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The Designing | Education conference, to be jointly hosted by Monash University, RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, will bring together academics and practitioners to speculate on the future of the design studio as a pivotal platform for architectural education and production, and to consider modifications required in response to the changing demands of society, pedagogy, research and practice. The conference will be structured around three broad themes:

1. Provocative studio pedagogies
2. Studio nexus, design <> research
3. The future of practice

Conference dates: 3-5 October 2013

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Deadline for abstracts: 3 June 2013

See here for more details.

Transform approaches the question from a range of directions, with each session exploring change in the profession from a different perspective and scale. There will be plenty of time for discussion and we hope the audience will actively participate in the discussion.

Find more detail about the event here, and book here. Speakers are outlined here. See you there!

Introduction and welcome

9 – 9.15 am

Naomi Stead and Shelley Penn

Advocacy, activism and the futures of architecture.

9.15 – 10 am

Keynote by Lori Brown, followed by a short discussion with Shelley Penn and Ben Hewett. Chaired by Justine Clark.

Morning tea

10 – 10.25 am

Do architectural workplace cultures need to change?

10.25 – 11.45 am

What strategies – formal and informal– can we use to develop equitable and productive workplaces? How can periods of parental leave, flexible or part-time work be managed to benefit both individuals and organisations? How can processes for retaining, rewarding and developing staff be made fair and transparent?

A panel discussion chaired by Sandra Kaji-O’Grady with Misty Waters, Bill Dowzer, Lee Hillam, Ann Lau and Gill Matthewson.

Can policy drive professional and disciplinary change?

11.45 am – 1 pm:

An interactive workshop session led by Naomi Stead and Amanda Roan seeking feedback on a draft suite of guidelines and fact sheets aimed at promoting equity and diversity in the profession. Aimed both at employers and employees, the Parlour good practice guides will set out rights and responsibilities, hints and tips, on a range of issues including pay equity, flexible work patterns, meaningful part time work, avoiding a long-hours culture, negotiating working conditions, and others. Have your say, make a contribution, and help change the profession through policy.

Lunch

1 pm – 2 pm

What are the possible futures of architecture?

2 pm – 3.25 pm

We invent new ways of practising out of the current moment. In recent years architecture has faced the crisis of global financial restructuring and an accompanying revolt about the narrow limits of architecture’s interests and skills.  This panel explores the value of new knowledges, interdisciplinary work and diverse career pathways, expanding the public discussion about what architects do.

A panel discussion chaired by Karen Burns with Esther Charlesworth, Sibling, Paula McCarthy and Rory Hyde.

Afternoon tea

3.25 pm – 3.50 pm

What is an architectural career?

3.50 pm – 5.15 pm

How do we navigate career turning points and moments of transition? How can we strategise our careers while also responding effectively to surprises and contingencies that arise along the way?

A panel discussion chaired by Julie Willis with Emma Williamson, Sara Stace, Kathrin Aste, Felicity Stewart, Virginia San Fratello and Elizabeth Watson Brown.

Wrap up panel

5.15 pm – 5.45 pm

Lori Brown, Shelley Penn, Naomi Stead, Karen Burns and Rory Hyde.

Closing drinks

5.45 pm – 6.45 pm

Just in case you have any energy left for more talk!

For more detail on the speakers and panellists, please see here.

The OWA in 1973. Photograph by Bragstad.

It was during a peak in the American women’s movement of the 1970s that I began attending the College of Environmental Design at the University of California in Berkeley, California. Attention to women’s issues seemed essential to social progress (and to my personal progress), so combining what I was learning about feminism with my love of architecture felt right. It made sense to join with other women in architecture to create a new organisation; one that would directly address the many challenges facing us as women in a male-dominated profession – and through the free exchange of information, ideas, and activities – to strengthen our professional success.

We founded the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals (OWA), which is now celebrating its fortieth year. I was one of the founding members interested in the organisational elements – I even diagrammed a structural proposal for our November 1972 meeting that we used in designing our organisation. I have remained a champion of transparency of steering committee actions and the periodic review of our mission. This worked – my notes from the March 1986 steering committee meeting, which I attended, show discussions about goals and process.

