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There has been much discussion raised about "Why are women leaving Architecture? and more broadly, Why is the profession losing key talent?"  Both women and men practitioners are disillusioned by the myth of work/life balance: Women are grappling with "have it all" expectations of juggling family time with the demands of full-time work.  Men are struggling to support their families solely on an architect's salary and fall back on asking spouses to maintain their jobs. The lack of affordable childcare and high cost of living only magnifies the challenges.  How did we end up in this modern family dilemma? What can we do to improve the situation?

Equity by Design: AtlAIAnta! Convention Recap

by Rosa Sheng

The AIA Convention in Atlanta was a refreshing and unexpected surprise for many with amazing keynote speakers, programs, networking events and opportunities to explore the city. The convention app this year was a great way to get a sense of what was happening elsewhere. The convention theme was IMPACT! and each day, the keynote speakers (featuring Former President Bill Clinton, Welby Atidor, and Julie Dixon) did not disappoint in bringing the message home. In order to advance, we must be seek to change the profession to be more innovative, more diverse in our collaboration, more equitable to represent the populations we serve and become better ambassadors for the value proposition for Architecture.

It was time for many firsts. The profound impact of social media allowed many of our events, such as the first ever Equity by Design Hackathon #EQxDHack15 (WE310) at an AIA Convention to be successful at conveying the message of the equity movement, but also having fun along the way, making new friends and creating connections beyond gender, age, and cultural backgrounds. Our audience in all 3 workshops (WE310, FR117, FR420) where the Equity in Architecture data was presented, consisted of diverse backgrounds and positive participation. There were men and women, new and seasoned, multicultural ethnicities, from all over the nation; the common thread was a desire to see our profession thrive with a commitment to action and the pursuit of equitable practice. All of this is a hopeful indication of the representation we would like to see for the profession in the near future.

Also notable was that many of the people that we had reached out to and met thru social media came together to meet for in person for the first time. It was an interesting conversation about re-inventing the traditional norms of networking (golf outings, fundraising dinners, etc) where many of those in the "social media" architecture and design community that had been conversing for years were meeting in person for the first time.

Yet another first, 2 galleries that recognized equity challenges and women in architecture. They were located near each other and facilitated the Equity discussion at convention. The Equity in Architecture early findings infographics were on display outside of B308 with healthy traffic and positive reception. The AIA Houston WIA Exhibit had a traveling gallery version that also had many visitors and discussion. 

The newly elected AIA National officers show promise not only for representing a diverse Board, but also carrying through with the change that the institute needs to remain relevant and impactful in the future. The officers are Thomas Vonier, President-elect for 2017, Stuart Coppedge, Treasurer. Jennifer Workman, L. Jane Frederick, and Anthony Schirripa will serve as Delegates at Large. Additionally, Don King, Thierry Paret, and Deepika Padaam will join them as elected Board members from the AIA Strategic Council. Robert Ivy mentioned Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project research study as an inspiration for the AIA 2015 Diversity Survey. The early results of the AIA Diversity survey will be presented at the AIA Women's leadership summit in Seattle on September 18: Celebrating Women Leaders, Promoting Cultural Change. 

An overwhelming majority voted for Equity in Architecture Resolution 15-1 at AIA National Convention in Atlanta

An overwhelming majority voted for Equity in Architecture Resolution 15-1 at AIA National Convention in Atlanta

Perhaps the most exciting outcome of the convention was the success of advocacy for Resolution 15-1 Equity in Architecture that was co-authored with Julia Donoho, Frank Pitts and myself; co-sponsored by AIASF, AIACC; and supported by the AIA National Board of Directors, Strategic Council, AIA Diversity Council and Big Sibs. The list of supporters goes beyond this base, to all the 4117 AIA delegates who voted in support of the resolution. We are deeply grateful of the solidarity for equitable practice and excited for the work ahead. 

The following Storify link captures the highlights of the 4 days.

