WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2026
The month of March is more than just March Madness. Did you know you that March is Women’s History Month. Thanks to Madame Architect, I learned of the following chapter in the book, An Outline of Careers for Women: A Practical Guide to Achievement from 1928.
They shared the following quote from the chapter – Architecture by Marcia Mead, AIA in the book listed above. But it is truly worth downloading and reading the full chapter.
Architecture An Outline of Careers for Women
“When I took up the study of architecture, it never occurred to me that to do so was peculiar or that there was any reason why I should not be an architect as well as Johnny Jones or Christopher Wren, provided I had the brains. Though I may never prove to be a second Christopher Wren, I believe that I am a far better architect than many Johnny Joneses, regardless of their male attributes.” — Marcia Mead, in An Outline of Careers for Women: A Practical Guide to Achievement, 1928
To learn more about Marcia Mead:
Marcia Mead
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Mead
To download the full book:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Outline_of_Careers_for_Women/pqxAAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Is the topic of Women in Architecture is important? YES!
To truly understand the topic, we will encourage you to read this previous essay from 2020; plus, read the additional article from ACSA.
Gender in the Architecture Profession
https://www.archcareersguide.com/gender-in-the-architecture-profession/
Where are the Women? Measuring Progress on Gender in Architecture
With the above as background, what can you do to celebrate Women’s History Month? To truly celebrate, become more aware of the topic and how women are truly impacting design and architecture. Below are a series of articles that celebrate women architects.
10 Legendary Women Architects Who Shaped the History of Architecture
https://parametric-architecture.com/10-legendary-women-architects/
You may wish to start with the above essay article as it truly shows those women who shaped the history of architecture.
50 Women Rocking the World of Architecture — These influential women are busy proving that the future (of architecture) is female.
https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/women-architects-to-watch/
25 Women Architects and Designers You Should Know
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/03/08/women-architect-design-international-women-day/
21 Famous Women Architects – https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-female-architects-177890
In addition, below are resources to support your learning more about women architects.
Madame Architect – https://www.madamearchitect.org/
Madame Architect is a digital magazine and media start-up celebrating the extraordinary women that shape our world, a magazine designed to break the architect’s mold and show young women entering the industry the myriad choices they have in crafting a dynamic, meaningful, and interesting career.
AIA Resource Center – Women Architecture – https://www.aia.org/resource-center/women-architecture
AIA supports women in architecture through leadership development, career resources, and a highly engaged peer network. Explore all the ways you can benefit and get support for your career development.
Association for Women in Architecture and Design – https://www.awaplusd.org/
The Association for Women in Architecture and Design is a Professional Society dedicated to supporting career and educational endeavors for women working in the built environment.
International Archive of Women in Architecture – https://spec.lib.vt.edu/iawa/
The purpose of the Archive is to document the history of women’s contributions to the built environment by collecting, preserving, and providing access to the records of women’s architectural organizations and the professional papers of women architects, landscape architects, designers, architectural historians and critics, and urban planners.
First 500 – https://first500.org/
At FIRST 500, we elevate and celebrate Black Women Architects and raise awareness about their distinction through an excellent central community. FIRST 500 inspires Black women and girls to infinitely increase our licensed representation in the industry to better reflect the environments we serve.
Do enjoy March and Women’s History Month!
Let us know of any additional resources that we can add!