Women in Architecture

To celebrate the 2023 March 8th International Women’s Day theme: #EmbraceEquity, AIANY Women in Architecture (WIA) was honored to feature Julia Gamolina, Assoc. AIA, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Madame Architect, a digital magazine and media start-up that celebrates the extraordinary women that have shaped our world. Julia shared with us the evolution of Madame Architect and highlights of the collective stories and lessons from Madame Architect’s 400+ interviews, the core of Madame Architect that has been tremendously impactful in providing a way forward to embracing equity in the practice of architecture and the allied industries.

Julia shared her personal journey starting in Siberia, then to Canada, and finally to the USA, where she studied architecture. Upon graduation and entering the practice of architecture, Julia sought mentorship, and, inspired by the extraordinary stories of women she was having conversations with, was motivated to begin Madame Architect to share the stories and lessons more widely. Since then, Madame Architect has grown in content to include Days With, The Expert, NextGen, City Life, In Ink, Reviews, and Expanding the Conversation. Following the presentation, Vivian Lee, FAIA, AIANY WIA Committee Co-Chair, and Madame Architect’s first interviewee, moderated an engaging conversation with Julia about her current impact, aspirations, and future pathway. They discussed the difference between equality and equity, and the importance of equity in recognizing each person’s unique circumstances, deserving of an appropriate measure of resources and opportunities. Julia spoke about a renewed interest in design, inspirational writers and thinkers, and balancing your ambitions—“do what excites and energizes you.”

A special thank you to our hosts at the beautiful AKDO Showroom, who were generous in their hospitality and providing delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks. We had a packed house in the company of friends and colleagues, including many of our male allies and a group of students visiting from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK! We are grateful to all who attended and look forward to seeing you at our next event!

On February 23, 2023, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee hosted the in-person AIANY WIA Practitioner-Student Winter Mentoring Session after 3+ years in hiatus due to the pandemic. Mentorship is one of WIA’s core programs, and we filled The Center for Architecture with an energetic group of 34 CCNY, City Tech, NJIT, and NYIT students and 34 accomplished women practitioners. Each mentor was paired with one student and provided constructive feedback on the student’s resume and portfolio. The mentors also offered valuable advice and guidance, shared their personal journeys, and answered questions about entering the architectural profession and what it is like to grow and practice as an architect.

We want to thank each of the school’s coordinators for encouraging their students to participate and helping us with the registration. We are sincerely grateful to all the wonderful mentors who took time from their busy schedules to help pave the pathway for this young, talented generation of future architects.

To celebrate Black History Month, AIANY WIA Committee had the pleasure of hosting “In Dialogue With…” Kelsey Jackson and Cheriyah Wilmot on Building Future Pathways for Black students. Kelsey and Cheriyah were recipients of the 2022 AIANY and Center for Architecture Common Bond Scholarship, awarded annually to outstanding architecture students.

During the “In Dialogue With…” event, Kelsey and Cheriyah shared their personal paths to architecture and the invaluable role of supportive family, professors, colleagues, and mentors in their success. Kelsey spoke at length about her mother advocating for her education toward becoming an architect and how it gave her the confidence to navigate unfamiliar and unwelcoming spaces. Cheriyah spoke about channeling the influence of her family and ethnic background to create a place for herself in architecture. This helped her to design with herself in mind despite not seeing herself reflected in architectural academia. Both Kelsey’s and Cheriyah’s stories were testaments to the value of mentorship, advocacy, and showing up as our most authentic selves to expand the profession.

Kelsey and Cheriyah challenged us to share our vision for the future of equity and inclusion in the profession as well as how we might arrive at that vision. The conversation that followed was moving in its vulnerability and inspiring in the insights shared among a group of cross-generational women practitioners.  We discussed the importance of leading and maintaining our authentic selves as we progress through our careers. By doing this, our confidence in ourselves would better guide us in our decisions, and allow our peers to see us for who we are and what we truly value. Our members opened up about the value of vulnerability in all seniority levels to state when we have concerns, need help, or felt not included, because it would help provide space for others to feel the same, and not feel pressured to always have everything covered, to be perfect, or to take on the burden of being the example of the only woman or person of color in the room. We noted that in order for us to achieve a world that is more equitable, we have to prioritize introducing architecture to students in middle school and high school, and as early as elementary school, to show them that architecture is a viable profession, while also making me sure we make ourselves available as mentors as their studies and careers develops. As Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

On January 26, 2023, the AIANY WIA Committee held its 12th Annual Women in Architecture Recognition Award and Holiday Party at the beautiful Brickworks Design Studio. Each year we celebrate the newly licensed female architects and support the next generation of emerging leaders in obtaining their license. We received many impressive applications for the Recognition Award, and we congratulate each for their meaningful contribution to the advancement of our profession. The finalists shared their personal experiences, challenges faced on the path to licensure, and advice. One woman shared that it took her 13 years to become licensed, which is not uncommon. Additional advice included: be persistent, find your support network, be disciplined and follow a schedule, and don’t wait until you feel fully prepared, as there may never be a perfect time.

We were thrilled to announce this year’s 12th Annual Recognition Award recipient, Dana Moore, AIA, who demonstrated an incredible diversity in leadership. In addition to serving as a role model within her firm, supporting her colleagues’ growth through collaboration, research and knowledge-sharing, her advocacy, activism, and community engagement fueled by her passion for climate resiliency was to be commended. A special thank you to our esteemed Recognition Award JuryAndrea Lamberti, AIA;  Angelique Pierre, RA; and Wendi Shafran, AIA for their well-considered and thoughtful deliberation.

In addition to the festivities and networking, we held raffle prizes. Three lucky winners walked away with a coveted WIA tote bag, a copy of Princeton Architectural Press’ book, The Women Who Changed Architecture, and the Grand Prize, dinner with a stellar woman architect! As dinner host, we were honored to have Winka Dubbeldam, Assoc. AIA, Founder and Partner, Archi-Tectonics; Chair, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania.

Thank you to everyone who attended to celebrate our newly licensed architects, to Brickworks Design Studio for hosting and providing delicious food and beverages, to our Recognition Award Jury, and to our Grand Prize stellar woman architect. The WIA committee is grateful for everyone’s support, and we look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Have you achieved licensure between December 2021 and December 2022?

The Women in Architecture Recognition Award honors one recently licensed woman architect who demonstrates strong leadership skills and a commitment to the growth and advancement of our profession. The selected recipient receives a $1,000 stipend towards travel and miscellaneous expenses at the AIA Conference on Architecture, which will be held in San Francisco, on June 7-10, 2023.

Eligibility:
Eligible candidates must have achieved licensure between December 2021  and December 2022, and live in New York City.

How to Enter:
• One essay of not more than 500 words describing your leadership role in the professional community
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Proof of licensure

Submission Deadline:
The submission deadline is January 6, 2023. The entry package must be submitted as one pdf file (max 6MB) to WIA@aiany.org

Announcement:
The winner will be announced during the WIA Annual Holiday Party on January 26, 2023, at  Brickworks Design Studio.