An Archimom's Everyday Moments of Truth: Blog series

“Try to be present in each moment. Each moment is its own gift. You can remember them, but you cannot get them back once they are gone. Hope for the joy of new moments, with their own gifts.”

— Joseph Bakter

Last Monday, a group of well respected, fellow architect-bloggers who periodically post to #Architalks (the Architect's "social media water cooler") on different topics featured "A typical day in the life of an Architect". Started by Bob Borson (Life of an Architect) #Architalks is a brilliant idea that produced a veritable collection of candid and meaningful stories of "What do Architects do all day?" benefitting the public at large and fellow architects. Many of them shared their perspectives as sole practitioners and noticeably only two were women. By no means exclusive, inadvertently this tweet and the #Architalks blog series lead to some quick self-reflection: Is there a typical day as an Architect through my lens of wife and mother? The short answer was "No. The typical day does not exist in "a day in the life" for me, (and many of my fellow Architect parents and even more so for Architect mothers). 

Enter #Archimom; a unique breed of architect, wife, mother, innovator and chronic overachiever. Archimoms make up part of the 18% of women in architecture who have survived the attrition based on pinch point factors brought out in the Equity by Architecture Survey. The term came from my fellow Syracuse University alumnae, Jung Lee Masters when she was spreading the word about the TM32PP and Equity in Architecture Survey, #Archimom embodies the amazingly talented Architect with the resilient powers of a modern day Marvel Superhero.

Archimom is an alter ego, a new state of mind. You don't need to literally be an "architect and mother" to identify with the mindset. Despite the challenges of time allocation, implicit bias, and constant guilt, we can learn many valuable lessons of finding satisfaction, meaningful work, prioritizing, and work/life flexibility from these Archimoms. Their "real life" truths are the beginning of storytelling as a means to inspire and motivate underrepresented talent to stay in the profession. And as witnessed most recently, an Archimom like Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, who took time off from the profession to raise 3 children can come back to architecture to lead a practice as CEO and become the 2015 President of AIA National. It is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Four amazing @AIANational Presidents!!! #BeTheChange @Miss32percent @Echurichter pic.twitter.com/6qVxlt1xjA

— EmilyGrandstaff-Rice (@egraia) December 13, 2014

As luck would have it, a conversation developed on Twitter about the great stories on #Architalks and it quickly became apparent that the #Archimom perspective needed and wanted to be shared as well.  So a few of the Archimoms on Twitter decided to join together for a feature week on some everyday moments of truth and secret sauce ingredients for success. We reached out on Twitter for posts by Friday and promised a launch on Sunday.  Emily Grandstaff-Rice was the first to respond and Laura Melville Thomas quickly followed with her personal #Archimom experience.  So what started as a casual conversation on Twitter about using our voices, quickly grew into an amazing series of 13 stories within the course of the week. 

While we are featuring Archimom stories, we welcome more people to share their own adventures for Architecting and Parenting. (Mr. Archimoms welcome too!) What are your Top 10 everyday moments of truth and secret sauce recipe?

LInks to An Archimom's Everyday Moments of Truth Blogposts: (more fun than binge watching Netflix and possibly life changing in the process.)

• Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
• Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA, LEED AP
• Laura Melville Thomas, AIA, LEED AP
• Cherise Schacter, CSI, CDT 
• Nina Briggs
• Deepika Padaam, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, GGP
• Alicia Liebel Berg 
• Yen Ha, RA
• Meghana Joshi
• Jared Banks, AIA
• Kristen Padavic
• Kathy Russell
• Maia Kumari Gilman, RA
• Archimom - (Your name here and picture below)

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Overview by Rosa T. Sheng, AIA 

NOTE: This page was last edited on Sunday, December 14, 2014 

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? 

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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.

Building the Business Case for Equity in Architecture

They say "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”  For me, it wasn't a step, but rather my head hitting my computer keyboard.  Literally.  It was a late night in April of 2013. I had just had a hard night putting my two young children to bed while my husband, who is also an architect, was away at class.  He had started law school just one month before our daughter was born, so I was used to having the kids alone at night. But this night in April was harder than normal because I had a deadline at work.  I had to be home with my kids while my team diligently worked away AT work.  So after I got the kids in bed, I logged in from home and started working. But of course Revit doesn't work as smoothly when you connect remotely and something went wrong. I honestly don’t remember what happened, but my head hit the keyboard and the tears started flowing. 

