Embedded Files
*November 10, 2022: "Northwest Women in Design" presented by DoCoMoMoWeWA
*September 13, 2019 "Architecture2020: Legacies of Architectural Influence" in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest
"Through an impressive range of work and media, these 5 Seattle women spread the early word of our distinct brand of Northwest Modern design"
*March 2020 Architizer: "50 Women Rocking the World of Architecture"
*January 2019: "Over 80 architect-activists join Women's March on NYC"
*December 2018: Karen Braitmayer honored with 2019 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award
*May 12, 2018: "A MODERN WOMAN: Pioneering architect Audrey Van Horne has designed exactly how she lives: simply, collaboratively, and inspiringly" (The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest)*May 2018 WOMEN4WOMEN HOUSESWomen Building Tiny House Village / Whittier Heights (8032 15th Ave NW, Seattle WA), to provide a safe and dignified space for 20 chronically homeless female residents.
Inviting skilled tradeswomen to lead the crews building 10 of the houses in this village, and to teach less experienced women and children about building, painting and putting on the finishing touches to the whole village of Tiny Houses
STATISTICS on women architects, landscape architects, & engineers in WA (July 2018, according to WA Department of Licensing):
Architects: 1,254 women = 18.5%; Landscape Architects: 293 women = 35.1%; Engineers: 2,809 women = 10.4%
*2017 Pioneering Women of American Architecture
*2017 publication by Seattle architect Barbara Erwine: Creating Sensory Spaces: The Architecture of the Invisible
*January 2017: AIA San Francisco: "Equity by Design: Metrics, Meaning, & Matrices"
*September 2016: The Urbanist Series: Women Shaping Seattle
"Women Shaping Seattle" (history, Sarah Oberklaid)Interviews by Sarah Oberklaid & Rebecca Mouy with
July 2016: Statistics on Washington Women in Design, per WA Department of Licensing:
Architects: 1,089 women = 17%; Landscape Architects: 380 women = 34%; Engineers: 2,724 women = 9.6%
WA State Bar Association statistics report females at 39% of attorneys; and the Washington Department of Health documents 33% of physicians.
June 2016: "NCARB: More Women Entered the Architecture Profession in 2015" (Hallie Busta, Architect). "The number of individuals working toward licensure also reached an all-time high last year, according to data from the council's forthcoming 2016 'By the Numbers' report."
April 2016: "I Am Not the Decorator: Female Architects Speak Out" (Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times). "After Zaha Hadid died on March 31 at 65, The New York Times, in an informal online questionnaire, asked female architects among its readers to talk candidly about their experiences in the profession: the progress they’ve made and the obstacles they still face on construction sites and in client meetings." Among those quoted, Seattleite Rebecca Barnes.
March 2016: "Female Architects Continue to Battle Discrimination Within the Workplace"
Findings from a 2016 Women in Architecture Survey by the Architectural Review, conducted among 1,152 women, 48% of them between the ages of 21 and 30; 31% between 31 and 40; 13% between 41 and 50:
"—One in five women surveyed say they would not encourage a woman to start a career in architecture.
—Of full-time architects, men out-earn their female counterparts by 18%; that percentage jumps to 31% more for male versus female practitioners at the director, partner, or principal level.
—About 40% of women in the U.K.—and over 40% of those asked in other countries—thought that they would be paid more if they were a man.
—67% believed that the building industry does not accept female authority.
—69% of those surveyed wanted more transparency about pay.
—72% of women worldwide say they have experienced sexual discrimination, harassment, or victimization on the job."
June 2015: "NCARB Report: The Architecture Profession Attracting More Women and Minorities," by Caroline Massie:
Highlights [selected] from the 2015 NCARB By the Numbers Report:
* Women comprised 38 percent of aspiring architects who completed the IDP in 2014, compared to 25 percent in 2000. Women also accounted for 35 percent of candidates who completed the ARE in 2014, a percentage that has nearly doubled since 2000.
* Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 41 percent of aspiring architects in 2014, compared to 22 percent in 2007.
