Thrive: A field guide for women in architecture

“Thrive: A Field Guide for Women in Architecture” opens with contextualising the journey of early women design pioneers who are often overlooked, setting the stage for why uplifting marginalised voices matters even today. Speaking from experience, veteran architect and educator, Sumita Singha, reveals overlooked histories of remarkable yet marginalised talents, while reassuringly guiding budding creatives to find conviction, challenging the latent systemic biases still prevalent today.Mirroring wider discourse, while more women pursue architecture education today, glaring gaps in representation persist at critical career points, as the ARB statistics reveal - only 31% of registered architects in the UK are women. Bridging diversity gaps through conscious inclusion is vital for an ethical sector, reflecting society's full creative potential.In the “Context” chapter, Singha reveals the overlooked histories of many remarkable yet sidelined talents like, Marion Mahony and Minette da Silva, whose works showcased exceptional creative abilities similar to their male counterparts, despite facing societal prospects to conform to mainstream methods.In “Education”, themes of discrimination and racial profiling exist, like the case of Maya Lin’s design prowess being questioned as she was singled out for being a young woman of Chinese heritage, despite winning a public design competition. Singha suggests mentoring connections to counter studio inequities, encouraging women to continue studying architecture.In “Practice”, to avoid systemic prejudices in practice, many women architects collaborate to shape empowering narratives, while championing better compensation, work-life balance, and organisational support enabling retention and growth.Heartwarming stories in “Projects” reveal conviction bridging struggles – as Tatiana Bilbao advances design solutions through collaborative construction models upholding people-first values over ego. Inspiring case studies provide insights into women-led firms’ guiding principles and design philosophy as well.“Promotion” urges personal branding to establish professional ties, as Melissa Woodford advocates entering global design competitions to proactively challenge existing hierarchies that limit representation and advancement.“Intersectionality” unveils complex layered struggles women architects face based on overlapping aspects of identity spanning age, ethnicity, religion and disability alongside gender. Customised equitable solutions crossing societal divides warrant deeper examination. Ultimately, prioritising empathetic, sustainable spatial approaches over individual notoriety offers a constructive perspective.As Singha aptly says in the Afterword, “This book is only an introduction” to women's indispensable spatial contributions. Peppered with key takeaways and inspirational quotes, this well-introduced manual aims to help architects of all genders equitably thrive across career phases - an invaluable effort unpacking overlooked design contributions.

A fantastic collection of voices and experiences of female architects across the globe!

Clearly written and well researched, this is a valuable contribution in the ongoing struggle to make architecture more inclusive.