I thought to myself ‘There has to be a better way.  I can’t be the only one struggling with this’.  And by ‘this’, I meant the struggle that any parent has with this delicate dance between work and home.  Since my Revit model was somehow paralyzed, I decided to search for some resource in the Twin Cities.  Was there some sort of support group, or network of mothers or parents working in architecture?  Nothing.  I did find a lot out there, but nothing in Minneapolis, MN.  By the end of that night, I knew what I had to do. I knew I wasn't alone in this struggle; I had to start some sort of Women in Architecture group. 

Fast forward to July of 2014. With the help of many talented women, we had successfully started a Women in Architecture Committee with the AIA Minnesota. We had also started Women in Architecture + Design- Twin Cities, which is an inclusive community-based group.  The AIA WIA Committee submitted a presentation for consideration to the AIA Minnesota Convention and it was accepted.  The following is a summary of the presentation I gave to set up a panel discussion with women leaders in Minnesota.  There were so many contributors to this presentation, but one woman- Samantha Turnock Mendiola deserves particular thanks and praise.  Samantha designed the entire presentation and was my much needed sounding board, and so often, my reality check in developing the presentation. 

The seminar is organized into 4 sections:  TRENDS, ROOT CAUSES of what is holding women back or causing them to leave the profession, the BUSINESS CASE and finally CONCRETE MEASURES firms can take to help attract, retain and raise women into leadership roles.  Here’s what we found:

Trends:

First let’s have a look at where we are today. Today women comprise 42% of graduates from architecture schools.  The number of women interns that register with NCARB falls only slightly to 39%.  But then, only 30% of women are Associate AIA members.  Nationally, only 23.5% of people working in architecture are women (this number is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so it includes licensed and non-licensed women working in the profession). AIA membership falls even further to 20%.  And finally, only 17% of our principals and partners are women. Compared to 42% of graduates. 

Sources: Available upon request

So why are those numbers so disparate?  I know what you’re thinking… those 42% of women graduates have yet to reach leadership positions- we just have to give them time…. this is a pipeline issue. But actually, we’ve been graduating at or near 40% for a long time nationally, and locally here at the U of M we’ve been at that level since the mid-1990’s.

If we look at the number of women practicing architecture according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics over time, you see a similar trend.  The local data shows some promise- the number of women licensed in the state of MN has been steadily growing.

Nationally our AIA membership has had excellent growth recently- you can see it starting in the 1980’s, and today the AIA MN has 24.6% women, which is in line with national numbers.

We’ve seen promising growth in the college of fellows as well- this graph starts in the 1950’s. 

This year Julia Morgan won the Gold Medal at the national level- the first woman to ever do so, and Julie Snow won it here in MN- the second woman to ever do so.  Overall, AIA Young Architect Awards winners are 25% women, and that percentage is slightly higher in Minnesota.

Let’s have a look at role models young women have today in Architecture School. Currently on average, 30% of people teaching are women, while only 23% of University Leadership positions are held by women. 

What about in firms?  Well, according to rankings in publications like Architectural Record, you can see below the rankings of the top profitable firms, the top award-winning firms, and the top firms here in Minnesota.  There just aren't a lot of women role models out there. 

And it turns out we’re not unique in our profession.  Here is how Law, Education, Medicine, Engineering and Architecture stack up.  Architects aren't the only ones facing these issues.

Sources: Available upon request

Root Causes

Next let’s have a look at the list of what holds women back (above the line), and what causes women to leave the profession (below the line).  (Note: The Double Burden is working full time and then also doing the majority of housework and child care).

Let’s start with unconscious cultural bias. We all have them- men and women alike.  In The Missing 32% Project's recent survey, when asked “What is the best criteria for promotion?”, the top criteria was performance reviews, with 82% of people saying it is an extremely effective process.  And yet, in another study of performance reviews, women received significantly more negative feedback than men, and men’s reviews more often include only constructive criticism. Now women’s reviews did include constructive criticism, but they also included personality criticism’s that were absent in men’s reviews, with words like abrasive, bossy, aggressive and emotional. 