2016: Where Are the Women Architects? by Despina Stratigakos
May 2015: Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project Releases Complete Findings on Women in Architecture (Wanda Lau, ARCHITECT)
"The 53-page Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! report, published by AIA San Francisco, begins by reviewing the gender makeup in architecture schools and the profession historically. Women make up 42 percent of graduates from programs accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board, but only 28 percent of architectural staff in AIA member–owned firms, 26 percent of licensed architects (not principals or partners), and 17 percent of principals and partners."
April 2015: "Best Practices: Closing the Gender Gap" (Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, ARCHITECT):
"Last October [2014], two reports quantified the state of women in architecture. The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture's "Where are the Women? Measuring Progress on Gender" found that the percentage of women in the profession plummets as careers progress. The Missing 32% Project's "Equity in Architecture" survey identified the choke points forcing women out, including getting licensed and attaining leadership roles. This data points to an anecdotal truth that most already know. There's a leaky pipeline in architecture. A steady loss of women over time means that the number of licensed female practitioners and senior leaders hovers between just 15 and 18 percent. So, how can we close the gender gap?"
March 17, 2015: "Female Architects Earn $14,877 Less Than Male Architects
Or said another way, women in architecture earn 80 percent of what men in architecture earn, according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey."
- Sara Johnson, ARCHITECT
January 2015 STATISTICS on women architects, landscape architects, & engineers in WA:
According to the WA Department of Licensing/Board for Architects, women currently number 1,167 = 17% of licensed architects in the state; 288 = 34% of landscape architects; 2,737 = 11% of engineers.
In May 2013 (thanks, Neitha Wilkey!), women numbered 902 (14.6%) of 6,189 licensed architects in the state; 241 (31.1%) of 773 landscape architects; 2,233 (9%) of 24,659 engineers.
Where are the Women? Measuring Progress on Gender in Architecture 10/2014"As you look higher in the architectural profession or in academia, you see fewer women. Even in architecture school today, only about 40% of students are women, and the numbers start dropping off sharply, from around 40% to around 25% and fewer when we start looking at practice and higher levels in the profession and academia." - Lian Chikako Chang, ACSA
"In the United States, women represent about 50% of students enrolled in architecture programs, but only 18% of licensed architects are women. The Missing 32% stems from the belief that the architectural profession must reflect the diversity of the communities, users and clients it serves."
April 2014: Landscape Architecture's Ecological Design: A Feminist Historian's Perspective, by Thaisa Way
January 2014: Women of Steel and Stone: 22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers and Landscape Designers, by Anna M. Lewis
"Reality Check: Did Women in Architecture Really Gain Ground in 2013?" - Sherin Wing, Metropolis January 21, 2014
"Goldieblox helping to build a future generation of female engineers: "Fed up with the lack of women in her engineering field (the latest studies from the National Science Foundation show that 11 percent of engineers are women), [Debbie] Sterling, a graduate of Stanford University, came up with an idea .... GoldieBlox, toys that encourage girls to not just play with dollhouses but build them." (Cecelia Vega, ABC News September 4, 2013; image credit ABC News)
"Why Are So Many Women Leaving Architecture?: "44% of architecture students are female, yet just 12% are partners in firms. ... It is a sad fact that the number of women in architecture is dropping, whilst in many other professions women have long had parity in numbers as well as pay and status. Of the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) 27,000 chartered architects, just 4,000 are women." (Jane Duncan, Archinect August 7, 2013)
NY-based Women in Architecture seeks to "transform leadership for women in architecture by bridging academy and practice." (July 2013)Oliver Wainwright in The Guardian 6/26/13: Women in engineering: the girl gap
Can design persuade more women to enter the male-dominated field of engineering?
"Women make up less than 9% of engineers in the UK – compared with about 20% in China, Spain and Italy."
June 2013 Statistics on women architects, landscape architects, & engineers in WA:
According to the WA Department of Licensing/Board for Architects, women currently number 902 (14.6%) of 6,189 licensed architects in the state, and 241 (31.1%) of 773 landscape architects. Of 24,659 engineers, women number 2,233 (9%): 3 (15.7%) of 19 building systems, 1,674 (10.9%) of 15,304 civil, 88 (41.5%) of 212 environmental, 244 (4.8%) of 5,051 mechanical, 94 (6.1%) of 1,525 structural.
