Women in Design: from Cave Woman to Zaha Hadid

Controversial topic? Attention seeking gimmick? Read on to judge…

History of Women in Architecture and Interior Design

Historically, women have abstained from an active role in this realm of design and creation. For something, which should require more ‘womanly’ traits to imagine, it is, perhaps the need to frequent site, and deal with its discomfort, distance and workmen that have caused this abstinence.

Quoting from Wikepedia:

‘The first cognizant record of women in this profession is in France. Katherine Briçonnet (ca. 1494–1526) was influential in designing the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley.’

But, then, the first human design was not a building. Early Man first inhabited caves, and beautified its interiors. And, when the physically stronger man had gone out hunting, our guess is, yes, the First Designer was a Woman! 

Today’s Women in Architecture and Interior Design

Architecture and Interior Design have always been a preferred professional course for women world over. Stemming from the feminine leaning to art, colors and decoration, women (and their families) started preferring Design as a profession because of other reasons, like: “Comfort of more women in this profession”, “Less exposure to factory, machinery”, “Design is suited to the softer nature of a woman” etc.

 Today’s woman learnt nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe there were more women in Design, but hardly any in Engineering and Construction! The ‘less exposure to factory, machinery’ gets more than compensated by exposure to far flung sites with little or no amenities and other hardships that come with the territory. And, finally, ‘suited to the softer nature of a woman’ goes out of the window when you have become the Iron Lady to get work done from contractors, handle clients’ expectations and ensure you get paid.

Seeing the hours that go into a project at it completion stage, one need not even bother to go into another reason for women taking to this profession in Asian countries: ‘easy job that allows you to balance personal life and devote time to your family’!

Gender Bender:  has Nature predisposed that Women in Architecture and Interior Design will do better than man?

Traditionally, women have been found to make better drawings, neater sheets and more attractive designs than men. And men have been found better in areas involving construction, structures and engineering.

While women experimented with colors, men played safe, sticking to the shades of greys and blues they dressed to office in.

So you had more women in the design studio, more men on site. For color schemes, architects would consult their stay-at-home wives, and the clients would consult theirs.

For decades we were happy to accept these as gender predispositions. In fact, ‘colorful men’ were treated as affeminate. While women good at Engineering or site work were considered unfeminine or manly.

What’s the truth? 

Watch this space for more....