly gender pay gap more than doubled to 14.5% this year, up from 6.3% in 2024/25, according to the latest UK government data. This places the studio's disparity close to its 2023/24 figure of 15.8%. The firm's mean hourly pay gap has held steady at approximately 22% for three consecutive annual reports. A spokesperson asserted that equivalent roles receive equal pay, attributing the statistical shift to a higher proportion of young women architects joining at entry-level positions. The studio also reported one of architecture's largest bonus pay disparities, with women's median bonus pay 33.8% lower than men's. In contrast, many other UK architecture studios narrowed their gaps: Foster + Partners reduced its median pay gap to 10% from 12.3%, while Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Gensler, and Allies and Morrison also showed improvements. BDP and Sheppard Robson were among firms with widening gaps, though Sheppard Robson's 11.6% remains below the national average of 12.8%. Corstorphine & Wright reported one of the sector's largest gaps at 25.4%, an improvement from 32.9%. HDR, an architecture and engineering firm, showed a median wage disparity of 41.1%. UK companies with over 250 employees must report these figures annually. The data follows a 2025 RIBA-commissioned report that highlighted pervasive sexism in UK architecture.