So let’s have a look at a blind study conducted by Yale University.  127 professors of science were sent application materials for a lab manager position.  Half got a resume with the name John, and half got the same resume with the name Jennifer.  John was rated higher in competence, hireability and mentoring- totaling a 4.0 out of 7, where Jennifer scored only 3.3 out of 7.  And when it came to the salaries they were offered?  John was offered over $30,000, whereas Jennifer was only offered $26,507.  It was the same resume, and John’s salary was 14% higher- because his name was John and not Jennifer.

This reaffirms a statement made in one McKinsey report "Women Matter" : men tend to be promoted based on future potential, but women tend to be promoted based on past performance.  I’m going to say that again because it’s really important.  Men tend to be promoted based on potential, and women based on performance. 

Let’s move on to lack of mentors:  "Like" tend to mentor "Like".  People tend to mentor someone who behaves, thinks and has qualities most like themselves.  So men tend to mentor men.  This becomes a problem because there simply aren’t women in senior positions to mentor young women.  Also, there can be reluctance among men to mentor young women because of the perception that it may appear inappropriate. All this adds up to a scarcity of mentors for women. 

Now onto the confidence conundrum.  In numerous studies, men tend to overestimate their abilities and performance, while women tend to underestimate both.  But their job performance did not differ in quality.  This has been shown in study after study.  But what lack of confidence ultimately results in is inaction.  In one study exemplifying the results of inaction, 500 students were given a series of spatial puzzles to solve, and the men performed markedly better than the women.  The researchers were shocked, and wanted to find out what caused the disparity.  It turned out that a number of women simply didn’t attempt many of the puzzles.  So they decided to try it again, but this time they said that everyone had to at least try to solve all the puzzles.  And the men and women performed equally.  Women tend to hold themselves back because an outcome of low confidence is inaction. 

Its also worth noting another result from The Missing 32% Project's survey, which is one of the reasons why women and men leave the profession: a lack of satisfaction.   Only 28% of women responded being satisfied and not looking for other opportunities, compared to 41% of men being satisfied.

Business Case:

Let’s move onto the business case for retaining women in architecture.  There are studies that show that gender diversity improves employee engagement, retention and recruiting.  A more diverse employee base better reflects our diverse client base. But today we’re going to focus on just the last two.

First let’s address leadership behaviors.  In a report titled "Women Matter: Gender Diversity" McKinsey developed a tool to measure the operational excellence of a business.  They outlined nine criteria, you can see them listed below, and companies that performed the highest in these 9 criteria saw greater financial success.  But we’re going to get into the financial piece in a bit. 

They then took these 9 criteria of organizational excellence, and associated them with leadership behaviors that improved the outcomes of the 9 criteria.  So you can see at the top in the red circle, coordination and control is improved by control and corrective action, and capabilities in the orange circle is improved by people development and so on. 

They then looked at how often these leadership behaviors are exuded by men and women.  Two of them men and women apply equally (grey):  Intellectual stimulation and efficient communication.  Men apply two behaviors more (green): individualistic decision making, and control and corrective action.  Women, however, apply five of these behaviors more than men (blue): people development, expectations and rewards, role model, inspiration and participative decision making. Now when we tie these behaviors back to the organizational excellence, you can see that having a diverse leadership team is a huge advantage. 

Because companies that score high in organizational performance financially perform more than twice as well than companies that score low in organizational performance. 

While this was one tool used to measure financial success, it has been shown in study after study that companies with a higher proportion of women in top management perform better. 

It’s worth noting however, that having one woman on your board will likely help, but there does seem to be a financial tipping point at about 30%. The financial performance of boards with 30% women or higher have been shown to perform anywhere from 40-60% better over time than boards with no women. 

Concrete Measures:

So what measures can firms take to better support, retain and advance women into leadership roles?  Well, there are lots of things!

Again, I’ll just address a few.  The first thing is to simply be aware.  It turns out there are a lot of men that don’t know many of the challenges that women face.  So simply becoming more in-tune with some of these issues is a huge step.  One way to better understand these challenges is to know the data in your firm.  Conduct a poll, and ask women the challenges they face.  Run the numbers- know the percentages of women at each level of your firm.  Then be sure that whenever possible, you are considering diversity and inclusion.  If you are hiring, try to interview both men and women for the position.  Continuously monitor your progress.  It turns out that firms with a clear understanding of their starting point are more than twice as likely to succeed at implementing diversity measures.  Define what success looks like for your firm, and measure how far you've come each year. 

