Today, Architectural Record announces the winners of its second annual Women in Architecture Awards, celebrating five architects for their contributions to the field while highlighting the increasingly visible role women play in the profession.
On October 6, just one day before RECORD’s 2015 Innovation Conference, a morning symposium followed by a luncheon honoring the winners will take place at the Time & Life Building in the heart of New York City. Sylvia Smith, principal and senior partner of FX Fowle, and Julia Murphy, associate with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will speak at a morning symposium about the challenges women face as design leaders in large firms. For more information on how to attend, visit arwomeninarchitecture.com.
“We aim to push the conversation about women in architecture forward with this forum,” says Cathleen McGuigan, editor-in-chief, Architectural Record, “to spotlight their accomplishments and encourage firms to promote women architects and their work.”
While a 2014 report by the National Architectural Accrediting Board found that women comprised 43 percent of students enrolled in accredited architecture programs and 42 percent of those awarded degrees, the American Institute of Architects’ 2014 firm survey found that just 26 percent of licensed architects are women. “There’s more work to be done, especially in terms of increasing women principals and partners, but the number of women in the field is growing,” says McGuigan. “We’re pleased to recognize a few of the many impressive professionals with these awards each year.”
This year’s winners of the five awards are:
Billie Tsien, Design Leader: Honoring an architect with significant built work and influence
Tsien is a founding partner of Tod Williams Billie Tsien, New York. Her practice is known for major institutional and cultural projects, such as the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.
Meejin Yoon, New Generation Leader: Honoring an architect who is rising in the profession
Principal and co-founder of Howeler + Yoon Architecture in Boston, Yoon is also head of the department of architecture at M.I.T. Her work explores material and experience in architecture at a variety of scales, most recently completing the Sean Collier Memorial at M.I.T.
Anna Dyson, Innovator: Honoring an architect who has made a mark in innovative design and building technology
Dyson, professor of design, technology, and theory at the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and founding director of the Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE), is an innovator whose work centers on collaborative research among diverse disciplines to develop new systems for building and energy generation.
Pat Sapinsley, Activist: Honoring an architect who has used her skills for effecting change in the public realm
Managing director of Cleantech Initiatives at New York University’s Urban Future Lab, Sapinsley brings together green technology and entrepreneurship to create a stronger marketplace for sustainable solutions.
Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Educator: Honoring a professional who has helped the advancement of women
Taylor is dean of the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. An architect and planner, she was the first woman chairman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill before bringing her vast experience—particularly in large scale urban and transportation projects—to her role leading PennDesign.
These winners were selected after deliberation by an independent jury including Rosalie Genevro, executive director of the Architectural League; critic Sarah Williams Goldhagen; Jill Lerner, principal of KPF; Mark Lamster, architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News; and Mark Regulinski, managing director of SOM.
