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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?

Meet our EQXD HACKATHON Scholarship Recipients!

by Rosa Sheng, AIA

We are really excited to announce our 5 Scholarship winners for WE310 Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! Hackathon on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. Special thanks goes to our generous Equity by Design / AIA Convention event sponsors: Autodesk, McCarthy Building Companies and WRNS Studios for providing this opportunity for the future leaders of our profession.

Melissa Daniel

Former AIA Diversity and Inclusion Council member, Melissa Daniel is passionate about changing the culture of the architecture profession. She spent the past three years as chair of the Women in Architecture Series serving AIA|DC, DCNOMA and AIA|NOVA WIA Committee. She was selected in 2012 for the Emerging Architect Award by AIA|DC, 2013 Young Architect of the year by DCCEAS and 2014 Leading Women under 40 by Maryland’s The Daily Record.

“The goal [of attending this hackathon] is to take the knowledge and apply it to the AIA|NOVA Women in Architecture committee. ”
— Melissa Daniel

Matthew Gaul 

Matthew is a junior designer at BAR Architects, Chair of Bay Area Young Architects, a contributing member of Equity by Design, a son of good people, and a husband to an intelligent and passionate wife. He is learning a lot from all of his roles. He hopes to make the world a better place.

“ Attending this Hackathon will better equip me to pursue Equity as the leader of my firm’s Equitable Practice group.”
— Mathew Gaul

Morgan Maiolie

Trained as an architect with an emphasis in urban design, Morgan Maiolie’s passion lies in designing within the complexity of ecological and urban systems. After working in a sustainable building research lab, urban renewal agency, and architecture firm, Morgan left traditional practice to pursue freelance design in a collaborative and creative co­working environment.

“I see great value in a hackathon to develop equitable practices in architecture and I am personally motivated to be a part of that discussion. My experience remains difficult to talk about with my immediate architecture community and a forum dedicated to the topic with people equally ready to begin that conversation would give me a much-needed structure to begin.”
— Morgan Maiolie

Karen Robichaud

Karen leads the online engagement strategy at Payette and since joining the firm in 2012, developed staff on-boarding programs, a clear voice for the firm and strategies for success. Additionally, Karen leads discussion groups, exploring how firms can incorporate social media to their marketing strategies and educate firm leadership.

“Post Hackathon I plan to bring the exercises, lessons learned and messages shared back to my firm and my local AIA chapter. By adding another, well-informed and active voice to the project, I can help move the conversation forward as an individual and from a firm-wide perspective.”
— Karen Robichaud

Neelanjana Sen

With 350,000 sf. of built work Neelanjana has interest in micro and macro aspects of planning and design. Her background in Physics, Visual Arts and Architecture informs her understanding of both aesthetic and technical aspects of built form. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute she received the AIA Henry Adams award.

“How we apply that ability to change into our thinking pattern and bring creative response from within us is the challenge. I want to attend this workshop to understand how to question my thought and develop the alternate. I believe small and subtle interventions can bring big change.”
— Neelanjana Sen

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EQxD Hackathon in ATLAIANTA!

From Silicon Valley to Atlanta, we are excited to bring this energizing, innovative and fun learning opportunity to AIA National Convention. What is a Hackathon? To find out, join us for this special pre-convention workshop on Wednesday 5/13 1-5pm WE310 Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! Full details and registration information available here.