The next thing firms can do is identify and address perceptions.  As shown in the The Missing 32% Project's Equity in Architecture survey, the perceived impact on your career of taking leave was higher than the reality in every category.  And did you know that 80% of women in another survey of architects believe that having children puts them at a disadvantage? And in that same survey 48% of women thought they would get paid more if they were a man?  These are all perceptions that can easily be addressed, and firms that address these underlying attitudes are 4 times more likely to see meaningful change. (Please note:  I am keenly aware that it is a fact that women are paid less than men, and not merely a perception.  However if firms address the perception by gathering the hard data, they will then have the evidence and will be obligated to address the issue).

Another very important issue is clear leadership commitment.  Diversity measures will not succeed without top-down support.  Leadership needs to both acknowledge and visibly value diversity.  This can be accomplished by making diversity a business and strategic imperative.  Simply add it to your business plan. 

And finally, allow for flexibility.  In The Missing 32 Percent's survey, work/life flexibility was a key element of defining success for men and women in large and small firms.  Flexibility is likely the most important, and easiest concrete measure firms can implement.  This could mean flexible start and end times, flexibility of working from home, working part time or even allowing people to set their own hours.

In Conclusion:

I’d like to challenge each and every one of you to take action, no matter how large or small, to help advance women in our profession.  To the men:  you comprise over 75% of our profession.  If we are to see meaningful change, it must include you.  If you don’t know what you can do, then ask.  Ask me, ask Rosa, ask a Women in Architecture Committee, but I assure you, the solution to these issues involves you.  To the women in the room:  I encourage you to get involved, to speak up and to advocate for the advancement of women into leadership roles.  We have come a long way, but we still have work to do.  I am convinced that women and men together will bring about meaningful, positive change for Equity in architecture, thereby creating a strong and enduring profession, with a vibrant future ahead of us all.

Following the presentation, the panel discussion included Michelle Mongeon Allen- COO of JLG Architects, Renee Cheng- Associate Dean of the College of Design at the University of MN, and Julie Snow of Snow Kreilich Architects and recipient of the 2014 AIA MN Gold Medal Award.  The discussion was rich- below are a few quotes:

Julie Snow said the number of hours you spend at your desk doesn't necessarily translate to good performance.  “I think we have to disabuse ourselves of the idea that hours equal productivity,” she said. “It’s not true.”  Julie also said “The cool thing about Minnesota is they gave the Gold Medal to two women while they were alive!”, and “We need to embrace diversity in order to stay relevant”.  From Renee Cheng, we heard “It’s not really on women to go fix themselves, but it’s [up to] the organization to be aware of this and to realize that they have actively participated in this disparity.”  And Michelle Mongeon Allen stated that the industry is losing an opportunity if it’s overlooking a big segment of the population.  “Those are people that could grow my company.  To me, that is the business case.”

The response to the seminar was overwhelmingly positive, and we are already looking to build on the work and research we have already conducted.  The conversation has long since begun on equity in the architectural profession, now it’s time for action.  This seminar was one more step in our journey- or one more bite out of our whale.  We are making progress, and we are starting to see meaningful change by raising awareness.  Let’s keep the momentum going, and continue to take action.  We will see meaningful change in this generation, and together, we will make a positive impact on our profession and the world around us.

Written by Amy Kalar, AIA

Architectress in Construction: Equity Then and Now

Earlier this month, the architecture community lost a significant person, Judith Edelman. She was significant not only because of the quality of her work, but also in her bold efforts fighting for equity in the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and in the profession of architecture. In 1974, Judith Edelman faced the American Institute of Architects with data showing that only 1.2% of registered architects were women. She wanted to show data that proved women were not “paranoid chicks” for thinking there was a serious issue within the AIA.  She raised awareness about the gender disparity within the AIA and also founded the Alliance of Women in Architecture.

As a student at Connecticut College and New York University, she advocated for the introduction of more modernist architecture in the academic curriculum while, ironically, her professors often stated that they were wasting their time on teaching the girls that were in the architecture program. After finishing her education, her struggle to find a job only proved that inequity was her continued reality. She was hired by Huson Jackson to draw and design brickwork for mental health hospitals. “He was a great thinker, but he couldn’t draw, interestingly enough,” she stated in an interview. After some travels abroad, she and her husband started their own firm and designed housing for the needy, health clinics, and other various buildings in New York. Ms. Edelman's work was admired and received many awards.

