Women account for more than half of the U.S. population. But even with significant gains over the past 25 years, their numbers and positions among the ranks of practicing architects appear to have stalled.
The reasons could be a combination of too few role models, mentors, and advancement opportunities, based to a statistical analysis of women’s progress in this field by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).
Looking at recent data from a wide range of sources—including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, AIA, National Architectural Accrediting Board, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Council for Architectural Registration Boards—the association found that while the number of female architectural students and graduates has stabilized at around 40%, the number of women working in architect roles has also stopped increasing, and hasn’t gone much higher than 25%.
Indeed, AIA’s Foresight Report indicated that, in 2011 (the latest year for which data were available), only 30% of its women members were associates in their firms, and only 17% were principals or partners. In fact, just 15% of AIA’s licensed members were women that year. And a mere 13% of Intern Development Program supervisors, who review the work of intern architects submitting IDP hours, were female.
“Even with a sizable margin of error it is clear that there are far fewer women in practice than in school,” said Lian Chikako Chang, ACSA’s Director of Research and Information, who authored this report.
The reasons why this “leaky pipeline” persists, however, are less clear.
While Chang doesn’t state this outright, the perception of women architects as second-class citizens might have its roots in academia, where only around one quarter of lecturers, directors, heads and chairs of U.S. architectural schools are female, and only 19% of deans.
It could also be argued that women are leaving the profession at higher rates than men because they are discouraged by the lack of industry recognition their work receives. Only 5% of all TOPAZ Medallion recipients have been women, and about the same percentage of Pritzker Prize winners. Since 1907, only one of the 69 AIA Gold Medals has been awarded to a woman, and that was posthumously in 2014.
“With the share of awards going to women increasing by about 5% each decade, if we continue at this pace we’ll be waiting until 2080 to see a 50-50 split,” Chang notes sardonically.
While the author offered no specific prescriptions, Chang asserted that a more systematic approach to professional development will be required in order to encourage and support women in progressing and achieving as architects at rates more equal to those of men.
“The data reviewed here suggest that we should focus particularly on two areas: first, what happens before applying to and enrolling in architecture school; and second, what happens at higher levels in the profession, academia, and related practices,” she said.
Related Stories
| Jun 9, 2014
Eli Broad museum files $19.8 million lawsuit over delays
The museum, meant to hold Eli and Edythe Borad's collection of contemporary art, is suing the German company Seele for what the museum describes as delays in the creation of building blocks for its façade.
| Jun 8, 2014
What’s the word of the day? It’s all about ‘resiliency’
Just for the sake of argument, let’s put aside the rhetoric about climate change—whether it’s actually happening, whether it’s a result of manmade activity—and agree that we are experiencing some pretty dramatic weather events that are having huge impacts on populations here in the U.S. and worldwide.
Smart Buildings | Jun 8, 2014
Big Data: How one city took control of its facility assets with data
Over the past few years, Buffalo has developed a cutting-edge facility management program to ensure it's utilizing its facilities and operations as efficiently, effectively, and sustainably as possible.
| Jun 6, 2014
Must see: Can a floating city offset urban population growth in China?
AT Design Office has proposed a design for a floating city to offset increasing urban populations in China. To create the new city, a 10-square kilometer island would be made out of prefab blocks.
| Jun 6, 2014
KPF, Kevin Roche unveil design for 51-story Hudson Yards tower in NYC [slideshow]
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are teaming to develop Fifty Five Hudson Yards, the latest addition to the commercial office tower collection in the 28-acre Hudson Yards development—the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S.
| Jun 6, 2014
Shipping container ship terminal completed in Spain
In Seville, Spain, architectural firms Hombre de Piedra and Buró4 have designed and completed a cruise ship terminal out of used shipping containers.
| Jun 5, 2014
International Parking Institute names best new parking structures
Winners include garages that are architectural delights, an airport's canopied parking atrium, and an environmentally friendly garage under America's oldest park.
| Jun 4, 2014
Emerging trends in healthcare development: neighborhood care, mixed-use models on the rise
In urban and even suburban markets, real estate is about the "live, work, play," with close proximity to mass transit and other amenities, like retail stores. Healthcare organizations are following suit.
| Jun 4, 2014
Want to design a Guggenheim? Foundation launches open competition for proposed Helsinki museum
This is the first time the Guggenheim Foundation has sought a design through an open competition. Anonymous submissions for stage one of the competition are due September 10, 2014.
| Jun 4, 2014
Market update: A difficult first quarter for construction spending comes to an end
This year's unusually difficult winter took its toll on construction activity. Nonetheless, first quarter spending for all the major groups was up compared to the same period in 2013.