Not all members are comfortable with various aspects of the reviewing process, such as: analysing pivotal turns, recognising missed opportunities, and understanding the potential consequences of past organisational structure, policy and cultural behavior. I don’t, however, see analysis and review as airing dirty laundry. Just the opposite – I see them as the necessary brooms and polishing rags for cleaning up organisational instability, awkwardness and confusion, and for ensuring organisational purpose and satisfaction. Sincere dialogue can produce enriching results. It is in this spirit that I offer the following commentary about OWA, from the inside. I write here as an individual OWA member, not as a current OWA Steering Committee member. My concerns are with patterns and satisfaction. I want to bring to the surface some of our successes, strategies and struggles for others to consider as they form groups.

OWA celebrating 20 years in 1993. Photograph by Manso and Manso.

Successes

OWA was founded in 1973 in the San Francisco Bay Area. I think many of us feel that when you give birth to an organisation, and work hard to raise it (during the first twenty years), you develop something like the unconditional love of a parent. Although members have come and gone, and many architects don’t know of our existence (we do not market ourselves), I am proud of the enduring presence, the low membership dues, the improvement of record keeping, the dedication of many steering committees, excellent website, and the organisation’s broad range of members. OWA is an admirable entity with a positive and worthy image as a professional organisation of mostly women, willing to remind others that women are active and valuable participants in the environmental design professions.

From my long perspective, I would like to highlight several reasons for our longevity.

Timing and newness

The climate of fairness fueled by the women’s movement and the affirmative action laws, provided ideal conditions for creating something new, and that newness, plus personal ambitions, pulled us together. The timing was good as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) held its 1973 National Convention in San Francisco and we moved quickly to become visible and to promote the OWA as part of the profession. Some of our members were both AIA and OWA members and knew what was not happening for women in AIA, so we agreed to form as an independent group.

Photograph Wendy Bertrand.

Commitment and bonding

Our hard work for the organisation bonded us – working together often tends to make professional friends. These friendships became unusually strong because we were growing up together in architecture (and a few other design professions), we liked each other, and there was a common positive social climate within feminism to be supportive. We were giving birth to change.

Need

There was an obvious need for the OWA because prominent male architects were publicly saying that they would not hire a woman architect; something which highlighted the fact that discrimination was not an individual problem. This was a class problem – the class being women, the problem being sexism.

Mobilised talent

Those who joined to create the organisation were sharp, talented and energised to participate beyond the minimum expectations of attendance, speaking up or taking on steering committee tasks. For example, members conducted a major employment survey (1974–5), lead house tours, took international trips together, represented our concerns on professional boards, listed members with their own firms in a directory, set up workshops, snapped annual group photos, formed a mothers’ subgroup, exhibited members’ work, established an annual retreat, and more. 

Strategies

We, the founding members, created strategies for organisational behavior and structure that generated an umbrella effect. This enabled strong collegial participation and was something that many used for their personal interests, but which also benefitted the group. We set up OWA as a horizontal membership organisation without levels of hierarchical authority. We were aware of other groups like the Women Architects, Landscape Architects and Planners (WALAP) in Boston. Business was administered directly by everyone present at the monthly meetings in members’ homes or offices. Twelve steering committee members were elected and responsible for tasks done in between meetings; administrative chores and leadership jobs were rotated among steering committee members. The mission statement was broad and included respect for the whole person, not just the professional. After the first fifteen years of OWA newsletters, I counted one hundred editors. A steering committee ranging between seven and twelve members over forty years resulted in about 300 members serving on the steering committee, with an average annual membership of about 150 members. Early policy was for every member to find time to be a steering committee member, and we did, with some members serving two or three terms (there were no term limits – an oversight in my opinion). This level of dedicated participation is another reason why many members hold a special place in their hearts for OWA.

