The long-game

Why is it important to offer hands-on construction workshops or professional development classes to women in the profession of architecture? Why is having a safe place to experiment, problem solve and innovate matter?

Intuitively I know that these opportunities would be beneficial, and the response I’ve gotten from the design community defends this, but that’s not enough. Believing that these circumstances will promote equity, empower women and ultimately stem the attrition of talent caused by the “leaky pipeline” is a lofty goal. We are used to tackling messy design problems, creating solutions that inherently change the way people live and experience space, so this is no different. Our design education and professional experience has taught us processes and given us a language to better understand the problem, a design toolkit if you will. Providing opportunities to learn a new language, one describing construction and clarifying the components of materiality, imparts methods that can influence design and encourage innovation. A common construction language promotes empathy and connectivity, bridging industries and craft cultures.

What matters is opportunity, in whatever form it takes, and more opportunities for women to widen their process leads to empowered professionals. As I’ve said previously, the elements taught in a shop class translate into a variety of tangental wisdom. These teaching moments transcend the class and are useful in our every day profession. The necessary steps to introduce someone to a skill, the individual’s role in negotiating the tools, the collaborated efforts towards figuring out a roadblock or considering an innovative change. The route to success is knowing your strengths, by flexing these skill building muscles and leaning into the methods that led to a successful outcome, it allows you to call them up when you are challenged. So although the short-term goal of Designers Build_pdx may seem related to providing clarity around construction to women in the profession, it is only one step towards the larger goal of collectively shaping our built environment for a better future rooted in impact.

Photo courtesy of illustrator, Arnelle Woker

(Trouble)makers

One of the best parts about doing this project are the people I have had the opportunity to meet & now share as a resource to the entire design community! It’s as if I’m painting a portrait with each person’s expertise and insight providing additional layers of detail. I am excited to share their stories with you as the year progresses. Recently I met Rebecca Seward-Beamer, architect at BRIC Architecture. Graduating with an undergraduate degree in Urban Design and Architectural History followed by her Masters in Architecture at U of O, she took on the role of construction manager for groups both in New York and then California. While living in Berkeley she became program manager at Project H, an in-school design-build program self-described as using “ the power of creativity, design, and hands-on building to amplify the raw brilliance of youth, transform communities, and improve K-12 public education from within. Our programs teach rigorous design iteration, tinkering, applied arts and sciences, and vocational building skills to give young people the creative, technical, and leadership tools necessary to make positive, long-lasting change in their lives and their communities.” 

The founder of Project H, Emily Pilloton, went on to open Girls Garage also in Berkeley. Described as shop class for the 21st century, Girls Garage offers girls ages 9 - 18 skill building in after school classes & summer camps. The course work aims to integrate design, engineering, skills and social justice. Both of these programs, Project H and Girls Garage, have so many relevant elements that have the potential of informing the Designers Build curriculum. If you haven’t yet watched the documentary “If you build it” about the origins of Project H in the poorest county in North Carolina, watch it now - it’s bittersweet and amazingly inspiring. Bonus - it also clarifies what the H stands for in “Project H”.

a clearly identified outcome is critical to these classes, even if the internal framework of how to arrive at that goal can be left loose

It was really beneficial to learn about Rebecca’s program manager role and brainstorm ways to inform the Designers Build curriculum. A bulk of the classes were held as part of the school’s curriculum at the charter school were the program was housed. They would have long range projects that would be worked on throughout the year with the same group of students. There were also some classes targeted to adults on the weekends, one example being a “welding and wine” class. Initially I was terrified picturing welding with the addition of wine, but the agenda never really mixed the two. Students started in the morning with lecture highlighting the basic terminology of welding, then progressed to hands-on welding some angle iron book ends and steel tube pencil holders ending with a “gallery” show where invited guests (friends & family) would share celebratory wine. Although the youth curriculum and the adult classes seem very different, Rebecca held fast to the idea that common to both is a goal to reach an understanding at the end of the day and her role was to introduce the tools to get to that goal. This really hit it home that a clearly identified outcome is critical to these classes, even if the internal framework of how to arrive at that goal can be left loose to allow people’s interests to guide the end result.

Now that Rebecca is located in Portland she, along with her firm, has become active with local skills trades camp for young girls, Girls Build. The mission of Girls Build is very much aligned with Project H in the want to empower young women to build curiosity and confidence through the basics of building through after-school programs and summer camps. Rebecca has not only volunteered time with the program, but developed additional coursework focusing on the process of design which is held on weekends within her firm.

Photo courtesy of Project H and Unprofessional Development /Room 402

Roadblocks & creativity

The 2016 Equity in Architecture survey revealed the issue of a leaky pipeline in the profession of architecture. Namely that although men and women were graduating from architecture school at the same rate, the number of women who are AIA members, licensed architects or firm leaders is at approximately 18% of the total. This leaves 32% of women missing from the profession and perhaps victims of a leaky professional pipeline. Although this narrative is a bit limited as it doesn’t take into account the many people, both men & women, who have taken skills derived from an architecture degree and advanced in other professions; this is a baseline metric (based on survey findings) and it confirms that both male and female professionals -- are nine times as likely to work in a firm that is mostly, or entirely, led by men as they are to work in a majority or completely female-led office. The EQxD survey summary goes on to note… “while “glass ceiling” was originally coined to describe the challenges that women face, these barriers within the architectural profession hinder people of color as well as women as they strive to attain top leadership positions within the profession. Both of these groups are less likely than white men to be principals or partners in firms at nearly every level of experience. Even though today’s cohort of emerging professionals includes a significant increase in women and an uptick in people of color (although we still have a long way to go before we reach equal representation), the highest rungs of the profession remain pervasively white, and male.”  

