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?
In early March, a few days before International Women’s’ Day, AIA San Francisco and its Communications Committee hosted “The divergent practice: Finding your path in architecture”. Four women – self-described urbanista Stephanie Goodson, set designer Claire Pritchett-Hanlon, exhibit designer Monica Ramirez-Montagut and environmental designer Kate Waddick - shared their stories of professional struggles and successes in a conversation moderated by Sydnie Kohara.
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