Women in Architecture

At our AIANY Women in Architecture April committee meeting, we discussed upcoming WIA events such as the May 18th May Committee Meeting & Workshop: How to Navigate Stress and Achieve Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health, as well as June 3rd: WIA Morning Leadership Talk with Elaine Molinar of Snohetta. We also highlighted events around town, recommended podcasts and articles, in addition to member announcements.

Afterwards, we were excited to welcome back our Dinner Roundtable event, after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Six groups, totaling 26 talented design professionals, headed to local restaurants and engaged in conversation centered around WIA’s four pillars: Design and Leadership, Professional Practice, Professional Development, and Workplace Culture. We had a great time sharing our career journeys, our hopes and goals for where we see the industry evolving, how we defend the value of our work, to how we can better support one another, while not being in an echo chamber.

We are very thankful for all of the participants who joined us, and we look forward to seeing new and familiar faces at upcoming events. The April WIA Committee meeting agenda can be downloaded here.

To commemorate Women’s History Month, the AIANY WIA Committee hosted Heidi Blau, FAIA, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at FXCollaborative, Annya Ramirez-Jimenez, AIA, Director at Marvel Architects, and JJ Falk, IIDA, Assoc. AIA at Perkins Eastman at the event, “In Dialogue With – Advancing Your Career at Small, Medium and Large Firms.” Studies show that it can be difficult for some women to advocate for themselves in the workplace, and this discussion aimed to provide multiple ways women at small, medium, and large firms could advance their careers through helpful tips and lessons learned from industry leaders.

Annya shared how critical it is for firms to provide platforms for younger colleagues to discuss their projects and interact with clients. She also advised how important it is for designers and non-designers to find their allies at all levels to support their skills, stating “Design is not exclusive, it’s inclusive, and find a way to make it so!” JJ shared her experience of what it was like to own her firm, and start at a small one, noting that the number of people doesn’t limit the number of leaders that can be found there. She also shared that being a leader does not mean you have to command every conversation, and by stepping up, people will see your passion. Heidi advised that people should remain nimble, and open to adjusting their goals and passions as plans don’t always work out, but there could be different paths with even more opportunities. Heidi also wanted to assure us that while it’s important to show your dedication to the firm, it’s just as critical for people’s well-being to find time for ourselves for moments of self-care.

Thank you to all who attended both in person and virtually, for sharing your comments and questions, and for an engaging conversation afterward. A special thank you to Heidi, Annya, and JJ for the great advice and expertise! We look forward to seeing you all at our future WIA  events! You can access the meeting agenda here.

The Center for Architecture hosted an inspiring panel discussion on March 2 featuring Women Founders who #BreakTheBias. The panel discussion was moderated by Alexandra Barker, FAIA, who is the Founding Principal of Barker Associates Architecture Office (BAAO). Panelists included Katherine Chia, FAIA, Co-founder and Principal, of Desai Chia Architecture; Nina Kinoti-Metz, LEED AP, Co-founder and Principal, of Studio Parallel Architecture+Design; Anik Pearson, AIA, Founding Principal, of Anik Pearson Architect; and Suchi Reddy, AIA, Founding Principal, of Reddymade Architecture and Design. The event was held in honor of Women’s History Month and featured the 2022 International Women’s Day campaign theme of #BreakTheBias. We learned about the different paths each woman took to founding her architecture firm. We learned that, while there are similar milestones along the way, there is no ‘right way’ to become an entrepreneur. There are many roads to success, and they are not all linear. The panelists discussed practical matters like finding work, the mechanics of starting a practice, and how responsibilities shifted once the business was running. They also spoke about intangible challenges and how they overcame them.

A common challenge was not allowing others’ expectations to dictate one’s career path. From behaving outside of expected ‘traditional’ gender norms, being told that architecture is too hard to do alone, weathering challenging economic conditions, ignoring the myth of “work-life balance,” giving up a promising alternative athletic career, or choosing only to take supportive voices to heart, the panelists encountered and broke through varying degrees of bias. Common threads between these panelists and our moderator include persistence, a willingness to experiment, identifying the network of supportive people, and giving back to the community.

The event was hosted in a hybrid format, with a lively Q&A from both the virtual and in-person audience following our moderated discussion. We are so grateful to our speakers, who continue to demonstrate to the larger community that it is possible to #BreakTheBias in Architecture.

In celebrating Black History Month, the Women in Architecture Committee was honored to have Nicole Hollant-Denis, AIA, NOMA, Principal at Aaris Design Architects as our special guest speaker in sharing the design of the extraordinary and significant African Burial Ground National Monument. After our monthly committee announcements, Nicole started the presentation with her background, education, the journey to becoming an architect, and the narrative that led to the winning competition entry for the memorial. Her beautiful hand sketches captivated us, and her thoughtful design concept, the process, and the detailed execution that translated into a meaningful memorial truly inspired us. We are grateful for her contribution to our city and for highlighting the history of African Americans in this country. We cannot wait for Nicole to give us a guided tour of the African Burial Ground National Monument this summer!

To view the recorded presentation, please go to the WIA webpage under VIDEOS. To view the WIA February Committee Agenda with our UPCOMING EVENTS, AROUND TOWN & RELATED EVENTS, TOPICS, GOOD READS, PODCASTS, FILMS & RESOURCES, and MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS, please click here.