The Women Who Changed Architecture: Women Who Changed Architecture

by Beverly Willis (Foreword by), Amale Andraos (Introduction), Jan Cigliano Hartman (Editor)

Overview

A 2022 ALA Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title

A visual and global chronicle of the triumphs, challenges, and impact of over 100 women in architecture, from early practitioners to contemporary leaders.

Marion Mahony Griffin passed the architectural licensure exam in 1898 and created exquisite drawings that buoyed the reputation of Frank Lloyd Wright. Her story is one of the many told in The Women Who Changed Architecture, which sets the record straight on the transformative impact women have made on architecture. With in-depth profiles and stunning images, this is the most comprehensive look at women in architecture around the world, from the nineteenth century to today.
 
Discover contemporary leaders, like MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, spearheading sustainable design initiatives, reimagining cities as equitable spaces, and directing architecture schools. An essential read for architecture students, architects, and anyone interested in how buildings are created and the history behind them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616898717
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	03/29/2022
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	215,824
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Amale Andraos is the dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and cofounder of WORKac, a New York–based studio named the top US design firm by Architect in 2017.

Architect Beverly Willis is cofounder of the New York City–based Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, which advances the recognition of women's contributions to architecture.

Jan Cigliano Hartman is principal of Jan Hartman Books and a former senior editor at Princeton Architectural Press.

Editorial Reviews

"The authors of The Women Who Changed Architecture take a permanent marker to the field as we’ve come to know it, boldly underscoring the profound achievements of more than 100 women."
– Dwell

"The appeal of surveys like The Women Who Changed Architecture is that they can be dipped into at leisure and in no particular order, and they often yield surprises from the sheer volume of entries and the subject matter they focus on. Given my own exposure to far too many men in architecture, the surprises in this book are many, especially in the early chapters, when for every Lilly Reich, Natalie Griffin de Blois, and other familiar name there are as many new to me."
– A Daily Dose of Architecture Books 

"This highly anticipated survey shines a light on the groundbreaking women whose impact on the field of architecture has long been overlooked. Filled with comprehensive profiles and eye-opening photography, The Women Who Changed Architecture tells the story of over 100 female architects, from the 19th century to today, and their roles in shaping the way we build the homes and buildings around us."
– Veranda Magazine

"The book is a comprehensive collection of current and cutting-edge design, along with their historical precedents, and long overdue to have so many important contributors to architecture in one place. It should be on the bookshelf of every architect."
-- Spacing Magazine

"...a 336-page book that’s as astounding as it is revealing."
-- Architects + Artisans

"As an effort to reframe women’s impact, contributions, and participation in the profession of architecture, it is essential for collections that cover architecture or design."
– Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)

"An essential compendium of influential women designers from the late 19th century to today....Accompanied by beautiful photos, this collection of biographies showcases the industrious and unique paths each woman forged to master their craft, even when credit was often given to their male partners or bosses."
– ARCHITECT 

"An extensive catalog of women architects that is far more exhaustive than other recent, similarly themed books. One cannot help but be encouraged and inspired by the vivid professional and personal life stories."
– ALA/Choice 

"The Women Who Changed Architecture...gets to one of the major issues in design: Who ends up getting credit and recognition for their work, and how does that affect the way buildings and cities are designed? The book includes 122 women working in architecture from historic figures like Lina Bo Bardi to contemporary architects like Billie Tsien and Neri Oxman."
-- Curbed

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2022

While useful as a biographical dictionary, this title aims to write women architects back into history. The foreword by architect Beverly Willis describes the lack of women architects in much of written architectural history and the absence of women as role models in the profession. This book seeks to correct this by profiling some of the many women who shaped the field. A preface discusses the criteria for the selection of the 122 women profiled, including "design excellence and distinction, cultural and social progressiveness, and leadership in architectural practice." The biographical entries are grouped into six generations; each section is accompanied by short introductory essays by well-known architectural historians, architects, and academics identifying the commonalities and differences across the generations. Subjects who are still living are interviewed, and the profiles feature several pages describing each architect's education, career, and major projects, as well as photographs and drawings. Most of the architects practiced in the United States between 1881 and 2021, but there is respectable coverage of architects from across the globe. VERDICT As a collection of women architects' biographies, this is a worthwhile book for architecture collections. As an effort to reframe women's impact, contributions, and participation in the profession of architecture, it is essential for collections that cover architecture or design.—Amy Trendler

Library Journal