 

Other Sources for AIA National Convention Coverage:

Archispeak Podcasts - 3 special AIA convention episodes. Episode 60 includes a recap of EQxD Happy Hour.

Architect Magazine - Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project Releases Complete Findings on Women in Architecture

Architect Magazine Video- Promoting Equitable Practice in Architecture

 Architectural Record -  AIA Passes Equity Resolution: Now What?

 

EQxD @ TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All

We are pleased to announce that Rosa Sheng will be speaking about Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! on Thursday, June 11th at TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All. Please visit the official website for full program information, speakers, and tickets. 

 

About: Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project

Fueled by the persistent and striking gender inequity within architectural practice, where women compose only 12–18 percent of AIA members, licensed architects, and senior firm leadership, Equity by Design (previously known as the Missing 32% Project), a committee of AIASF, was developed as a call to action for both women and men to help realize the goal of equitable practice to advance architecture, sustain the profession , and communicate the value of design to society. The group's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and major architectural publications including Architect Magazine, Architecture Record, Contract Magazine. In 2015, Equity by Design has been presenting the findings in numerous cities nationally (including Boston, New York, Portland, Austin, and Atlanta for the AIA National Convention) and internationally in Lisbon, Portugal for Matrices: The 2nd International Congress of Gender and Architecture. 

 

Our mission is to understand the pinch points and promote the strategic execution of best practices in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of our profession's best talent at every level of architectural practice.

 

Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, founded AIASF Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project in July 2013. She joined Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in 1997 and helped start the firm’s San Francisco office in 1999, while serving as the project architect for Pixar Animation Studio’s headquarters in Emeryville, California. As Senior Associate and licensed architect with 21 years experience in Architecture and design, Sheng has led a variety of award-winning and internationally acclaimed projects; from the aesthetically minimal, highly technical development of the glass structures for Apple’s original high-profile retail stores in New York and San Francisco, to the innovative and sustainable LEED NC Gold–certified Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College in Oakland, California. She was recently part of the team for the headquarters of e-commerce startup Square and is currently working on innovative projects for the University of California, Davis and Dominican University of California in San Rafael.

About: TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All

The fourth annual TEDxPhiladelphia conference will be held on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Temple Performing Arts Center. “And Justice For All” – the final four words of the Pledge of Allegiance – embodies the powerful and timely theme of the conference this year. This exploration of access and equity will showcase great ideas for building more just cities. TEDxPhiladelphia has convened a diverse speaker roster representative of today’s leading thinkers who will connect with over 1,200 multigenerational attendees and an ever-growing online audience on conference day and beyond. 

TEDxPhiladelphia is a not-for-profit initiative, licensed by TED and created in the spirit of of the TED conference and its mission, “ideas worth spreading.” TEDxPhiladelphia events offer interactive, immersive experiences for all participants from speakers to attendees.

Inspirations from Matrices: 2GA in Lisbon, Portugal 3/18-3/20

by Rosa T. Sheng, AIA

MatricesPoster.jpg

Last week, I attended Matrices: The 2nd International Congress on Architecture and Gender at the Universidade Lusofona in Lisbon, Portugal to present The Missing 32% Project: Equity in Architecture Survey findings to an International audience of academics, practitioners and students. The theme Matrices has several definitions and they are all inclusive by nature. Matrices are environments where things develop, the models or patterns that shape formations, and they can also reinvent an environment. These images are suited to address the current patterns of change regarding architecture and gender. We found the conference theme to be concurrent with the mission and activism associated with Equity by Design.

The 3 day Conference featured presentations that provided a broad forum for discourse on the history and current state of practice for women in architecture around the world by architects, philosophers, historians from Portugal, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Costa Rica and the United States. 

The content of each presentation was energizing, provocative and ranging in a broad spectrum of topics; Works and achievements of architects Lina Bo Bardi, Ray Eames, Eileen Gray; Niche feminist activism by a Chicago group called CARYATIDS; Cinematic influences on the image of Architects, The unique tension surrounding Iranian Women's Parks, recruiting and teaching architecture to Saudi Arabian women and a call to action for forming a Matrices network of research, best practices, and dialogue.

