Hidden Stars: Women in Architecture Who Shaped the Profession

Architecture has always been a mirror of society, yet women’s reflections in this mirror have often been obscured. While names like Zaha Hadid or Denise Scott Brown are now widely recognized, countless other women contributed enormously to the profession but remained in the shadows. This article explores their legacies, the structural barriers they faced, and why their recognition matters today.

Women in Architecture Today

Globally, women make up around 27% of licensed architects. In some regions, the numbers are more encouraging – for example, women represent 45% of the profession in Europe — but senior leadership positions in firms remain disproportionately male. In the U.S., while 43% of newly licensed architects in 2023 were women, only about 20% of firm principals are female. This disparity highlights both progress and persistent systemic barriers.

Why Were Women Overlooked?

Historically, architecture was treated as a gentleman’s profession, shaped by academic and guild systems that excluded women until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even when women gained access to architectural schools, they were often:

• Barred from prestigious commissions, relegated instead to interiors, housing, or community projects.

• Erased from credit, with designs attributed to male collaborators or husbands.

• Confined by societal expectations, where balancing career and family was deemed incompatible with long architectural careers.

The result is a legacy of underrecognition – with many women’s contributions effectively “hidden” in the archives.

Hidden Stars of Architecture

Here are some pioneering women whose names deserve to shine as brightly as their work:

• Sophia Hayden (1868–1953) – The first woman to graduate in architecture from MIT. At just 21, she designed the Woman’s Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a landmark achievement that challenged gender stereotypes in the profession.

• Marion Mahony Griffin (1871–1961) – A gifted designer and illustrator, she was one of the first licensed women architects in the world. Her drawings helped define the Prairie School style alongside Frank Lloyd Wright, yet she remains less recognized than her male peers.

• Julia Morgan (1872–1957) – Best known for California’s Hearst Castle, she became the first female architect licensed in the state and designed over 700 buildings, many serving women and children. In 2014, she posthumously received the AIA Gold Medal – the first woman ever honored.

• Eileen Gray (1878–1976) – Known for her avant-garde furniture and the iconic Villa E-1027, her architectural contributions were long overshadowed, only receiving recognition decades later.

• Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999) – A French architect and designer whose collaborations with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret produced some of modernism’s most iconic works. Often overlooked, Perriand championed socially conscious design, bridging architecture, interiors, and urban planning with a strong humanist vision.

• Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992) – An Italian-born Brazilian architect, she merged modernist principles with Brazilian vernacular culture. Her designs, such as the São Paulo Museum of Art, remain touchstones of Latin American architecture.

• Beverly Willis (1928–2023) – An innovator in computer-aided design and urban planning. Beyond her projects, she fought to preserve the history of women in architecture through the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation.

• Odile Decq (1955–) – A French architect and educator whose futuristic designs are matched by her advocacy for women in leadership within the profession.

• Farshid Moussavi (1965–) – A contemporary voice redefining architectural theory and practice, she bridges teaching, writing, and innovative design with an emphasis on social and cultural contexts.

Why Recognition Matters

Highlighting these women is more than a historical correction – it’s an act of shaping the future. Visibility of female role models in architecture:

• Inspires young women to pursue the profession.

• Challenges stereotypes that architecture is a male-dominated discipline.

• Expands the canon to include diverse voices and perspectives.

Organizations like the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation and Women in Architecture UK are ensuring these stories are documented, celebrated, and passed forward.

Conclusion

The history of women in architecture is one of resilience, creativity, and persistence in the face of exclusion. While pioneers like Zaha Hadid have rightfully gained global acclaim, many hidden stars – Marion Mahony Griffin, Julia Morgan, Sophia Hayden, and countless others – deserve equal recognition. Their stories remind us that architecture is not only about buildings, but also about breaking barriers.