Struggles

We have survived our major struggles, which centred on organisational issues and purpose —both were difficult and painful to tackle. Author, educator, and architectural historian, Gwendolyn Wright, sheds light on the subject of internal organisational questioning. In her opening remarks to Women in Modernism she states, ‘[I]nternal powers are taken for granted and become uncontestable’ (October 25, 2007). She references the scientist’s term ‘cascade’, for the behavior whereby everyone keeps repeating shared presumptions and asking questions or challenging the flow is considered a hostile act to be discouraged. I would encourage groups to turn that around and treat dissent, questioning and trying out new ideas, as organic compost, not social toxicity.

In the early days, little actions that seemed minor, connected, snowballed, and then appeared messy and linked to individual people, making them uncomfortable to comment on. There was no organisational protocol or agreed-to means of calling attention to specific concerns raised, and people didn’t feel comfortable to bring them up because, from my point of view, there was not an understood positive atmosphere or time allowed for thorough discussion of sensitive topics. Poor performance was sometimes shrugged off as normal for a volunteer organisation and too many contributing members left feeling unappreciated. In 1986, as steering committee members tried to grapple with the enormous tasks to do, large notebook binders were built for each steering committee member to help them to learn the job.

About the same time, some members wanted to take political stands and were frustrated by OWA’s unwillingness to do so. These members invited other Californian women in architecture groups to form a new group outside of OWA called California Women in Environmental Design (CWED). In parallel, there were ongoing concerns about OWA’s leadership and structure, which came to a head in 1990 with two factions proposing alternative methods for dealing with problems – one side wanted to change the structure to have officers and paid staff, the other wanted to continue avoiding hierarchy and too many paid staff. These issues were passionately debated in a big meeting and followed by a vote to not change the structure. The solutions from this crisis and other smaller ones eventually resulted in the steering committee taking a 2009 decision to leave the horizontal and democratic structure of a membership organisation in favour of a layered, hierarchical structure of authority, and to adopt a public service legal name (as opposed to a membership organisation). All this was done so quickly that it was not clear how things were supposed to work, yet the change passed.

A more traditional corporate model was selected, but verbal direction contradicted the new by-laws, and this resulted in confusion. One reason for the new direction was to protect the OWA health plan, a major benefit for many members over many decades. Another reason was to more effectively address the accumulative administrative tasks that needed to be put in order. There are surely other reasons too, but I would still argue that our organisation could benefit from introducing a credible system to resolve conflicts politely and productively, and that we need friendly, dedicated occasions to discuss the deep organisational culture changes that naturally come after years of existence. One possibility might be to break OWA into smaller more focused and innovative structures. Today there is only one business meeting a year rather than the eleven meetings when we started in 1973 —as a consequence we have a very different organisation.

Conclusion

In the early years, I believe OWA members were ambitious, wanting to break down barriers that were keeping us from being full participants, particularly sexism within our profession. Even today, with a higher percentage of successful professional women architects, many still share the persistently annoying feeling that an organisation is needed to address unequal treatments. Some also feel a responsibility to help younger women succeed, through special programs. Organisations can provide benefits that individuals alone cannot, but they also require attention and time.

I feel that after four decades, it is now the time to update the feminist agenda. We need to add to our purpose and mission, the concern for women’s issues in our culture and focus more on understanding and acting on gender concerns in the physical and social environment. I am very interested in these social issues impacting architecture. However, it seems that a number of women in OWA that are interested in these issues, are quite shy. In my manager’s persona and knowing of the new books on feminism and architecture, I started an OWA Book Circle where eight of us have been reading and discussing books that link women and architecture. We have also devoted one circle meeting to articles about gender and architecture – many from the website archipalour.org (thank you). From time to time an innovative project comes forward – especially at decade anniversaries like the one we are celebrating this year – including the symposium Gender Matters, featuring out-of-state speakers from academia. The East Coast seems to be the center of innovative scholarship and writing, where, as expressed by one of the symposium speakers, Lori Brown (editor of Feminist Practices (Ashgate, UK 2012)), people are ‘thinking outside and beyond the practice of architecture in order to broaden and expand architecture’s role and engagement within our everyday world for everyday people’ I understand from Columbia University scholar Andrea Merrett that she and Lori Brown are part of a new feminist group of twelve architects in New York State who have formed SharE.  Hearing about SharE’s contemporary feminist enthusiasm warms my heart.