Growth & Development Session. Photo credit: Daniel Wang

Judith was an early ambassador for Equity in Design by shedding light on the issue of inequity within the profession. Her life story helped me realize that to change something, you must be a part of it. Attending the Missing 32% Symposium was when I felt I truly understood this concept. Even though we all acknowledged that there was still a long way to go, the fact that I saw, heard and met women (and men) of all levels, really committed to the movement, was not only crucial for me, but solidified the fact that this is extremely important. It was evident that everyone had really given the topics serious thought and had begun to think of creative solutions. It brought peace of mind to know that I wasn’t alone in my issues with the profession, but that there were really influential people all around me to prove what was on my mind was really important. Settling was no longer an option.

Here we are - the active participants of The Missing 32% Project! There are many parallel issues that continue to exist and I believe that it is important that we pull the techniques from the generations of women that began this journey before us, and translate them to what is concurrent today. Judith’s battle is our battle. The new generation of female architects should be proud to be women, as they are proud to be designers.

It takes a lot of courage to begin a movement. I appreciated the research conducted and the data that reveals that there are continuous issues throughout the length of the individual’s career; which means the participation from everyone at all levels is critical. It is also vital that efforts continue throughout the various pinch-points, and not just when we are experiencing them.  It helps narrow the focus, while still being able to acknowledge the parts that make up the bigger issue. On a personal note, attending the Symposium was a very important first step. If you cannot identify what the challenge is, you will not be able to create a solution. I am committed to focus on: gaining more confidence, identifying what I want to do, communication, identifying a champion (especially as I am at the beginning of my career), and practicing presenting my ideas.

I am now aware of how big inequity has been and still is. Without the initial wave from Judith, and the follow-through of The Missing 32% Project, I would very much debate staying in the profession of architecture (which I have wanted to do for 12 years) because quality of life is more important than a job title. However, it is very possible to have both. It’s a creative profession, and that should encourage us to be creative in how we fit in the big world of architecture.

Post by: Danelle Gillingham

EQxD Challenge: 15 Things you can do to jumpstart Equity in Architecture

Last week, we launched the summary of early findings for the Equity in Architecture Survey during the Equity by Design Symposium on October 18th at the San Francisco Art Institute.  The theme of the day was threefold: Knowledge, Discussion and Action! So while the early findings may seem "bleak", doing something about it is better than doing nothing. So we have put together a list of 15 actionable ways that you can affect change in varying scales: Small (personal), Medium (your firm), Large (the profession). More suggestions to come, but this list will get you started. Pick 3!

