An evening event hosted by the Architectural Foundation of Oregon (AFO), celebrated the conclusion of my year-long research project as the 2018 Van Evera Bailey fellow. This annual fellowship is awarded to architects and related professionals for the purpose of advancing their career development and encouraging greater contribution to their profession and community. It is an opportunity for professionals in the field to examine not only what they think, but how they think.
I used the award to research gender inequity within the profession of architecture, including the barriers women face with gaining construction knowledge. Based on my longtime involvement with the AIA Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion I saw this fellowship as an opportunity to continue my work towards understanding the underlying elements that push women out of the profession even as more women are graduating with architecture degrees than men.
As an attendee of the 2018 Equity by Design Symposium, I benefited from being at the front lines of the effort by AIA San Francisco to collect the largest data set ever regarding equity within the design profession in the US. The findings illustrated a trend of career pinch points common to all architects, but which for a variety of reasons posed significant challenges to women in particular. Further survey results saw that early predictors of successful retention included prioritizing mentorship, purposeful work in the community & training.
This event & information set the framework for the basis of my VEB Fellowship ask: If the survey results show that women note one of the most impactful of the predictors for lack of success within the profession as deficient training, specifically a lack of training in construction methods, how can we address this need at its most basic and local level? What can be learned from existing strategies to stem the tide of attrition and in turn retain women in the field at all levels of advancement?
Once I was awarded the fellowship, my work focused on four main efforts. The first was researching existing construction training programs, both academic and those hosted in the private sector. The second was participating in outreach efforts to individuals and organizations in order to gain their insight and collaboration. The third was investing personal effort in attending and taking part in many local construction-related workshops, volunteering with community organizations & participating in a week-long Carpentry for Women class at Yestermorrow Design-Build School in Vermont. The outcome of the year’s study, coupled with survey feedback from over 60 local women professionals, helped shape the framework for the final initiative.
What became clear from this exercise was the recognition that although the skills and education relative to building were beneficial, the main takeaway was the value of tangential learning. Time spent crafting in the wood shop or volunteering with Habitat for Humanity taught principles of learning how to fail safely with low stakes, of shaking off perfection to allow for inventiveness, of being comfortable in uncomfortable situations and creating a network of resources - these were key elements that could be called upon to counter the daily pressures of the status quo and create personal resiliency in the face of unequal odds. These lessons crafted the framework for the driving mission of Designers Build_pdx. An organization that builds equity by reducing barriers to opportunities that promote construction know-how, hands-on training and professional development to women in architecture. Based on the goal to not only retain talented women in the profession but to advance more women leaders by promoting safe spaces to experiment, problem solve and innovate. Designers Build_pdx supports this mission by organizing classes, tours & speakers related to our built environment, planning collaborate partnerships with purpose-driven organizations and curating an on-going calendar of building related classes and events.
Visit designersbuildpdx.org to learn more about the fight for equity in the profession, to see infographics derived from the Equity by Design survey and to get involved.