Female architects struggle to ‘climb the rungs’

October 17, 2016

Female architects struggle to ‘climb the rungs’

Greater representation of women in high level roles within firms is being sought in the architecture industry. Photo: Laura Tupou

Jessamine Fraser does not feel discriminated against on a daily basis just because she’s a woman, but is aware of a bias within her industry.

The owner of Fraser Architects Ltd in Auckland said she had faced discrimination from potential clients.

“I’ve been told, ‘Oh, I’d really like to work with you but my husband wants a male architect’.”

She said her competency has been questioned – even though she has more than 15 years’ experience and is registered – and she does not believe men would be asked the same question.

“I’ve also been asked if I find it hard to be an architect because women don’t think in 3D as well as men . . . that’s where it’s really explicit, funnily enough, out in the community.”

The sentiments do not extend to people on worksites or within the industry, she added.

On an international level, Ms Fraser cited the example of American architect Robert Venturi who received the prestigious international Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1991 – despite doing all theory and design work with his partner, Denise Scott Brown.

“There is this sort of forgetting-ness about women in architecture.”

The University of Auckland’s Kathy Ellen Waghorn, associate programme director (design) at the School of Architecture and Planning, said the number of female students had steadily risen to the point where they outnumbered males.

However, she said that figure matches tertiary education trends more generally.

“I think the issue is when you look at the directorship and the partners of the big firms . . . then women are really under-represented. That’s where I think it’s worrying.”

New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) communications manager John Walsh said there was an issue with women practitioners having difficulty “climbing the rungs”.

“Most of the big practices in New Zealand are run by male directors and it’s been quite hard historically for females to break through,” said Mr Walsh.

He said the professional body is trying to address this.

As part of NZIA’s biennial conference in February next year, one of the speakers will be Alison Brooks.

Canadian-born and now London-based, Ms Brooks is the only person to have won Britain’s three most prestigious architecture awards.

“She’s a very smart and articulate person and also quite a spokesperson for women in architecture,” Mr Walsh said.

While Ms Fraser thinks change is on the horizon, she believed it was happening too slowly.

A catch-22 situation had not helped either, she added.

“On the one hand, I suspect there’s an unconscious reason, perhaps, for men being preferred [to be in] positions of prominence in firms. They might have a better reception from clients.

“But I think that women aren’t going to get a better reception from clients unless they’re made more visible.”

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