1. Look - at the Findings of the Equity in Architecture survey. Knowledge is power and being aware of the potential pinch points in your career is half the challenge.
2. Share - the Findings of the Equity in Architecture survey with your networks. Great icebreaker for that "difficult conversation" 
3. Talk - have a conversation w/ your Principals/Firm Leadership. Use the Survey, What you learned at Equity by Design, or SWE/Arup Diversity and Inclusion Cards as an intro to why Equity is important and everyone's issue. (Talent Retention, Profitability, Satisfaction/Morale, etc)
4. Join - or Start a group at your firm for Equity discussions. Include both women and men who support Equitable practice and get people from all levels involved. Have regular meetings discussing different topics surrounding Equity. (Implicit Bias, The Confidence Conundrum, Performance vs. Long Hours, etc) 
5. Read/Listen/Observe - Knowledge takes time to build up. Read about Equity initiatives, surveys, skill building articles, blog posts from leaders/firms who have succeeded at change or build better practices. Listen to indy Podcasts like Archispeak, Entrepreneur Architect, and The Business of Architecture. Watch webinars like Novedge Google Hangouts on Air "How to succeed in Architecture" Series - "Knowing Your Worth as an Architect" and this amazing video from Google exposing and educating their employees on Implicit Bias.
6. Write/Blog - Share your experiences as an Architect: the good, bad, and not so pretty as you embark on your journey in professional development. Submit your blog contributions to TM32PP and we will curate/post on our website.
7. Socialize - Build a community of like-minded practitioners and Equity champions in your local area AND via Social Media. Start a sketch club or host a #sketchmob. Start an book/discussion club. Start a Twitter or Facebook, or Linked In Account.  If you have these accounts, start using them to connect and share. Start by following some architect Twitter veterans to learn the ropes. You may have stigmas/fears about Social Media, but it is an amazing resource for promoting a cause (like Equity!), sharing resources for skill building AND promoting the visibility and value of Architects. 
8. Seek - Mentorship/Sponsorship with an equity champion and/or Become a Mentor/Sponsor. You can have multiple mentors/or people  you mentor (older and younger) and you can also form peer mentorships. Sponsorship/Champions take more time develop, but the premise is that these people have your back in lobbying for your advancement (and vice versa)
9. Negotiate - ask for a Raise at your next performance review. (but, Learn, understand and practice Collaborative Negotiation Skills first!) go in with an empathetic mindset, assess and highlight your accomplishments and how they contribute to the greater good of the practice. Then practice, practice, practice with a colleague/friend in role play before the real deal. Remember, if you don't ask, you don't get. This goes for fees, client contract terms and additional services as well. 
10. Get Licensed - Join an ARE study group, put together a Licensure plan, and/or get to know the new updated NCARB IDP requirements (get the App to track your hours). If you are license, become a resource/cheerleader for emerging professionals/licensure candidates. 
11. Attend - A lecture, webinar,  lunch & learn, Symposium, Conference, etc. that talks about the issues we have identified in the Equity in Architecture Survey or any skills/tool kit/best practices for overcoming pinch points.
12. Organize - an Event! A lecture, webinar, lunch & learn, symposium, conference, etc. (see 11. above) Share best practices and gather a range of viewpoints ( Ie., topics: Taking a leave of Absence/Returning, Architecture And..., Work/life flexibility, Transparent review/promotion criteria, etc.)
13. Design - Architecture is a team sport. Be empathetic and open to other viewpoints (from your team, your clients and consultants) in your projects. Support a dialogue and stretch your comfort zone about disagreements and practice negotiation and building consensus. Different viewpoints often lead to better solutions. 
14. Lead - develop your leadership skills. Start with taking the lead in your own life and hone your skills to act and be acknowledged as a leader at work. Don't wait for a leadership role to be handed to you. Volunteer and gain leadership skills by giving back. It will change the way you think about leadership forever after. Above all, "Be authentic, Be resilient, Be innovative".
15. Learn - from others' examples. Observe and share best practices by successful Equity champions in action; both individuals and firms who model the support and structure for retaining and developing talent. Reference Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice, an amazing resource created by our Australian counterparts.

Equity by Design: Symposium Highlights

Saturday October 18th, San Francisco Art Institute, SF, CA: A forecast that had predicted rain earlier in the week, gave us glorious sun and near cloudless blue skies instead. Once entering into the courtyard, the excitement of the day was very palpable. Equity by Design: Knowledge Discussion, Action! 3rd Symposium of AIASF hosted 250 attendees and quickly sold out in early September with a wait list of 50+. (And even some lengthy essays appealing for an open seat.)

The "un-conference" was meticulously designed and executed by our team to be a new, energizing experience for all; attracting attendees from all over the nation, including strong representation from the east coast (Boston, New York, D.C. and Miami). Incredibly rich infographics (designed by Atelier Cho Thompson) on crisp tall boards (produced by Danielle Lyndsay and generously donated by SplashSF! ) displayed the sobering and thought provoking data compilation of early findings from the Equity in Architecture Survey conducted earlier this year.

The day ahead presented a great promise for a better, just, and more Equitable future; a veritable tasting menu of all things "whale-like" served at a quick pace to keep the calories burning. The parable of "Eating the Whale" that originated The Missing 32% Project's journey has now been turned up on its head.  What started as a lofty promise by some inquisitive women in architecture has now become part of a national (and global) movement for Equitable practice in the profession.

Equity by Design: Registration

INSPIRE%

Pamela Tang and Jaya Kader Zebede

Carrie Byles of SOM

Talking about the topic of Satisfaction

#EQxDsketchmob

Sketch by Jenny Guan

Men can be gorgeous...

and women can be leaders. Paradigm shift...

