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There has been much discussion raised about "Why are women leaving Architecture? and more broadly, Why is the profession losing key talent?"  Both women and men practitioners are disillusioned by the myth of work/life balance: Women are grappling with "have it all" expectations of juggling family time with the demands of full-time work.  Men are struggling to support their families solely on an architect's salary and fall back on asking spouses to maintain their jobs. The lack of affordable childcare and high cost of living only magnifies the challenges.  How did we end up in this modern family dilemma? What can we do to improve the situation?

EQxD @ TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All

We are pleased to announce that Rosa Sheng will be speaking about Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! on Thursday, June 11th at TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All. Please visit the official website for full program information, speakers, and tickets. 

 

About: Equity by Design: The Missing 32% Project

Fueled by the persistent and striking gender inequity within architectural practice, where women compose only 12–18 percent of AIA members, licensed architects, and senior firm leadership, Equity by Design (previously known as the Missing 32% Project), a committee of AIASF, was developed as a call to action for both women and men to help realize the goal of equitable practice to advance architecture, sustain the profession , and communicate the value of design to society. The group's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and major architectural publications including Architect Magazine, Architecture Record, Contract Magazine. In 2015, Equity by Design has been presenting the findings in numerous cities nationally (including Boston, New York, Portland, Austin, and Atlanta for the AIA National Convention) and internationally in Lisbon, Portugal for Matrices: The 2nd International Congress of Gender and Architecture. 

 

Our mission is to understand the pinch points and promote the strategic execution of best practices in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of our profession's best talent at every level of architectural practice.

 

Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, founded AIASF Equity by DesignThe Missing 32% Project in July 2013. She joined Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in 1997 and helped start the firm’s San Francisco office in 1999, while serving as the project architect for Pixar Animation Studio’s headquarters in Emeryville, CaliforniaAs Senior Associate and licensed architect with 21 years experience in Architecture and design, Sheng has led a variety of award-winning and internationally acclaimed projects; from the aesthetically minimal, highly technical development of the glass structures for Apple’s original high-profile retail stores in New York and San Francisco, to the innovative and sustainable LEED NC Gold–certified Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College in Oakland, California. She was recently part of the team for the headquarters of e-commerce startup Square and is currently working on innovative projects for the University of California, Davis and Dominican University of California in San Rafael.

About: TEDxPhiladelphia 2015: And Justice For All

The fourth annual TEDxPhiladelphia conference will be held on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Temple Performing Arts Center. “And Justice For All” – the final four words of the Pledge of Allegiance – embodies the powerful and timely theme of the conference this year. This exploration of access and equity will showcase great ideas for building more just cities. TEDxPhiladelphia has convened a diverse speaker roster representative of today’s leading thinkers who will connect with over 1,200 multigenerational attendees and an ever-growing online audience on conference day and beyond. 

TEDxPhiladelphia is a not-for-profit initiative, licensed by TED and created in the spirit of of the TED conference and its mission, “ideas worth spreading.” TEDxPhiladelphia events offer interactive, immersive experiences for all participants from speakers to attendees.