My suggestion to those setting up organisations today, is to think about the organisational elements you are designing, understanding that there will need to be ways for the members of the organisation to know how to address and handle conflict openly and satisfactorily so small quirks don’t grow out of control into long-lasting hurt feelings. Use as much care for the organisation’s future maintenance and rejuvenation as for conceptual design and construction. Learn about organisational structure, policy, and behavior and make them work to meet your mission and goals. Talk about them often. Team up with sociologists interested in women’s organisations, and include a spot for a resident analyst to help regulate group behavior to insure intent and action are meaningful. And include an historian (which we have not done). Leadership comes in many forms. May I make the pitch for women and men interested in social justice values, to invent bold new shapes and colours for your successess, strategies and struggles – as individuals and as organisations.

Photographs of the OWA newsletters are by Wendy Bertrand.

The OWA 40 Year Symposium

Encourage flexibility, embrace diversity and invest in attraction. These are three simple steps that companies can take to increase the number of women in the construction workforce. Our recently released discussion paper, ‘What women want in a construction career’, reveals insights into the biggest challenges women face in securing and maintaining careers in the Australian construction industry.

Currently, just 11.7 per cent of workers in our industry are female. This discussion paper highlights three key challenges – attraction, industry culture and retention – that we must address if we are to maximise the number of women in the construction workforce. Stereotypes and misperceptions about the construction industry continue to dissuade women from seeking construction careers. One of our key recommendations is for industry to invest in early attraction programs to catch young, talented women early in their careers. Another key challenge for the industry is to dismantle the cultural barriers to women’s participation – from inflexible workplaces through to lack of female role models. Organisations that encourage diversity, support mentoring programs and promote female-friendly networking opportunities will reap the benefits. The discussion paper also highlights the need to provide more flexible work environments. Organisations must be willing to support alternative role options and flexible career paths. The paper provides a range of recommendations that should act as a clarion call to our industry. With commitment and dedication, we will not only expand the career opportunities available to women in the construction sector, but also enable our industry to expand its skills base, drive innovation and secure Australia’s reputation as a world leader. Download our report from the NAWIC website.

Dates: 22 & 23 June 2013

Location: ARUP offices, Level 10, 201 Kent Street, Sydney

Professional development: This course offers CPD points with the Australian Institute of Architects Refuel program

Cost: $1,000 plus GST (bookings up to 31 May)

To book, email: training@architectswithoutfrontiers.com.au

For more information, download the pamphlet here: Training Details Sydney 2013.

Our speakers are listed below. Click on the links in the list to see longer biographical detail on our speakers. Find more detail about the event here, program here and book here. See you there!

Lori Brown – keynote speaker

Lori works at the intersections of architecture, art, geography, and women’s studies, and is involved in architectural practice, research and teaching.

All her work emerges from the belief that architecture can participate in and impact people’s everyday lives. Her design, speculative work, and teaching all engage with the larger idea of broadening the discourse and involvement of architecture in our world. Focusing particularly on the relationships between architecture and social justice issues, she has currently placed emphasis on gender and its impact upon spatial relationships.

For more details on Lori’s work see here, as well as her own website lab practices.

Shelley Penn

Shelley is a Melbourne-based architect who contributes to architecture and the built environment through her practice, and through advising, writing, teaching and advocacy. Shelley is currently the National President of the Australian Institute of Architects.

Shelley will offer opening remarks at Transform as well as participating in the panel following the keynote address and the closing panel discussion.

Ben Hewett

Ben is the South Australian Government Architect. He will  participate in the panel following the keynote address.

Lee Hillam

Lee is a director of Sydney-based practice Dunn & Hillam Architects, and will participate in the discussion panel looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces. 

Ann Lau

Ann is an associate director of Melbourne and Sydney-based practice Hayball and associate professor at Deakin University School of Architecture and Building. Ann will participate in the discussion panel looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces.