Mike Davis, FAIA

TM32PP Core Team

L-R: Rosa Sheng, Saskia Dennis-van Dijl, Lilian Asperin-Clyman, Helen Wong, Annelise Pitts

Marsha Maytum, FAIA and Mary Breuer

Rosa Sheng, Sylvia Kwan, and Elizabeth Chu Richter

#EQxDsketchmob

sketch by Jenny Guan

We were Inspired% by "women who dared to dream big" in history, near and far (Pamela Tang and Jaya Kader Zebede). The "knowledge" sessions sparked positive "discussions" in interactive break-outs for Hiring & Retention, Growth & Development, Meaning & Influence. Here are some of the highlighted quotes of the day via Twitter:

 "I was preparing for an interview and was told: Don’t be too smart. We still have a way to go on." Marianne O’Brien, FAIA

Until our profession reflects the society we serve, we will not have completely fulfilled our potential. Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA

 "If you see inequity, name it. If you see privilege, talk about it" Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA

 "This conversation of equity makes us better architects" - Cathy Simon , FAIA

"A long and enduring career should not be a miserable marathon" - Carol Wedge, FAIA

 "Being real, being whole, and being innovative reduces conflict and produces a sense of purpose, coherence, and optimism" Stew Friedman

 “I’m not as impressed when principals join the meetings b/c they aren’t working day-to-day on the project.” Karen Liu Staubach,

 "If you don't negotiate your salary, the amount of money you will forfeit over your career will likely be close to a million dollars." "Don't wait for others to notice and offer things to you." Amber Evans

“Why Equity? Why Now? I often have male colleagues who say they don't have bias. I want people to understand that we all have bias and for people to learn to deal with it, instead of thinking we live in a magical world where it's possible to not have bias." Aidan Hughes

 "Your worst reviews in architecture school are the ones you still think about." Sometimes the tough situations are the ones you learn the most from. In school, I remember looking up from my desk and seeing a group of men looking at something, and there would be literally no cracks between them so I'd have to squeeze my way in to see what it was--and that was the 1980s..." Amy Eliot, AIA

"I started looking at our peers in engineering and STEM, and they have clear ideas about what we should do for girls in school. The critical time for children is ages 8 to 13. What can we do? Damon Leverett, AIA

We were interviewed, photographed, and videotaped in hopes to capture the spirit and energy of the day. The closing session challenged us to take Action! in "Leading the life you want". Stewart Friedman challenged us to think about work and life integration based on developing 3 areas: Be real, Be whole, and Be innovative. 

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Dear EquityxDesign14 Attendees (in person and in spirit),

Thanks to each of you, the San Francisco Art Institute became a mosaic comprised of Smiles with Hugs, Numbers with Visuals, and Talent with Solutions.  The Equity by Design Symposium will always live in our hearts as one of the special days we will never forget - truly, the first day of the rest of our lives!

Be women (and men!) who dream big (Marianne) and be assiduous about eating the whale (Rosa). Use your voice as your power (Emily), and the first step to start the conversation is Data (Aidan). Never use data to complain (Annelise) but rather design the experience (Lilian) through which we can elevate the Value of Design. Talent and credentials are table stakes but chemistry with culture (Mary) is the intangible must-have. It’s human to be emotional (Cathy - and thank you, for being human, Mr. Pitts!).  

As we go about our trajectory, our Toolbox must continually expand (Cary) and we should remember that men want us to tell them how they can help (Carole).  NCARB has listened and IDP hours will be reduced by a third (Michael) as, frankly, licensure as an essential credential (Stefee) as well as a predictor of longevity in practice. We need to encourage leadership at every level (Jennifer).  Go, ask to go to more meetings, to be more involved (Karen), create your own credibility by leading (Carole), never undersell yourself (Pauline), and remember to always be expanding your capabilities (Damon).  

In the workplace, overwork is glorified - this starts with our education (Frank), our profession is evolving into a multi-disciplinary practice (Evelyn) and that, in spite of challenges and conditions, you have choices (Maia). If you live with these 3 simple rules: Be real, Be whole, Be Innovative, people will lean in and you will indeed lead the life you want (Stew). And, more importantly, AIA is here (literally!) to support you (Elizabeth). We have provided the Knowledge and Discussion, now it is your turn to take Action! (Rosa)

You inspired us by creating a community that we are certain will last beyond the day.  Our movement has purpose and, together we will influence and transform the future of the architectural practice we love. In the next year, will you join us and commit to leading actionable change?  

With eternal gratitude,

Rosa Sheng (Chair), Lilian Asperin-Clyman (Co-Chair), and The Missing 32% Project Team.

If not me, Who? If not now, When? Equity is Everyone's Issue.

