Women in Architecture

On June 18, 2022, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee hosted a tour of the award winning, LEED Platinum, WELL Platinum One Vanderbilt tower. We were honored to have the tour led by KPF women leaders Darina Zlateva, AIA, Design Director and Senior Designer; Rebecca Kent, AIA, Associate Principal and Designer; and Nicole McGlinn-Morrison, AIA, Senior Associate Principal and Job Captain.

The tour began in the public entrance plaza where the tour guides shared about the history and beginnings of the One Vanderbilt project, the building operations, and an overview of the complex approvals process. We then visited the Transit Hall, Vanderbilt Lobby, Madison Lobby, Le Pavilion Restaurant, The Vandy Club Amenity Floor, a vacant unfinished floor and the SL Green NW Altus Suite pre-build. We learned about the complexity of the below grade connections to the transit hub and the secret family bathroom two levels below the plaza!  Especially inspiring was hearing about the design process, materials and art selection and rigorous benchmarking undertaken for certain elements such as lobbies and floor to floor heights, to make this a truly premier building. One Vanderbilt is beautifully crafted, from the interlocking masses of the exterior, the elegant façade, bronze and terracotta detailing, to the bespoke interiors, rich palette of materials, landscape and lighting. The final stop of the tour was a vacant floor with breathtaking panorama views of the city!

We are very grateful to KPF and SL Green for their generosity, time and efforts in making this tour possible. In addition to the local AIA community, we had attendees from as far away as Oregon, students from the Bronx, and a group of female students from Utah! Thank you to all those who participated and asked great questions.

We look forward to seeing you at our future WIA events!

On June 15, 2022, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee invited four distinct architects from Israel/Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Colombia to share their experiences of working and/or starting a practice in the US. New York is a melting pot of foreign architects who come to this international city to find new opportunities away from their home countries. After brief announcements of the WIA Upcoming Events & Programs, Around Town & Related Events, and Topics & Good Reads, we had an engaging conversation with Inessa Binenbaum (Inessa Architect of Photography), Mary Kohilam Chandrahason (Founding Partner at NDNY), Silke Rapelius, AIA (Principal at GKV Architects), and Isabel Saffon Sanin (Associate Director of Design – Neighborhood Equity at Center for Court Innovation).

We learned about their personal backgrounds and what led them to build their careers and practices in New York. Each of them comes from a different part of the world, but they all embody the true New Yorker spirit, pursuing their paths with passion, grit, and perseverance. A unifying theme was the “immigrant optimism” each embodied, to always find value in your current conditions, and to make the most from very little.

This city is fortunate to attract talented foreign architects, with unique perspectives, skills, and design sensibilities. Their accomplishments and successes contribute to our built environment. The attendees included many foreign architects who also shared their insights, challenges, and successes while navigating a new country, language, and culture. Once again, the spirit of optimism and determination prevailed. We are grateful for all who attended, asked questions, and shared their experiences. We believe that we are stronger and richer the more diverse we are.

For the WIA June Committee Meeting Agenda, including the speakers’ bios, please download it here. We have exciting Upcoming Events & Programs for the summer, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

As the city is slowly returning to normalcy, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee hosted the first in-person WIA Morning Leadership Talk, on June 3, 2022 at the Center for Architecture, to start fostering networking opportunities and continuing to celebrate the incredible achievements of women in architecture and the allied professions. For this special event, we want to thank Elaine Molinar, AIA, Managing Partner at Snohetta, for an engaging presentation titled Under the Skin. She highlighted her personal journey starting from El Paso, then to Alexandria, Oslo, New York, Austin, and back to El Paso, with a trail of acclaimed design projects that enhance our sense of surroundings, identity, craft, and relationship to others and the physical space we inhabit. It was inspiring to see her thoughtful approach to designing each project. Her contributions to our built environment spanning three continents for the last 30+ years, along with Snohetta’s dedication to fostering mentorship and the future pipeline of professionals, are truly admirable. A Q&A discussion with the audience followed the presentation. We are grateful for having Elaine as a role model to elevate women in architecture!

Amongst her many accomplishments, Elaine also regaled the audience with her secret talent and passion for taxidermy. The whimsical objects she crafts remind us to embrace our creativity and find joy outside of architecture.

As we approach the summer, the WIA Committee will continue to offer programs and events. Stay tuned for our upcoming announcements of Project Tours and the Summer Networking Picnic in Central Park, with a follow-up outdoor forum about Mental Health. We look forward to seeing you soon!

On May 18, 2022, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee was delighted to host Megan Sanchez, a certified professional coach of Upswing Health Coaching. After our regular Monthly Committee announcements, Megan provided a one-hour workshop titled How to Navigate Stress and Achieve Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health. Megan shared her personal story about her previous life as a graphic designer, when she worked late hours regularly at the expense of her mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Her interest in behavioral science and how to hold habits and design a life that serves us led her to work with one of the top health coaches around the country, and eventually to start her own health coaching business.

The workshop centered around 3 themes: Mindful Awareness, Self Compassion, and Boundaries. Megan shared practical strategies for managing stress and burnout. We are truly grateful for Megan’s contribution to the women in the design industry and for guiding us to find mindful awareness and self-compassion. There were so many helpful tips and takeaways that we hope our members will use to foster wellness in their professional lives. Below are a few resources Megan shared:

• Mindful Awareness
  • 10% Happier by Dan Harris
  • Meditations by Tara Brach
  • Mindful.org
  • Life Advice that Doesn’t Suck by Mark Manson
• Self-Compassion
  • Self-compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff, Ph.D. Center for Mindful Compassion (centerformsc.org)
  • Meditations & Insights by Sarah Blondin

For further information, courses and resources, please refer to the Upswing website.

You can download a copy of our AIANY WIA May agenda here.

We hope this finds you well! We are reaching out to invite you to the Center for Architecture’s Annual Golf Classic.

The 2022 Annual Golf Classic is taking place on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, New York. Proceeds raised at the Golf Classic provide funding for student scholarships—both for post-secondary students and for New York City schools and students to participate in the Center for Architecture’s own design education programs. In 2021 alone, over 3,500 students attended classes, with $27,000 available for financial aid. With demand rising each year, this event enables the Center for Architecture to offer additional courses and scholarships.

In the past, women have comprised a smaller number of participants in the event. As such, the Center for Architecture hopes to bridge this gap in female representation at the Golf Classic moving forward.

We would be thrilled to welcome WIA Committee members to the Annual Golf Classic. Although individual golfer and foursome tickets are sold out, there are other opportunities for female professionals to participate in the outing! The Center for Architecture has several sponsorship opportunities for organizations, and individual dinner tickets available as well. The dinner tickets are an excellent opportunity for professionals to network at the event while the signage opportunities bring heightened attention to organizations in the architecture and built industry.

If you have any questions or interest in participating, please reach out to the Development team at development@aiany.org or 212-358-6134.