Women in Design Seattle

06/04/2022

Come check out this upcoming case study! Doors open at 4:30pm and the program will run from 5:00-7:00pm on June 22nd. Read on for a short description:

“Breaking Down Bias: A Case Study in Delivering Universal Toileting” will look at what it takes to deliver progressive design solutions. Bringing together building officials, code experts, architects, and owners, we will deep dive a case study in all-gender restrooms at Spruce Elementary in Lynnwood, WA. In addition, we will examine how code is developed, the impacts of entrenched bias in the code, as well as change management approaches that can help build buy-in from owners and users. We encourage participation from everyone of any demographic and career stage. The more diverse voices participating, the better discussions we will have.

🔗 You can RSVP for this event through the link in our bio or visit the page here: https://aiaseattle.org/event/wid-code-breaking-down-bias-a-case-study-in-delivering-universal-toileting/

06/03/2022

📆 We’ve got an upcoming YAF + WID Happy Hour event coming up that you’re going to want to add to your calendars!

As part of the YAF+WID Happy Hour Series, the next event is at DLR group on June 9 5:30-7:30pm.

🔗 You can RSVP for this event through the link in our bio or visit the page here: https://aiaseattle.org/event/yaf-wid-happy-hour-series-june-2022/

05/19/2022

We have an awesome talk coming up, and we’d love to see you there! 📧 Email [email protected] for the zoom link, or read on below for more info:

Amidst our office transitions and return to hints of normalcy, we have a huge opportunity to reintroduce humanity back into the workplace. Never has there been a more opportune time to prioritize the discussion on mental health and burnout prevention within architecture and design. In this session we’ll challenge the notion of self-sacrifice as a prerequisite for success and shed light on the steps we can take for change – first for ourselves as individuals and then for the wellbeing of our organizations.

Megan Sanchez is a certified professional coach and the founder of UpSwing Health Coaching, based in Washington, DC. Upon leaving the agency world of brand and environmental graphics, she made it her mission to challenge the grind-crash-repeat mindset of today’s workforce. She is also the founder of ByDesign, a virtual course and community that addresses the unique challenges of burnout and mental health for women in allied fields of the built environment including design, construction, engineering and real estate.

11/02/2021

Come meet us for a site tour! 🏞 On November 17, from 3:30-5:00pm we’ll be hosting a tour of Feriton Spur Park, and you won’t want to miss it.

Feriton Spur Park: Located on the Kirkland segment of the Eastrail, the park expansion features new amenities including a café and bathroom, food gardens, historic reuse elements, a spray park, pickleball, an amphitheater, and public art. Watershed consulted with the CKC History Committee on the incorporation of historical materials and elements.

Register at the link in our bio.

10/27/2021

📌 Don’t miss our upcoming event, from the Business of Architecture series!

This will be a lively Pecha Kucha style event focused on the value of architectural services and the role of the architect in the future.

Historically, the architect was conceptualized as a ‘master builder’ who oversaw every aspect of making buildings from design to construction. While there is still truth to this, the modern building industry has become increasingly complex and spawned a proliferation of specialized sub disciplines. Scope that used to naturally flow to the architect now often goes to sub consultants, third party construction managers, or GCs.

What then is the role of the generalist architect? What do architects bring to the table other disciplines don’t? What value are architects adding to building projects? What should architects be doing more of? How can architects better convey the value of architectural services? What will the role of the architect look like in 10, 20, or 50 years? What are our clients paying for?!

06/10/2021

🚨 Don’t miss our upcoming Architecture Finance 101 class! Join us on June 24th from 4:30-6:30pm for our second session in the 2021 Business of Architecture series.

Register at the link below:

https://aiaseattle.org/?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIzMzQ5IiwiMjg0NDczIiwiNDMwIiwiZDEzNzU3ZGE3Mjg2IixmYWxzZV0

More info:

Architecture Finance 101 focuses on the fundamental financial responsibilities and considerations associated with project and firm management and the different pathways to build financial skills and acuity. This event includes a diverse group of panelists representing a range of financial experiences and responsibilities. Panelists will present on topics including key performance indicators, firm reinvestment, and the soft skills involved in business finance. Following the panel, participants will participate in small group discussions focused on financial considerations on a firm, project, and employee level. We encourage participation from everyone of any demographic and career stage. The more diverse voices participating, the better discussions we will have.