“In my nervousness for this speech and my moments of doubt, I’ve told myself firmly, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?’ If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope that those words will be helpful because the reality is, if we do nothing, it will take 75 years or for me, to be nearly 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work”

— Emma Watson - He for She

A few weeks ago, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and actor Emma Watson gave the Pantheon of all speeches for equality and inclusion for a special event launching the HeForShe campaign at the UN Headquarters in New York. If you have not seen the video or read the transcript, I highly recommend that you do. The most poignant 8 words of her monologue that resonated the most : If not me, who? If not now, when?

As we approach Equity by Design on October 18th next week, I vividly remember being confronted with the same question over a year ago after the 2nd Missing 32% Symposium; What would I do to change inequity in professional practice? From talking to other women in architecture, there was much in the way of anecdotal evidence of similar challenges in their careers. However, statistics and surveys around this topic were lacking in substantive data; Data that could be the calling card to initiate a difficult but necessary conversation about Equity in professional practice. The very existence of The Missing 32% Project was dependent on the my decision to "act" and subsequently the people who have joined and supported our work. In this last year, it has caused a chain reaction of "actions" which resulted in a collective Movement for Equity beyond our wildest imagination.  

The issues surrounding Equity in Architecture are not necessarily black and white, openly discriminatory, or right vs. wrong. They are more complex and nuanced in implicit biases and stigmas; a working culture embedded with gender and cultural ideologies going beyond architecture and a profession wrought with challenges trying to keep up with a rapidly advancing world. While systemic changes may seem daunting and impossible in our career lifetime, I believe that individuals choosing to engage in the conversation and taking action (grass roots) is just as vital and necessary as institutional/corporate change. 

Presenting The Missing 32% Project origins and goals at the Industry Leader's Roundtable

This past week, I presented at the 5th Annual Industry Leader's Roundtable hosted by the Beverly Willis Architectural Foundation at the IBM Learning Center in Armonk, NY.  This year's program discussed Centered Leadership as a foundation for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.  Fiona Cousins, Principal of ARUP and BWAF Trustee presented "Diversity and Inclusion Knowledge Cards" an initiative started by Erin McConahey, Principal of Arup in partnership with the Society of Women Engineers. The knowledge cards feature provocative questions, summaries of current research, and intriguing data points to start conversations in the workplace and beyond. Arup and SWE have made these cards available for purchase or knowledge card activities readily available on their website. The biggest takeaway from our discussions was a salient point made by our McKinsey facilitator; In order to make change happen, the accountability of putting a plan into "action" needed to occur within 48 hours of the initial commitment.  

On October 18th for Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action!  While we will be sharing the much awaited results of the survey, we will also be asking attendees and supporters to commit with us to make change happen. Whether it is at the individual level for your own professional development, the firm level for mentoring, sponsorship or starting the Equity discussion in your office. Or will you commit to act at the professional level of outreach for practice as an ambassador for Architects to the community? We are at an important point in this nascent movement for Equity in Architecture. Beyond the rhetoric, we want action and accountability. We have the ability to make it happen. Will you join us?

Written by Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

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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EQxD: A Special Thank You to our Sponsors!

We are grateful to our supportive sponsors and partners in The Missing 32% Project's Equity in Architecture Survey, Equity by Design Symposium and 2015 Equity Challenge Endowment goal of $30,000. To date, we have raised $34,000 and have "32" sponsors. We would like to thank our generous Sponsoring and In-Kind Partners for their support of The Missing 32% Project. 

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In months to come, we will seek to continue our sponsorship campaign to further build the endowment for Equity by Design Research studies for future years. We also have other initiatives that will be outlined in our Equity by Design Challenge for 2015. We hope you will support us and spread the word. 

EQxD 10/18: General Registration is now FULL

Please sign up for the Wait List if you would like to attend. We will contact you by 10/3 if there is availability. We are still honoring reserved registration spots for current sponsors. If you firm is a sponsor, please check for availability. 

Online Ticketing for 2014 Missing 32 Symposium - Equity by Design powered by Eventbrite

We are also submitting a proposal to present Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Hackathon! for the 2015 AIA National Convention in Atlanta, Ga. May 14-16 as a Full Day Pre-Convention Workshop.  Is this a relevant program? Would you to attend? Please let us know below if you would like an update if we are selected. Thanks for your support!

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.