Built By Women celebrates womens contributions to D.C. design and construction

Washington, D.C. — The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF), a national education and research 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, has begun the second version of Built By Women (BxW), its competition for structures and environments led by women working in architecture, landscape, engineering, and construction. With more than 110 nominations, the jury selected 37 sites.

In the architecture industry, women make up 42 percent of graduates from architecture schools, but only 26 percent of licensed architects and a mere 17 percent of architects who are principals or partners. These numbers have been attributed to architecture’s history as a male-dominated field. The BWAF was established by historic female architect Beverly Willis to combat this aspect of the industry.

In 2015, Built By Women highlighted sites in New York City, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the 9/11 Museum Pavilion. The second iteration of BxW highlights women-built sites in Washington, D.C. There will be a formal launch and celebration of BxW followed by an exhibit at the National Building Museum, of which BWAF Founder Beverly Willis is a Founding Board Member, in March 2016 to coincide with Women's History Month. Walking and audio tours are in the planning stages, as well as panel discussions and pop-ups at some of the winning sites.

The BxW DC jury was composed of professionals in architecture, landscape, engineering and construction, including: Sylvia Smith, Signe Nielsen, Erleen Hatfield, Gretchen Pfaehler, Martin Moeller, Nancy Owens, Mina Wright and Sarah Caples. The jury was advised by last year’s jurors and winners in conjunction with the BWAF’s Executive Director, Carol Shapiro.

The BWAF is working to change the culture of the building industry so that women’s work, in both contemporary practices and historical narratives, is acknowledged, respected and valued. BWAF achieves its mission by educating the public and transforming industry practice through collaborations with museums, professional organizations and other groups in the areas of architecture, design, landscape, engineering, technology, real estate and construction.