Women Power in Architectural History

As a woman pursuing architecture in my twenties, I often reflect on the struggles of those who came before me. To push against all odds in a male-dominated field must not have been easy, and it’s important to recognize the battles these women fought. Their resilience not only shaped the industry but also paved the way for us to dream bigger. And let’s be honest—we could all use a little motivation in this intense course, right?

One of the earliest trailblazing female architects was Marion Mahony Griffin (Figure 2). “Griffin was likely the first female licensed architect in the U.S. and spent much of her early career working for Frank Lloyd Wright, who was on his way to becoming one of the most famous architects of all time” (To the Source Editors, 2023). Despite her immense talent, her contributions were often overshadowed by Wright. “Griffin didn’t get recognized for what is now known as her greatest work at Wright’s firm, the Wasmuth Portfolio, until much later” (Wicks, 2023). This makes me wonder—how many women architects today are still having their work credited to male counterparts? “The irony is that under the current system, whether women are workers within a large firm or ‘stars’ at the top of a practice, they are often not attributed with authorship of the work; they are oppressed by the fact of being women” (Alvarez & Gomez, 2017).

Then there’s Norma Merrick Sklarek (Figure 3), one of America’s first Black female architects. In her early career, she was given only repetitive tasks like designing bathroom layouts—not exactly the dream for a trained architect. But she persisted, later joining a prestigious firm and designing remarkable structures like the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Thankfully, books like The Women Who Changed Architecture by Jan Cigliano Hartman and Women in Architecture: Past, Present, and Future by Ursula Schwitalla highlight these triumphs. Because of these pioneers, we now step into architecture schools and firms knowing that our presence is valid, our ideas matter, and our designs can shape the world. Their legacy is proof that we belong.

Sources:

Álvarez, E., & Gomez, C. (2017, July 12). The invisible women: How female architects were erased from history. The Architectural Review. https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/the-invisible-women-how-female-architects-were-erased-from-history#:~:text=In%20her%20essay%2C%20%27Sexism%20and,in%20academia%20and%20the%20profession 

The women who changed architecture / edited by Jan Cigliano Hartma.

To the Source Editors. (2023, March 16). 8 influential female architects throughout history. Source. https://tothesource.com/posts/8-influential-female-architects 

Wicks, L. (2023, March 7). 6 female pioneers of 20th-century architecture you need to know. 6 Female Revolutionaries of 20th-Century Architecture You Need to Know. https://www.veranda.com/home-decorators/g33533883/women-in-architecture/ 

Women in architecture : past, present and future / Ursula Schwitalla (ed.).

List of Figures:

Figure 1 -

Figure 2 -

Figure 3 -