In Germany the distribution of gender at architecture schools has been equal since the 1990s. Today there is more women graduating with a degree in architecture than men. But this distribution is neither being reflected in leading positions of architecture firms nor in professors at universities, where women are still underrepresented.
Asking the question of why let to the study “Women in Architecture” which combines different research methods to create an overlook of the current situation of female architects. Among other things the authors focused on the question whether there were subject-specific mechanisms of exclusion, that lead to a discrimination of women and a drop-out of female architecture graduates. The quantitative part with Figures, Data, Facts outlines the situation of female architects at universities as well as in the economy. The statistical data is being supplemented by expert interviews.
The conversations with 21 professionals that strayed from the traditional architectural career path, so called “drop-outs”, complements the statistic with personal experiences, possible career choices and reviews on the compatibility of family and job.
The study states clearly that there are extensive deficits regarding the topic: many questions regarding gender and architecture remain unanswered and the data availability is insufficient. The aim of the authors is to phrase a research proposal on the grounds of this study, researching the whereabouts of architecture graduates, the compatibility of Care-work and the architecture job as well as the mechanisms of the architectural field.
The pre-study was conducted by the Associate Professorship of Architectural Design and Timber Construction (TUM), the Professorship of Gender Studies in Science and Engineering (TUM) and the Department of Sociology and Gender Studies (LMU) and funded by TUM, Gender & Diversity Incentive Fund (GDIF) and the Technical University Munich, Department of Architecture.
The translation was supported by the TUM Equal Opportunity Office and the Department of Architecture.
The full report on the pre-study is available online.