Where Are the Women Architects?

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Where Are the Women Architects?

Good question, considering for several decades now 50% of 1st year architecture students have been women.

Where Are the Women Architects? is an excellent book that should be read by young women considering a career in architecture. They will discover that the odds are very much stacked against them.

Results of a 2016 survey studying Women in Architecture is a depressing read. I believe the bias begins in university where male attitudes dominate. When I studied in the 1980's-90's in the U.K. there were no female tutors at all, in 2016, in academia, this survey shows a figure of just 3%!!!! Despite a 50/50 ratio starting out in 1st year. It also shows only 3% will every reach director level in an architectural firm.

I found an article in the The New York Times written in 2016 titled Why is the world of architecture so male-dominated? It claims "Today, deeply entrenched biases remain." 

In 2017 an article in Dezeen magazine shows instead of becoming narrower, the pay gap between male and female architects is, in fact, widening. Read full article

Before starting out on a path to nowhere, I wish I had noticed that the only known female architects in the world at that time were married to famous male architects - Wendy Foster (married to Norman Foster), Dennis-Scott Brown (married to Robert Venturi) and Su Rogers (married to Richard Rogers) etc.

Conclusion: Studying architecture may be a good choice if you are dating an architect or already married to one. Otherwise forget it.