The opening keynote speaker was Spanish Architect Ariadna Cantis, whose business model expands beyond traditional practice and parallels current discussion of "Architecture And" conversations; expanding the design reach of our profession into communications, graphics, user experience, metrics, and social media. 

Martha Thorne, Executive Director of The Pritzer Prize was also present as a participant on a featured roundtable discussion on Matrices, the theme of the conference. She spoke of the need to focus on 3 key areas for continuing the movement for women in architecture. Creation of Alliances, leveraging Technology, and raising a call to Action would be critical to making an impact for the representation and recognition of women in architecture going forward.

Jane Rendell

Jane Rendell

Jane Rendell was the closing Keynote presenter who spoke of her newest work in publication "Site Writings" which continues to explore new interdisciplinary concepts and processes such as ‘critical spatial practice’. Ms. Rendell, a professor at Bartlett School of Architecture at University College of London, is also a writer, art critic and architectural historian/theorist/designer, whose work explores interdisciplinary intersections between architecture, art, feminism and psychoanalysis. 

Each day's summary is available below via Storify.

Matrices 2GA: Day 1 Summary, 3/18

Matrices 2GA: Day 2 Summary, 3/19

Matrices 2GA: Day 3 Summary, 3/20

Conference sessions were complimented by 2 nearby museum exhibits featuring the Varina, an iconic Portuguese Fisherwoman, representing strength and resolve of spirited women in Lisbon's rich history. The spirit of the Varina is evident in her proud posture which reminded me of Denise Scott Brown's widely known pose in Las Vegas. Similarly, Varina is alive in the leadership of our gracious hosts of the conference, Patricia Santos Pedrosa, Maria Joao Matos, and Eliana Sousa Santos and their colleagues at LABART Lusofona who ambitiously sought to continue a much needed conversation on architecture and gender in an international forum.

 

 

 

(WE310) Equity by Design Hackathon @AIA National Convention Atlanta!

Equity in Architecture is a call to action for both women and men to realize the goal of equitable practice in order to attract and retain talent, advance and sustain the profession, and communicate the value of architectural design to society. This event is open to everyone and has relevant learning objectives for all Architects.

Join us on 5/13 1pm-5pm for the most energizing half-day workshop inspired by the sold-out 2014 symposium, Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! We will begin the day by reviewing a full report of key findings from the 2014 Equity in Architecture Survey topics: Hiring and Retention, Growth and Development, Meaning and Influence, followed by interactive conversations about the pinch points that affect talent retention in Architecture. 

Agenda.png

Hackathon! The second part of the afternoon will feature the first AIA Convention "mini-Hackathon". What is a Hackathon? Very similar in format to a design charrette, using this rapid prototyping format will leverage your Design Thinking skills to propose actionable initiatives and best practices for talent recruitment, career advancement, and building the business case for equity. This video by Daylight via Vimeo demonstrates the process.

Finally, you and your group will present a 5 minute "pitch" of your proposed equity initiative to a panel of judges. Pitches will be rated with final equity initiatives being featured in blog posts and social media. Sign up for WE310 Equity by Design as pre-convention during Convention Registration. Ask your firm or local AIA Chapter to sponsor your attendance and bring back this valuable knowledge to affect change! 

HAPPY HOUR and JURY RESULTS at STUDIO No. 7. 

Following the workshop, Hackathon workshop participants will be invited to a complimentary Happy Hour 5:30pm-7:30pm at Studio No. 7 for Jury deliberations and Awards. If you can't make the WE310 Workshop, we will have registration to attend Happy Hour event so that you can catch up on the highlights of the Hackathon! Proceeds beyond costs of the event go to funding the 2016 Equity in Architecture Survey.

