(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….