Bill Dowzer

Bill is a director of BVN Donovan Hill. Bill will participate in the discussion panel looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces.

Misty Waters

Misty is an Associate Director at Bates Smart. Misty will participate in the discussion panel looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces.

Gill Matthewson

Gill Matthewson is an architect and academic. She is currently undertaking her PhD at the University of Queensland as part of the Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession research project. Gill will participate in the discussion panel looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces.

Esther Charlesworth

Esther is the Founding Director of Architects without Frontiers (Australia) and an associate professor at RMIT. Esther will take part in the panel discussion looking at other modes of practice.

Rory Hyde

Rory is an architect, researcher and writer, and author of the recent book Future Practice. Rory will take part in the panel discussion looking at other models of practice and in the closing discussion.

Paula McCarthy

Paula is an architect and New-Business Manager for Ducon Construction in Melbourne. Paula’s career includes consultancy in strategic spatial briefing, as well as work with architectural companies of all scales – as employee, director and management consultant. Paula will take part in the panel discussion looking at other modes of practice.

Sibling

Sibling is a young, multi-disciplinary design collective based in Melbourne. Qianyi Lim, Amelia Borg and Timothy Moore of Sibling will participate in the panel discussion looking at alternative models of practice.

Kathrin Aste

Kathrin is the one of the founders of Innsbruck-based practice LAAC Architekten. Kathrin is in Australia as a speaker at Material, and will participate in the Transform panel discussion on career turning points.

Virginia San Fratello

Virginia is a founding director of Californian practice Rael San Fratello. Virginia is in Australia as a speaker at Material, and will participate in the Transform panel discussion on career turning points.

Elizabeth Watson Brown

Elizabeth is a now design director of Architectus, a position she took up after 21 years directing Elizabeth Watson Brown Architects. Elizabeth is on the panel discussing career turning points.

Sara Stace

Sara is currently Director of National Urban Policy in the Australian government’s Major Cities Unit. To date her career has included working in architectural practice, managing a property investment portfolio, and many other related activities. Sara is on the panel discussing career turning points.

Emma Williamson

Emma is co-founder and practice director of Perth-based practice CODA, and a former academic. Emma is on the panel discussing career turning points.

Felicity Stewart

Felicity is a director of the new practice Stewart Hollenstein, which recently won the Green Square Library competition (with Colin Stewart Architects). Felicity is on the panel discussing career turning points.

Naomi Stead

Naomi is a senior research fellow at the ATCH research centre at the University of Queensland. Among other projects Naomi is leading the research project Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession: women, work and leadership.

Naomi is one of the convenors of  Transform and will introduce the symposium as well as leading the policy consultation session, along with Amanda Roan.

Justine Clark

Justine is an architectural editor, writer and curator and an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is the editor of Parlour and a researcher on the associated research project, Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession.

Justine is a convenor of Transform and will chair the keynote session.

Karen Burns

Karen teaches in the architecture program at the University of Melbourne. She has published widely on architecture, gender theory and feminism and is a researcher on the Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession project.

Karen is a convenor of Transform and will chair the session on alternative models of practice and the session on career turning points.

Amanda Roan

Amanda is a senior lecturer in management at the University of Queensland, and is a Chief Investigator on the research project Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession. She is interested in all aspect of women’s participation in the workforce but with an emphasis on women in management.

Amanda will lead the policy consultation session, with Naomi Stead.

Sandra Kaji-O’Grady

Sandra is currently professor of architecture at the University of Sydney, and will shortly take up a new position as Dean of Architecture and Head of School at the University of Queensland. She is a Chief Investigator on the research project, Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession and is a Creative Director of Material, the 2013 National Conference of the Australian Institute of Architects.

Sandra will chair the session looking at strategies for change within architectural workplaces.

Julie Willis

Julie is professor of architecture and Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of Melbourne and is a Chief Investigator on the research project, Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession. Julie is chairing the discussion panel on career turning points.