Studio No. 7 - 393 Marietta Street N.W. Atlanta, GA 30313

Happy Hour (only) registration includes networking, a recap of the EQxD Hackathon, Jury results and award announcements accompanied by an assortment of wines and appetizers inspired by Latin American and Asian cuisine that is seasonal and prepared with craft and care. If you register with AIA for the WE310 5/13 workshop, then Happy Hour is included.

 

 

 

#EQxDNYC: Recap of Friday 2/27 Presentation at Center for Architecture NY

By Rosa Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

It was 19 degrees and 7:30am (4:30am West Coast Time!) when I arrived at the Center for Architecture in New York City on Friday before the presentation. By 8:15, we had a packed room of approximately 80+ Architects and Designers interested in the Equity in Architecture Survey Findings and Equity by Design Movement with Initiatives for establishing equitable practice in 2015.

Following the presentation, there was a great discussion and what we hope will be the beginning of a collaborative effort to create an Alliance of like minded organizations for Equity; Women in Architecture Groups, Diversity Groups, Equitable and Fair Practice Groups. We have composed a Storify of live Tweets from the day for a recap of topics covered.

THANKS! A special heartfelt thanks to our hosts at Center for Architecture New York, AIA Diversity NYC, WIA NYC and all our live tweeters including above mentioned hosts, attendees, Architexx and especially Heather McKinstry! We are grateful for all who came out so early in the morning (including men!). 

SO WHAT'S NEXT? HOW CAN YOU HELP? Many wanted to jump in and asked what they could do to forward the EQxD Movement.  Like the Shel Silverstein "Melinda Mae" Whale Story, we can eat the Equity Whale faster if we have many forks and hungry contributors. You can read our blog post of 15 ways to Jumpstart Equity in Practice. Please send us a message in the "Contact" portion of our website with your suggestions and ideas for ACTION! Forward relevant articles to us. Get a Twitter Account. Write a guest blog post about an Equity topic. Bite for Bite, we will eat this Whale! See our list of events for 2015 and encourage people to attend! 

 MAKE IT HAPPEN! The best program yet to come is our 1/2 day workshop WE310 Equity By Design on Wednesday 5/13 1-5pm followed by and Happy Hour for networking and Alliance building in Atlanta. As your firm or AIA chapter to sponsor your registration to bring back the learning!

Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness.

Guest Blogpost by Jessica Rafferty

I recently traveled to Napa with two friends who are designers. Each sip of wine was followed by a critique of the tasting room, the detailing of the windows, or the questionable lighting used below the bar. Our conversation focused on the superfluous details while other visitors discussed the taste and quality of the wine. This is may seem like a familiar scene when designers get together. Work never really stays in the office when you’re passionate about it.  

At October's Equity by Design symposium in San Francisco, passion, well above financial compensation, was a common description as to why individuals took the path to architecture. However, according to this year’s Equity in Architecture Survey, a staggering amount of architects and designers are not satisfied by their jobs. After all-nighters in school, costly testing, and years of training with the expectation of making significantly less than other high-qualified professionals, what do you do when the passion starts to slip?

During the recession, I often heard my coworkers express that they felt lucky to just have a job. However, as growth returns to the industry, the Equity in Architecture Survey showed that women, as well as men, were struggling to find or maintain interest in their projects or job duties. In just the past year, my LinkedIn feed has been a critical tool for me to keep up with my peers’ movement in the industry, but do you have to leave your current job to find satisfaction? 

A major lesson from Equity by Design was to communicate your value. Communicating is not easy for everyone and that’s coming from someone who does marketing for a living. Laurie Dreyer of Stantec recommended in the Collaborative Negotiation session, “Don’t let karma dictate your future.” Speak up, ask for more. The worst someone can say is no, but at least you tried. This reminded me of one of my first project manager’s motto, “Don’t ask permission, ask for forgiveness”. The saying I’m sure was meant to inspire risk taking in design (but was often used to avoid explaining mysterious credit card charges). I like to consider the saying with a grain of salt, and often think about the phrase when I hesitate to speak up or think twice when negotiating.

