Women Practice Architecture

Women continue to be extremely under-represented in the architectural profession. Despite equal numbers of male and female students entering architectural studies, there is at least 17-25% attrition of female students and not all remaining become practicing architects. In both the academic and the professional fields of architecture, positions of power and authority are almost entirely male, and as such, the profession is defined by a heterosexual, Eurasian male perspective. This book argues that it is vital for all architectural students and practitioners to be exposed to a diversity of contemporary architectural practices, as this might provide a first step into broadening awareness and transforming architectural engagement. It considers the relationships between feminist methodologies and the various approaches toward design and their impact upon our understanding and relationship to the built environment. In doing so, this collection challenges two conventional ideas: firstly, the definition of architecture and secondly, what constitutes a feminist practice. This collection of up-and-coming female architects and designers use a wide range of local and global examples of their work to question different aspects of these two conventional ideas. While focusing on feminist perspectives, the book offers insights into many different issues, concerns and interpretations of architecture, proposing through these types of engagement, architecture can become more culturally, politically and environmentally relevant. This 'next generation' of architects claim feminism as their own and through doing so, help define what feminism means and how it is evolving in the 21st century.

A timely and important search for architecture's missing women For a century and a half, women have been proving their passion and talent for building and, in recent decades, their enrollment in architecture schools has soared. Yet the number of women working as architects remains stubbornly low, and the higher one looks in the profession, the scarcer women become. Law and medicine, two equally demanding and traditionally male professions, have been much more successful in retaining and integrating women. So why do women still struggle to keep a toehold in architecture? Where Are the Women Architects? tells the story of women's stagnating numbers in a profession that remains a male citadel, and explores how a new generation of activists is fighting back, grabbing headlines, and building coalitions that promise to bring about change. Despina Stratigakos's provocative examination of the past, current, and potential future roles of women in the profession begins with the backstory, revealing how the field has dodged the question of women's absence since the nineteenth century. It then turns to the status of women in architecture today, and the serious, entrenched hurdles they face. But the story isn't without hope, and the book documents the rise of new advocates who are challenging the profession's boys' club, from its male-dominated elite prizes to the erasure of women architects from Wikipedia. These advocates include Stratigakos herself and here she also tells the story of her involvement in the controversial creation of Architect Barbie. Accessible, frank, and lively, Where Are the Women Architects? will be a revelation for readers far beyond the world of architecture.

Women architects in Canada have reacted with ingenuity to the architectural profession's restrictive and sometimes discriminatory practices, contributing major innovations in practice and design to the field.

The image of the architect is undeniably gendered. While the male architect might be celebrated as the ideal man in Hollywood romantic comedies, blessed with practicality and creativity in equal measure to impeccable taste and an enviable lifestyle, the image of the woman architect is not so clear cut. While women have been practicing and excelling in architecture for more than a hundred years, their professional identity, as constructed in the media, is complex and sometimes contradictory. This book explores the working lives and aspirations of women in architectural practice, but more than this it explores how popular media – newspapers, magazines, and websites – serve to define and describe who a woman architect should be, what she should look like and how she should behave. Looking further, into the way that professional characteristics are reinforced through awards like the Pritzker Prize, the book demonstrates how idealised characteristics such as sensitivity and vision are seen to be neither entirely masculine nor feminine, but instead a complex hybrid owing much to historic concepts of genius. Drawing on history, sociology, media analysis and feminist theories of architectural practice, the book will be of interest to all of those who seek to better understand the image and identity of the architect. This book was published as a double special issue of Architectural Theory Review.

All the architects in this book deserve international recognition. The reality is, though, that few are household names. Over the last decade, awareness of the need for gender balance in architecture has gained traction. Within the profession, women remain underrepresented, underpromoted and underpaid. Failure to acknowledge women’s contribution to the built environment has perpetuated this cycle and impoverished us all. By showcasing 100 exceptional architects – who happen to be women – this book provides a flagship reference to inspire and support everyone working in the profession, no matter how they identify. Global in outlook, the book presents an equitable sample of architects from every continent. We all need heroines as much as heroes. Through illustrated interviews, each woman shares how they are responding to a profound disconnect between architecture and the people and landscape it serves. Their visions, methods and models of leadership are essential to connecting the needs of humans and the planet. In the words of Indigenous Canadian architect Eladia Smoke: ‘Now is a critical time to seek out every opportunity to transmit this knowledge to future generations.’ Featuring: 100 interviews with leading women architects, including: Tatiana Bilbao, Odile Decq, Liz Diller, Julia Gamolina, Dorte Mandrup and Farshid Moussavi. Over 400 photographs and drawings. Geographically balanced selection, with profiles across every continent.

Architecture needs women. How can the built environment be designed without the expert input of half the population? In spite of the significant number of women choosing to study architecture as undergraduates, once qualified women remain in the minority. As professionals their expertise is often overlooked, their work devalued and their contribution to the canon forgotten. Yet women’s work is critical to the sustainability of a profession that must aspire to design high-quality buildings for the whole of society. How can architecture attract, recruit and retain women? And how can women find ways to thrive within it? Underpinned by inclusion, internationalism and intersectionality, this practical guide looks back as well as forward, exploring the history of women working in architecture as well as interrogating the contemporary landscape. It provides guidance, tips and examples for navigating key points in an architect’s career, including education, practice, projects and promotion. Inspiring case studies of women and women-led practices consider what success means, and how to negotiate a route to a fruitful career and a balanced life as an architect. The book covers women architects from all walks of life, all sizes of practice and from all over the world, including Jeanne Gang, Yasmeen Lari and Anupama Kundoo as well as many other historical and contemporary women architects and emerging practices. Featuring guidance on: Understanding the barriers and history of women in architecture Expanding the opportunities and visibility of women in leading roles The importance of role models and mentoring. With a foreword by Jane Duncan OBE PPRIBA.

The image of the architect is undeniably gendered. While the male architect might be celebrated as the ideal man in Hollywood romantic comedies, blessed with practicality and creativity in equal measure to impeccable taste and an enviable lifestyle, the image of the woman architect is not so clear cut. While women have been practicing and excelling in architecture for more than a hundred years, their professional identity, as constructed in the media, is complex and sometimes contradictory. This book explores the working lives and aspirations of women in architectural practice, but more than this it explores how popular media – newspapers, magazines, and websites – serve to define and describe who a woman architect should be, what she should look like and how she should behave. Looking further, into the way that professional characteristics are reinforced through awards like the Pritzker Prize, the book demonstrates how idealised characteristics such as sensitivity and vision are seen to be neither entirely masculine nor feminine, but instead a complex hybrid owing much to historic concepts of genius. Drawing on history, sociology, media analysis and feminist theories of architectural practice, the book will be of interest to all of those who seek to better understand the image and identity of the architect. This book was published as a double special issue of Architectural Theory Review.

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