WOMEN IN THE DIRT: Landscape Architects Shaping Our World "highlights the work of seven award-winning women who have made their mark in the field: Mia Lerher, Andrea Cochran, Cheryl Barton, Isabelle Greene, Katherine Spitz, Pamela Palmer, and Lauren Melendrez. ... Director Carolann Stoney conceived of the idea for this documentary while she herself was studying landscape architecture" as she and others developed a short film on the subject, receiving a 2009 American Society of Landscape Architects Student Award.
Emily Badger in The Atlantic Cities 6/10/13: "In 1961, Harvard told married women they probably shouldn't bother studying urban planning"
National Park Service HALS CHALLENGE DEADLINE 7/31/2013:
Documenting the Cultural Landscapes of WomenHistoric American Landscapes Survey invites submission of short-format histories documenting historic landscapes that reflect the heritage of women, as part of an initiative to increase awareness of the role of women in shaping the American landscape.Shown here: Berkeley City Club, design by Julia Morgan
"Crashing the Boys' Club" (Sarah Williams Goldhagen, Architectural Record June 2013):
"In the 45 years since Denise Scott Brown came on the scene, women architects have come a long way. Or have they? ... One might anticipate that soon, most of what still hinders women architects on their climb up the professional ladder will disappear. But statistics—the lamentably few that are available—suggest a less heartening outcome. Consider this: despite near parity in architecture schools, men outnumber women in the profession four to one, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Salary inequities in the U.S. remain the norm: the median salary for women working full time is roughly 28 percent lower than for men working full time. Women remain grossly underrepresented in the uppermost echelons of American practice: take just five prominent firms—Ennead; HOK; Kohn Pedersen Fox; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and Pei Cobb Freed—and note that their leadership teams are nearly entirely male. In general, 17 percent of principals and partners are women."
5/2/13, CNN:
Denise Scott Brown: Architecture favors 'lone male genius' over women
The debate continues re retrospective granting of the Pritzker Prize to acknowledge the shared work of Denise Scott Brown & spouse/partner Robert Venturi.
2/20/13 Zaha Hadid quoted by Vanessa Thorpe in The Guardian: "As a woman I can build a damn good skyscraper.""In a damning indictment of the prevailing culture of her own profession, Dame Zaha Hadid, the world's leading female architect, says she has faced 'more misogynist behaviour' in London than anywhere else in Europe and that things are not improving at all for women in architecture."2/12/13 London Evening Standard: "Discrimination against women in architecture 'is a disgrace' "A new survey by The Architects' Journal finds that two-thirds of women architects have suffered 'insidious' discrimination from men during over the course of their careers."
9/17/12: "Would there be more women in architecture if there were more women in development?"
"Architecture is a man’s game. Only 16 percent of the AIA’s membership is female. Forty-nine percent of architecture students and 39 percent of interns are women, but just 17 percent are firm principals and partners, according to a 2012 AIA survey of 2,805 member firms. For some reason, while they’re ascending the architectural career ladder, thousands of women hit a glass ceiling, leave the profession, or get pushed out." (Amanda Kolson Hurley, ARCHITECT)
9/12/12: "Why Architects Need Feminism": Defining a New Wave
"On three evenings this past March, architects and scholars gathered at the Van Alen Institute on West 22nd Street in Manhattan to explore an issue both old and new: what feminism contributes to the architectural profession." (Denise Stratigakos, Places)
Architect Deborah Berke of NY, first recipient of the Berkeley-Rupp Professorship and Prize,"told ARCHITECT in July that despite the exceptions—among them Zaha Hadid..., Jeanne Gang, Elizabeth Diller, and Annabelle Selldorf—the vast majority of women face 'death by a thousand cuts,' such as being ignored in male-dominated meetings, low salaries, and student debt." (Architect Newswire 9/11/12)
9/10/12: "The 40th anniversary of Ms. Magazine ... the perfect occasion to revisit their amazing adventures fighting for gender equality in American architecture." (Gabrielle Esperdy, "The Incredible Adventures of the Architectress in America")
01/14/12: "According to The Architect's Journal's first Women in Architecture [WIA] Survey, the percentage of [British] women in architecture has fallen over the past few years. ...