Innovating Licensure: Creating a new Value Proposition for Architects

A critical part of the Equity equation hinges upon the complex process and costs for obtaining Licensure. This is compounded further by the erosion of real and perceived incentives for weathering the currently arduous process.  NCARB by Numbers 2014 provides a glimpse at where the pinch points occur for candidates. Our early survey results highlight that beyond pragmatic challenges with the licensure process over the last 15 years, the crux of the problem lies in the current lack of a clear Value Proposition for becoming a licensed architect.

For some there is a sense that the process is insurmountable, while others practice award winning architecture under the licenses of their firms with no tangible incentives for licensure. In what ways is the current process changing for IDP and ARE? Beyond the process, how can we create a new value proposition for architects and the profession at large?  How can we as individuals, firms and the profession provide immediate as well as long term incentives clear to the unlicensed and emerging professionals?

Equity by Design attendees who sign up for this Break Out session will assess current attitudes towards licensure, brainstorm new models of valuing licensed professionals and develop equitable tools for achieving it. Our featured presenters for this important conversation include Ashley Hinton of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Kimberly Tuttle, AIA of NCARB, Anne Torney, AIA of Mithun.

At this time General Registration is Full. If you would like to attend, please sign up for the wait list and we will let you know by 10/3 if there is space available.

Moderator

Ashley Hinton

Architect, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Ashley leads by example as a part of a new generation of millennial young architects. As the youngest licensed Architect at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Ashley completed her IDP hours and the ARE Examinations 2 years and 3 months after earning her professional degree from Rice University. As part of Rice's Preceptor Program, Ashley spent a year working at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. She also had several internships during her undergraduate years at Rice.  Ashley has had a variety of project...
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Speakers

Kimberly Tuttle AIA

Outreach Manager, Internship + Education, NCARB

Kimberly is the Outreach Manager, Internship + Education at NCARB. In this position she helps support and guide the education and internship continuum as it evolves with the architecture profession. Tuttle previously held the position of project architect for a small firm in Camden, Maine. She has seven years of architectural design experience, and has worked for several firms in midcoast Maine. Her projects varied from single family residential projects to light commercial restaurants...
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Anne Torney, AIA

Partner, Mithun

Anne Torney is an architect who has made affordable multi-family housing and transit-oriented urban infill the focus of her work for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Mithun, Anne was a Principal and Director of Housing at the multi-disciplinary San-Francisco-based architectural design firm Daniel Solomon Design Partners, where she has led award-winning projects in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Seattle, WA. | She brings a deep commitment to community outreach and...
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Knowing Our Worth As Architects

Novedge Google Hangout

How to Succeed in Architecture
Knowing Our Worth As Architects

Tuesday August 19th, 2014 ‐ 11am-12pm PST

 REGISTER FOR THE GOOGLE HANGOUT TODAY!

From Left to Rigth: Rosa Sheng, Anne Fougeron, Mark LePage

From Left to Rigth: Rosa Sheng, Anne Fougeron, Mark LePage

How to Succeed in Architecture is Novedge's monthly original interactive series dedicated to Architects and Designers. To read more about the series, click here.

In this Episode Do you know your worth as an architect? Do your clients value your knowledge and skills? Have you embraced the business side of architecture? Join us as we discuss these topics with Rosa Sheng, Mark LePage and Anne Fougeron, in preparation for Equity by Design by The Missing 32% Project, that will take place on October 18th at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Who is Presenting

Rosa Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C joined Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in 1997 and became a founding member of the San Francisco office in 1999 while serving as Project Architect for Pixar Animation Studio's Headquarters in Emeryville. With 20 years experience, Rosa has led a variety of award winning and internationally acclaimed design projects, which range from the aesthetically minimal, highly technical development of the glass structures for Apple's original high profile retail stores to the innovative LEED NC-GOLD Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College. She was also part of the team for Square Headquarters and is currently working on innovative and sustainable projects for UC Davis and Dominican University of California. Rosa also serves as a Board of Director for AIA San Francisco and is the Founding Chairperson for The Missing 32% Project Committee, to address the issue of Equity in Architecture. She is also a member of SCUP, USGBC and OWA.