The leaky pipeline is a complex system with infinite solutions. There isn’t one silver bullet answer and, unfortunately, many other STEM related careers have similar challenges. Designers Build is one effort in many towards fortifying the pipeline at a local level. From examples of early outreach programs, like AFO’s Architects in Schools program to the Your Street, Your Voice program for high schoolers to professional development courses that build necessary negotiation, presentation, networking, marketing, and business development skills. All of these incremental efforts towards building career confidence, either architectural focused or not, work together in creating a strong foundation that is imperative in retaining talent. The survey findings that detailed the leaky pipeline issue also provided insight into consistent milestones, or pinch points, that either hinder career progression or influence employee retention. These points, marking a career’s progression from graduation through retirement, are seen as pivotal events closely linked to women leaving the profession. Every career path is different and the pinch points effect us all, in different ways and in different chapters of our careers. Yet if each of us zeroed in and applied our skills and creativity towards improving the situation in any single area of the pipeline, we can effect change.

In 2014 an interviewer asked Rosa Sheng, EQxD founder & current AIASF president, where do women end up if they do stay in the profession for 20, 30 years, if they don't have these title roles [in regards to leadership]?  She answered with, “well, they do make it to the title role of project manager. Women are good at prioritizing and balancing, so the role seems to be a natural fit. But the last hurdle is the design [leadership] role. Ultimately it takes time. Design isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes a lot of thinking, living, breathing, and eating the project. So if you have an idea, but you have other obligations, and other people have more time to think about design, [your idea] doesn’t always come off as powerful when you’re saying it because somebody else has already detailed or sketched it out.”

Designers build is not only skill building, it’s an effort in reducing roadblocks and offering opportunities benefitting creativity. The intent of these classes & workshops is to foster a female community of designers willing to take creative risks and collaborate to tackle new challenges. Your creativity & curiosity has led you to become designers and architects, Designers Build is dedicated to progressing your practice by connecting your problem-solving skills with real world building projects aligned with community purpose.

Photo courtesy of SocietyNine, a rad company designing modern boxing gear for the empowered woman with an equally powerful brand manifesto….

Portland Practices / U of O Portland

U of O Portland is hosting a discussion series on the current state of the architectural profession. The kick off event is this Friday afternoon at U of O Portland. It’s free and open to the public and, based on the others joining me on the panel, it should be a fantastic conversation!

Origin story

Equity.

This research project is the result of an ongoing resolution towards promoting equity in the profession of architecture. Back in 2013, while an active member of the AIA’s Forum for Women in Architecture & Related Design (ForWARD) Committee, our planning group was introduced to the work that AIA San Fransisco was doing with regards to highlighting the lack of parity in the profession. AIA SF had named their project The Missing 32% based on the statistic that women represent less than 50% of the students graduating from accredited architecture programs and the number of women who are AIA members, licensed architects and senior leadership varied between 15% to 18% of the total - leaving unaccounted 32%. Starting the dialogue and asking questions related to the profession’s pipeline issue was the first step, followed by clarifying the baseline by implementing several surveys and finally creating a task force at the AIA National level. Initially The Missing 32% was focused on women in the profession and over time the attention has broadened to encompass all under-represented groups. Similar to our local AIA committee which has since shifted from ForWARD to the Committee on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.

Before data from that first survey was released, the common stories being shared amongst my work friends about being passed over for a promotion or low pay & long hours or waiting to become a parent knowing that it was career suicide, were just stories. Unrelated series of events that had people feeling isolated in their career and their place of work. In 2015 when the results of the survey data were out for public consumption, the tides turned. All at once we realized there were thousands of people all over the nation feeling the same way and it was a game changer.

Doesn’t the saying go … “The first step in solving the problem is knowing what the problem is? “ or something like that. Well there’s a terrific number of problems contributing to the lack of underrepresented people, including women, staying in the field. And as the work of The Missing 32%, now known as EquitybyDesign (EQxD), and the National AIA EDI Committee has matured and grown so have the strategies for promoting equity and being more inclusive. My intention with this research was to focus on one area highlighted as an issue, lack of opportunity.

There is a much higher chance that a man who graduates from architecture school has had a background in construction or been exposed to the building trades. Although statistics show women comprise approximately 10% of the construction workforce nationally. At a more granular level, on building sites themselves, it is estimated that 99% of workers are men. This lack of constructability know-how plays itself out throughout a woman’s career. Statistically speaking in mid to large firms, the majority of women find themselves in the role of project manager rather than lead designer. There are many components that influence this, but the fundamental lack of construction knowledge is generally noted as a probable factor.

Creating opportunities to advance construction knowledge, empower women and to forge a community allied around collaboration is the mission of Designers Build_pdx. The intent of this site is to document the process: the people met, the stories told, the information learned along the way. I’m grateful for your help and the support of the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship towards progressing equity and inclusion in the profession of architecture.

Read more about the work of EquitybyDesign (EQxD) and the AIA National Equity & The Future of Architecture Committee .

Illustration courtesy of Lisa Congdon @ lisacongdon.com