Recently I was chatting with my daughter’s piano teacher after her spring recital and she commented on how important learning an instrument was. I initially jumped to the benefit of being able to play the piano at any point where you might, you know, encounter a piano. But she listed off the more pertinent reasons including the fact that music stimulates your brain improving memory and abstract reasoning skills, builds confidence and patience as well as encouraging good time management. Summers have historically been a nightmare for piano, between camps & family travel, so she was smart to lean into the many benefits to be had by sticking with it. But this notion of multiple benefits stemming from a singular action, is actually something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Ever since that eureka moment… in the wood shop.
So, initially at the start of this project my intention was focused on opportunity. Speaking broadly, women do not have as much opportunity to learn building skills as men do and this impacts women in the field of architecture. That was my premise, gained from both anecdotal and factual data. Women early in their career aren’t able to get enough time on the job site to complete their mandated experience hours and in turn cannot get licensed. Women further on in their career are tracked in positions of project management while most of the architects responsible for design are typically men. Giving opportunities for women in the profession to build confidence around construction and the details relevant to building would provide a leg up for those wanting to branch out. Creating a wide breadth of coursework and workshops would allow me to meet women at whatever level they were at. This is still my pursuit and I’m confident that Designers Build can create that opportunity, but it’s clear that this is a much more nuanced issue.
Why are women early in their careers not given enough opportunities to see buildings through construction and why are most designers men and women are largely project managers? Architecture is still a male dominated field with a prevalence towards gender discrimination. Progress towards eradicating the gender pay gap and creating a less toxic work environment will go a long way in leveling the playing field. Providing classes and carving out space/time towards creating community around our love for ‘how’ to build and the ‘why’ to build will create a momentum towards progress. Progress means more women and under-represented groups leading firms and having a seat at the table. Small victories that evolve from creating something, learning something, communicating something are the small steps that will allow the profession to evolve. Construction workshops are simply one tool in the toolbox towards further progress.