04/05/2021

Is anyone else beyond ready for a change in scenery? 🙃 We’re not quite back to in-person events, but you can still join us for our virtual architecture tours! Join Women in Design for a virtual tour of Daniel Bagley Elementary by Miller Hayashi Architects on April 22 12:00-1:00. The Daniel Bagley Elementary School Renovation and Addition fully upgraded a 40,000 sf historic red-brick school constructed in 1930 in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood. Inside the historic building all existing partitions, originally constructed of unreinforced hollow clay tile, were removed and the concrete structure was reinforced. 20,000 sf of additions included a new gymnasium and a 2-story 8-classroom wing. The classroom addition is linked to the historic main hallway and is nestled between several original cedar trees with learning commons perched in the tree canopy. The additions create a cohesive feeling throughout the school and reflect Bagley’s educational priorities by emphasizing daylighting, transparency between rooms, lots of small group breakout spaces and flexibility for educational programs. Email [email protected] for Zoom information

04/05/2021

📢 We’re looking for panelists! If you’re interested in participating in a discussion on finance, we’d love to hear from you. Check out the second photo for instructions, and please submit by Monday, April 12th!

03/10/2021

EVENT REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 🎉
Navigating Your Career Through A Recession
Thursday, March 25th | 4:30 - 6:30pm

Women in Design is pleased to present our Spring event!

In this time of financial and public health uncertainty many design professionals are asking questions about how to manage their careers through a recession. This event includes a panel and small group discussions aimed at providing design professionals and business leaders with strategies and resources for navigating a financial recession. Panelists will present on a range of topics including how career stage, firm size, and market sector influence an individual’s or firm’s experience with a recession. We encourage participation from everyone of any demographic and career stage. The more diverse voices participating, the better discussions we will have.

Registration is open today! RSVP is capped at 100 attendees, register now if you're interested.

Register here!
https://aiaseattle.org/event/wid-navigating-your-career-through-a-recession/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=women-in-design-november-newsletter_2020

01/13/2021

CALLING ALL DESIGNERS! 🚨 We need some panelists for an upcoming event, and we’d love to hear from you. Please see below for event details!

Event Title: “Navigating your Career Through a Recession”

Event Format: Panel discussion, 4-6 participants + moderator (Virtual/Zoom), 1.5 hours

Event Date and Time: After work approximately 5-7 pm, in March (date & time to be confirmed)


AIA Seattle’s Women in Design committee is looking for people to volunteer to participate in a virtual panel discussion on navigating design careers through recessions. The discussion will be in a question and answer + discussion format, possibly with smaller break out rooms, and it will be moderated by a member of the WiD committee.

If you’re interested in being a panelist or can recommend someone who would be a good fit, email [email protected] with a brief note on your background by Friday, January 22nd. Selected panelists should expect approximately 1 hour of pre-event planning time, in addition to the event.

We are looking for a diverse group that can represent a variety of perspectives. People of all genders, experience levels, etc. are encouraged to respond, the goal is to represent a wide variety of experiences in the profession.

Below are examples of the types of questions we’ll discuss on the panel (you don’t need to answer these in your response)

How does firm size influence the impact of recessions on staff and projects? What factors are in play?
How can staff be most valuable to their firms during an economic contraction?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of specialization vs generalists?
How do you navigate layoffs as an entry level employee vs more senior staff? What if you’re in leadership? How do strategies change, what might you consider?
How do different project types respond to economic shifts? For example, public vs privately funded projects; commercial vs residential; etc.
Have you taken a non-traditional path as a result of a recession? What has guided your decisions and what have the impacts been?

Note: we will be applying to the AIA for 1 CEU credit for this event.

10/09/2020

🎟 Don’t miss our next event this upcoming Tuesday!!

Successful mentorship programs help to diversify the workplace and build inclusion while retaining talent and supporting employee growth. There is a growing desire for mentorship within the design professions, however, just as workplaces can greatly vary so does the format of successful mentorship programs. This event includes a panel and small group discussions aimed at providing design professionals with the tools and resources to build robust and sustainable mentorship programs. Additionally, this discussion will address the emerging challenges of physical distancing and remote working. Discussion group leaders from design and engineering professions will present a range of mentorship formats. We encourage participation from everyone of any demographic and career stage. The more diverse voices participating, the better discussions we will have. This event will be hosted on Zoom and will start promptly at 4:30pm.