[L]ook back to see how far women have come and better understand where we go from here."
WIA 1st: 1973 Sharon E. Sutton first African American woman full ... professor in an accredited architecture degree program" (Megan Jett, "Infographic: Women in Architecture," ArchDaily)
ANNE FOUGERON'S TAKE on Women in Architecture
from Architects Journal Women in Architecture: Interview Series
2/15/12: "I think that women have to work harder than men do in order to succeed [in architecture]. So women already have to bend themselves to accommodate a male workforce [a male- dominated or male-majority work environment]. It leads to more dissatisfaction with your own work, you don’t feel respected but more importantly, you don’t feel challenged. And I think ultimately it leads to some women feeling less engaged with their careers. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the struggles you, as a female architect, have with your personal life." (Anne Fougeron, Architects Journal)
British women in architecture: statistics
1/12/12: "Data from the AJ’s first Women in Architecture survey show that 47 per cent of women claim that men get paid more for the same work, and almost two-thirds believe the building industry has yet to accept the authority of the female architect" (Richard Waite, Ann-Marie Calvin: "Shock survey results as the AJ ['the home of British architecture'] launches campaign to raise women architects' status," in Architects Journal).
1/20/12: "Nearly 30% of unemployed [UK] architects are female, as firms cut part-timers. ... The recession is hitting women architects far harder than their male colleagues, analysis of the latest joblessness figures reveals. While women make up just 16% of the profession they account for 28% of unemployed architects, according to data from the Office for National Statistics" (Elizabeth Hopkirk, "In the UK, Economic Turndown Hit Women Architects Harder," in Architectural Record)
Cascadia Green Building Council Living Future Conference 2012
Architecture: A Woman's Profession (Tanja Kullack, ed., July 2011 release)"Well-known international female architects report their academic and professional experiences and their visions for the future."
YOUR stories/observations welcome for this interactive study of diversity activism in architecture 1968-present
April 2011: Architect Patsy Bonincontri declares her candidacy for the King County Council.
AIA honors Sharon Sutton with 2011 Whitney Young AwardDecember 2010: The American Institute of Architect’s Board of Directors bestowed the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award on architect Sharon Egretta Sutton PhD for her efforts to increase minority participation in the design professions and her advocacy on behalf of environmental and social justice.Those wishing to honor Dr. Sutton and her work may consider making a donation to the Sharon Egretta Sutton Endowed Architecture Fellowship at the University of Washington, to provide support for high-achieving architecture graduate students active in disadvantaged communities.From The Chronicle of Higher Education 5/10: Theodore C. Landsmark on Women in Architecture: A Forum
"What do they bring to the table? Do they offer a working style or leadership style different from those of men? A distinctive aesthetic? The Chronicle Review asked several scholars and professional architects to weigh in on that question and to cite favorite architectural projects designed by women. Here's what they had to say."
"So you want to be a female architect"Alternatively, "So you want to be an architect"* from ARCHITECT Magazine 12/09: "In the World of Green, Women Rule"
"According to the latest figures from the National Architectural Accrediting Board, architecture schools are still dominated by men, though by a decreasing margin. Of all the enrolled and matriculating students of architecture, 59% are men and 41% are women. The gender gap is much wider among faculty, however, with a split of 74% men, 26% women."
