When talking about equality, diversity and inclusivity within architectural education and the practice of architecture, how can we reframe the narrative in order to engage with the unengaged?
The lack of equality, diversity and inclusivity within architectural education and the profession has been well documented in the UK over the last 10 years. In 2012 the annual Women in Architecture Survey was launched and over 5 years collected data on how equal and diverse the profession was. The responses unfortunately highlighted that the profession is not only sexist but suffers from issues surrounding homophobia, racism and elitism as well.
Christine Murray, founder of the Women in Architecture Survey and former Editor of both the Architects Journal and The Architectural Review notes that this increased awareness around issues of equality has rather than promoting change has had the opposite effect noting that the UK Government's Creative Industries Report from 2019 suggests that the number of women in Architecture has dropped by 10.3%. (Murray, By highlighting the problems face by women in architecture, are we making it worse? 2019)
With movements like Black Lives Matter and #Me Too gaining more coverage, there has been an increased awareness and availability to hear under represented voices within architecture. With the current pandemic affording further opportunities to hear a diversity of voices through many digital platforms, the question still remains…. Who is listening?
If we firstly accept the narrative that equality, diversity and inclusivity is a positive thing not only for architectural education and the profession but also for the built environment itself then what are the barriers to engagement by all? Is it a lack of understanding about the importance of the subject or is it routed in questions around privilege and guilt with regards to status?
This paper explores how we can change the narrative when talking about equality within architecture and asks if there is another way that we can promote inclusivity. It further evaluates one method of engagement through analysis of an organised event ‘the equal architect’ symposium held on International Women’s Day 2018. This event, hosted by ‘Missing in Architecture’, was designed to enhance awareness and understanding of the significance of female architects within the education system and the profession and provoke discussions on the creation of a more equal environment for all. The event although a huge success was attended predominantly by women. This paper reflects on the reasons for this and discusses a variety of alternative strategies to support engagement by all.