Anne Fougeron, FAIA, is principal of Fougeron Architecture in San Francisco, California. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in architectural history at Wellesley College and a master of architecture degree at the University of California, Berkeley, she worked for San Francisco architect and urban designer Daniel Solomon for three years, an experience that informed her awareness of the interplay between buildings and the urban environment. In 1986 she founded Fougeron Architecture and went on to design award-winning private and public sector projects in a decidedly modernist vocabulary. Fougeron has taught architectural design to undergraduate and graduate students at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley, where she served as the Howard Friedman Visiting Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Architecture from 2003 to 2004. Fougeron Architecture is a nationally recognized design firm whose work exhibits a strong commitment to clarity of thought, design integrity and quality of architectural detail.

Mark R. LePage, AIA, is the Partner in Charge of Operations at Fivecat Studio Architecture and the founder of Entrepreneur Architect, an online resource inspiring architects to build better businesses. Mark writes a weekly blog, hosts a monthly podcast and has recently introduced Entrepreneur Architect Academy, an online business school for architects planned for launch Summer 2013.

Save the Date: Equity by Design Saturday Oct. 18, 2014

AIA San Francisco - The Missing 32% Project presents:

Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action!

Saturday, October 18, 2014 ( 8:00 am – 5:00 pm )

@ San Francisco Art Institute: 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco

Registration is NOW LIVE! CLICK LINK TO GET TO REGISTRATION PAGE

Summary:

The Missing 32% Project serves as a call to action for both women and men who mutually believe that equitable practice is critical to advancing Architecture as a sustainable profession and a key to communicating its true value to society. Our mission is to understand the pinch points that can occur during career progression and champion best practices for the recruitment, hiring, promotion and retention of our profession’s top talent in order to expand diversity, increase career opportunities and ultimately raise awareness of the invaluable services that Architects provide.

In the beginning of 2014, The Missing 32% Project launched the first ever Equity in Architecture Survey as part of a multi-year research project to promote the discussion and inspire change within the profession. The overwhelming response from the local and national community contributed to a research effort that has helped to provide a glimpse into the status of the profession and the challenges that must be addressed to preserve its value and relevance for future generations.

This year, join AIA San Francisco: The Missing 32% Project for our 3rd symposium that is named for our ambitious mission. Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! will be a day of highly informative and inspiring program to be held at the San Francisco Art Institute, one of the city's richest architectural assets with dynamic and interactive spaces.  We will be presenting the long awaited results of the Equity in Architecture Survey in panel discussions focused in 3 major knowledge sessions: Hiring & Retention, Growth & Development, Meaning and Influence. These will set the stage for highly interactive small break-out sessions in a variety of relevant topics and formats where we will use our design thinking skills to problem solve the challenging issues that confront architects, emerging professionals, and firm leadership in empowering and actionable ways to transform the profession.

Sample Agenda (PDF Download) and Break-Out Session Topics:

Hiring and Retention:

1. You’re Hired! Strategies for a stand-out resume, portfolio and interview.

2. Designing Culture: Workplace innovations to attract, grow & keep talent.

3. What's Flex Got to do with it? Win-Win Strategies that Work for Life

Growth and Development

1. Confidence vs. Competence - Knowing and Leveraging Our Worth.

2. Negotiation is a Power Tool: Strategies for effective outcomes.

3. What is your Brand? Why Does it Matter? - A Social Media Boot Camp

Meaning and Influence

1. Cultivating Leaders: Bridging the Gap from Merit to Success

2. Multi-Disciplinary Practice: Expanding the Influence of Architecture

3. From Employee to Entrepreneur: What does it take to succeed?

SPONSORSHIP

We would like to thank our many generous sponsors for supporting The Missing 32% Project this year. (For a full list of sponsoring companies and websites please visit here)

If you would like to be a sponsor of this important mission, please contact us.