* Statistics re architects holding active licenses in Washington (source DOL.WA):
June '13: September '11: September '10: September '09: July '08:
Male: 5,274 5,364 5,427 5,349 5,190
Female: 902 (14.6%) 864 (13.8%) 848 (13.5%) 788 (12.7%) 711 (12%)
Gender not collected: 13 6 0 23 19
Total: 6,189 6,234 6,275 6,160 5,920
* Statistics re landscape architects holding active licenses in Washington:
Male: 551 531 537 542
Female: 241 (31.1%) 232 (30.3%) 231 (30%) 223 (28.8%)
Gender not collected: 1 1 0 8
Total: 773 764 768 773
* AIA Statistics on Women in Architecture (as of March 2009, with partial updates November 2010)
Architect/AIA Members: 14% licensed women architects
Associate AIA Members: 33% non-licensed women
Per 2009 AIA Firm Survey, women accounted for 17% of firm principals and partners, up from 16% in the 2006 Survey and 13% in the1999 AIA Survey.
Of licensed architects in firms, women accounted for 20% in both the 2009 and the 2006 Survey, up from 13% in 1999; racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 18%, up from 11% in 2006 and 8% in 1999.
* AIA Women in Architecture and Design, including Leadership Summit reports and ongoing dialog.
*Rena Klein, "Labyrinth to the Top," AIA 9/08: "The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reports that in March 2008, sixteen percent of firm principals and partners were women, up from twelve percent in 1999. Anecdotally, it is known that most of these female principals and partners are sole proprietors or owners of small firms. This common wisdom is consistent with research studies of managerial demographics in the United States. While women occupy forty percent of all managerial positions, only six percent of the most highly paid executive positions are held by women."
* The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation/Dynamic National Archive
With its mission "to expand historical knowledge and cultural recognition of women's contributions to American architecture of the 20th century," the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation invites contributions to its online catalog of the names, biographies, and work of female architects and designers -- broadly defined to include landscape architecture, interior design, and urban planning.
Click here to view trailer and ordering information re a recent documentary by Beverly Willis"A Girl is a Fellow Here": 100 Women Architects in the Studio of Frank Lloyd WrightMore about the documentary: "Leading Ladies" from Architect Magazine 8/09"Over 100 women architects, designers and artisans worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, ... many of them going on to remarkable careers of their own. Through their work and their own words, the film reveals what they gleaned from Wright and where they departed from his model. Under Wright’s guidance, from Oak Park to the Arizona Taliesin, they learned their craft and honed their ideas; they split wood and laid shingles; they dreamed and drew and designed. After they left Wright’s studio, they created thousands of projects across the country. They are Frank Lloyd Wright’s unknown legacy, and their practice forms a legacy for all women working in architecture today. Film features architects Marion Mahony, Isabel Roberts, Jane Duncombe, Lois Davidson Gottlieb, Eleanore Pettersen, and Read Weber."
A 15-minute documentary film plus backstory, symposium discussion, and an interview with Taliesen Fellow Lois Gottlieb, available via bwaf.org. Produced by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, working to expand the knowledge of women architect’s contribution to architecture.
* "Room at the Top? Sexism and the Star System in Architecture," by Denise Scott Brown (12/21/06)
"Most professional women can recount 'horror stories' about discrimination they have suffered during their careers. My stories include social trivia as well as grand trauma. But some less common forms of discrimination came my way when, in mid-career, I married a colleague and we joined our professional lives just as fame (though not fortune) hit him. I watched as he was manufactured into an architectural guru before my eyes and, to some extent, on the basis of our joint work and the work of our firm."
* To Become an Architect (a guide, mostly for women), by Tabitha Ponte
A publication (available as book or ebook) that describes the process of becoming a licensed architect in the US, the steps to get there, additional things to consider, & insights from women in the profession. A portion of sales benefits the WIA (Women in Architecture) Fund.
Architecture: A Place for Women, by Ellen Perry Berkeley (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989) "The collection examines what female architects have achieved, how they think about themselves and their work, and what they see as the future role of women in the field."
* Women architects currently holding office in the greater Puget Sound Region (November 2009):
** Patsy Bonincontri, Bellevue City Councilmember
** Cynthia Richardson, Anacortes City Councilmember
** Carol Simpson, Newcastle City Councilmember
"Designing Women: Female architects in Washington have worked hard to build their careers" (The Seattle Times September 16, 1990). Pictured: Jane Hastings, on receiving The Seattle Times/AIA Home of the Year award in 1969.
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