Women in Architecture

Thank you to everyone who participated in our May 2020 Committee Meeting! We had a very well attended, lively and engaging roundtable discussion on the topic of ‘Women in Leadership’ based on two Harvard Business Review articles: Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skills and Good Leadership is About Communicating “Why”. The discussion, facilitated by Rosalind Tsang, AIANY WIA Committee Advisory Board member, focused on themes such as Key Leadership Competencies; Confidence; Unconscious Bias; Communication and Motivation; and Empathy, Inclusivity and Authenticity. We discussed the many factors contributing to the low percentage of women in senior leadership, and strategies for addressing these challenges. A special thank you to Keely Denenberg, Senior Client Partner, and Jodi Detjen, Managing Partner, from Orange Grove Consulting, who joined us. Orange Grove Consulting specializes in helping organizations improve gender equity and inclusivity through training and special programs. They shared many invaluable insights from their workshop, “Understanding Bias: Challenges and Opportunities for Women Leadership.”  To learn more about OGC Women in Leadership Programs, please download their brochure here. They also provided the links below with additional information and resources:

• 3 Strategies to be heard at work
• How to build a support network
• What’s really holding women back
• Is this pandemic the end of perfection
• Male allies for women leaders (an Orange Grove white paper)
• Removing barriers for high-potential women leaders (an Orange Grove white paper)

You can view the meeting agenda here, and access the Notes and Resource links from the discussion here.

We look forward to seeing you in-person soon and hope you will join us for our next virtual meeting in the meantime!

Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual committee meeting this month! As always, the conversation was relevant, engaging and necessary. We discussed work-life balance while working from home and office initiatives, with members sharing other helpful advice and resources. It was wonderful to be joined by Sam Spica from Fairygodboss, who shared exclusive access to the website’s new professional profiles, which include features to apply for jobs with real-time updates of the hiring process and other comprehensive guides.

You can view the meeting agenda which includes several links to resources to support you during the COVID-19 crisis here.

We look forward to seeing you in-person soon and hope you will join us for our next virtual meeting in the meantime!

On March 11, the AIANY WIA and Diversity and Inclusion Committees co-hosted an engaging Architectural Practice Panel: Navigating the MWBE Process — at the Center for Architecture. The panelists — Dynishal Gross, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Small Business; Patricia Harris, Esq. LEED AP, CEO and Founder, LicenseSure LLC; Abner Larrieux, President, A.L. Consulting and Wayne Benjamin, RA, AIA, Chief of Job Order Contracting, DASNY offered invaluable insight, as well as practical guidelines and resources for navigating the MWBE process. Nancy Goshow, AIA, Partner, Goshow Architects, an MWBE firm, skillfully moderated the panel which allowed for a candid, compelling and informative discussion, creating access to the audience on a topic that can be overwhelming and intimidating. We share a common goal to support MWBE-certified firms from qualification to procurement. MWBE firms expand opportunities for women and minorities and are making a difference in diversifying professionals hired for projects in New York City. On behalf of the Diversity and Inclusion and Women in Architecture committees, we appreciate everyone’s contributions to this effort.

The AIANY chapter is continuing to work on issues faced by MWBE firms. We hope this will be the start of a larger conversation.

On March 4, we hosted a Book Talk, a conversation with the editors of and a few contributors to the new publication Women [Re]Build: Stories, Polemics, Futures (Applied Research & Design, 2019). This book is exemplary in its mission to combine, in one resource, reflections on the renewal of feminist thought in architecture, challenges to practice made possible by activism, and portrayals of inspiring practitioners who have paved the way for future women architects.

Our panelists discussed the premise of the publication and its ultimate goal to increase the visibility and voice of women who challenge the definition and practice of architecture. Franca Trubiano, Associate Professor, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania; Ramona Adlakha, Intern Architect, Diamond Schmitt Architects; Ramune Bartuskaite, Project Coordinator, JKRP Architects; Chief Creative Director, Rise First- all editors of the book, were joined by Annelise Pitts, AIA, Associate, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; Margaret Cavenagh, AIA, Principal, Studio Gang and Nicole Dosso, FAIA, Vice President – Design & Construction, Vornado, contributors to the book. They shared snippets from the book that gave audience members an insight into the making and content of the book.

Julie Moskovitz, AIA, LEED AP, CPH/CPHT, Principal, Fete Nature Architecture moderated the panel wonderfully, and the audience’s engaging questions brought up some valid points, which added to the discussion. The conversation was one of many we will continue to have by celebrating and recognizing the work of so many exceptional women architects.

On February 26, the AIANY WIA Committee hosted an engaging panel—Allies for Women in Architecture—at the Center for Architecture. The panelists—Eric Goshow, FAIA, Partner, Goshow Architects; Bill Harris, AIA, Managing Principal, Perkins and Will; Tim Milam, AIA, Managing Director/Partner, FXCollaborative; RJ Panda, Project Director, Lehrer Cumming; Lonny Rossman, AIA, Managing Principal, API Partners; and Susi Yu, Managing Director & Head of Development, L&L MAG, offered excellent insight on allyship for gender equity. The conversation was candid, compelling, and relevant to our current workplace environment. Kim Yao, AIA, Principal, Architecture Research Office, and 2020 AIA New York President, did an incredible job moderating the panel which allowed for a fluid, productive discussion.  The panel identified strategies on how to create parity and demonstrate a business case for it. The discussion ended with questions and comments from the audience that were insightful and important. It was emphasized that a lot more work needs to be done toward this cause.

We are extremely grateful for the contribution and support of our panelists, and hope this promotes conversations and initiatives at firms to achieve an equitable workplace for all.

In case you missed it, you can view a compilation of references and key takeaways here.