Special Thanks:
AIA Laddership, Arup, PCS Structural Solutions, Johnston Architects, NBBJ, and DLR Group

08/20/2020

Women in Design is excited to launch Scavenger Bingo Time, an interactive game asking participants to follow prompts that explore boundaries, connect community, and define our moment.

Please share photos, sketches, and videos of your endeavors by emailing WID or direct message our Instagram!

[email protected]
wid.sdf2020

📲 Download your bingo card here (https://designinpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WID_Bingo_Card_layout_Finaloutlines_1.pdf) to get started!

This program is one of many included in the 2020 Seattle Design Festival. Look to designinpublic.org for the full line-up of multi-design discipline events happening August 15-23, all exploring the theme of "About Time."

06/10/2020

Twelve O’Clock Talks! ⏰

How can architecture promote equity, diversity and inclusion?

Twelve O’Clock Talks is a reoccurring monthly discussion group during the stay-at-home order. Our next conversation will be this Thursday, June 11 from 12:00-1:00.

Please email [email protected] for zoom information.

This week’s discussion will focus on architecture’s role in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. How has your employer addressed discrimination and bias in the workplace? Does your firm have diversity, equity and inclusion goals? Have you experienced microaggressions or biases in the workplace and how did you deal with it? How can architects better respond to community needs and better include the community in the design process? What steps can the profession take to be more inclusive?

Here's some suggested resources in preparation for the talk:

A Conversation About Race | New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/your-stories/conversations-on-race

AIA Guide for Equitable Practice: Chapter 1 Intercultural Competence | AIA
http://content.aia.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/AIA_Guides_for_Equitable_Practice_01_Intercultural_Competence.pdf

How to overcome biases? Walk boldly toward them | Verna Myers
https://www.ted.com/talks/verna_myers_how_to_overcome_our_biases_walk_boldly_toward_them?language=en

Increasing Diversity in Architecture: Barriers of Entry | Architect
https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/increasing-diversity-in-architecture-barriers-to-entry_o

As part of a series of videos about race, we are featuring personal stories that reflect the breadth of experiences in the United States.

06/10/2020

A Message in Solidarity:
We have spent the last few days struggling to find the right words to describe this moment in time; worried that we may sound clumsy or out of touch. Silence, however, is tacit approval for maintaining the status quo. The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have horrified and shaken us, and yet violence against black bodies is not a new phenomenon. Raising awareness and understanding of the current state of gender diversity is central to the Women In Design mission, yet this mission is hollow without recognizing the intersection of race. We can do better. We start by showing our unwavering support, finding ways to educate ourselves and engage, while listening to and amplifying Black voices. We stand in solidarity with communities of color here in Seattle and nationwide. Black Lives Matter.

- Genevieve, Emily, and Michelle, Co-Chairs of Women in Design

05/08/2020

NOMA President, Kimberly Dowdell, tackles some tough questions in regards to how disasters like COVID-19 affect communities ✨https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14576-interview-with-noma-president-kimberly-dowdell

The Chicago-based architect spoke with RECORD about how systemic disparities have exacerbated COVID-19's effect on communities of color—and how the pandemic’s economic repercussions might impact the next generation of designers.

04/03/2020

Take a look at Damaris Melo's, winner of the 2020 Young Architect award, approach to empathy in architecture ❤️ https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_sailor/community/stlouispark/architect-draws-on-life-experiences-to-encourage-diversity-in-her-field/article_27905fb2-72b9-11ea-9526-0374742d6eb6.html

A St. Louis Park architect who became inspired to join the profession as a young girl in Brazil has been honored with a national award.

04/02/2020

Check out some of the women that won this year's Pritzker Prize! https://www.cnn.com/style/article/pritzker-prize-winner-2020/index.html

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have become only the fourth and fifth women to claim architecture's equivalent to the Nobel Prize in its 41-year history.

04/01/2020

Interesting global survey on the attribution of buildings 🤔 https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/review-jane-hall-breaking-ground-architecture-women-1202679306/

Jane Hall’s survey of women in architecture identifies built work by women within small partnerships, large international offices, and female-led firms, all flattened to the same register, re…