Archinect - News

RIBA will explore gender disparities in architecture in major new study

2024-11-01T17:17:00-04:00

This week, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced its participation with the nonprofit Fawcett Society in a new study of women architects who are either currently practicing or have left the profession. The study, which is due out next year, aims to establish a clearer picture of the scale and complexity of gender equity in the design field. It will inquire as to the reasons for a stalled rate of progress on the topic given the known barriers that exist and produce an assessment of "what works" and what further actions can be taken by different actors.

RIBA's Chief Executive Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick states: "Following decades of research, the pace of change remains far too slow compared to other professions, and significant action is still needed. Understanding the barriers to making more rapid progress is critical."

The organization is asking those interested in receiving updates from the study to sign up by visiting this link.

“There are almost no women” working in the geoengineering field

2019-12-21T09:00:00-05:00

As scientists continue to advocate for further development of [geoengineering] technologies, the field’s demographics are drawing more scrutiny. Some researchers argue the lack of diversity affects both which geoengineering projects get discussed [...] and how their risks get calculated.

In a recent article, Wired writer Sarah Sax dives into the troubling demographics of the White male-dominated geoengineering field, a largely theoretical research program with the potential for global impacts, both anticipated and unforeseen.

Explaining how the monocultural makeup of the world's geoengineering scientists might impact—and bias—their research, Sax writes, "Because the only way to test these interventions is to deploy them, much of the science of geoengineering remains hypothetical. But even that is problematic."

As Jack Stilgoe, a sociologist at University College London, tells Sax, “We can’t do risk assessments because we have no idea of the technology; It is still in the realm of the imagination. But what is imagined is actually really important. And who does that imagining really impacts the material outcomes.”

Yale student-led exhibition “A Seat at the Table” wants to spark more nuanced discussion on gender disparity in architecture

2018-10-22T18:56:00-04:00

But instead of shying away from some of the challenges this type of work poses, the students decided to publish the results of the survey as-is, and highlight its flaws. They decided not to draw any particular conclusions from the data, and instead hope to use the exhibit as a conversation starter. “A large part of the exhibit was trying to get a more nuanced idea of sexism. Not just sexual harassment, but other sorts of derailing that occurs within architecture schools.”

Jeanne Gang closed the pay gap at her firm and urges others to do the same

2018-07-05T15:40:00-04:00

Achieving pay equity is a foundational act of building an environment in which creativity can flourish. Taking the first step toward equality via pay empowers us to move forward, together, to address the more complex challenges that await. Comprehensive, math-based tools are available to assess the problem. Let’s put them to work. Follow the money (or lack thereof), and fix pay inequity now.

Jeanne Gang's firm Studio Gang recently scrutinized their office for any existing pay gap. She explains that despite their prioritization of equality there was in fact a small gender pay gap in their office.

Using her own practice as an example, Gang urges every architecture studio to go through the same process. Gang calls for other firms to "use the assessment tools, determine where you are, and make the needed adjustments" citing this step as the the easiest and most concrete way to correct inequality in the workplace.