澳门王中王

澳门王中王 Collections research guide: Women in architecture

Architecture has historically been a male-dominated profession, but women have also played a major role in commissioning and designing buildings.

Often their contributions have been overlooked, for example, because they were excluded from formal training routes into architecture, or because projects they worked on were attributed solely to male colleagues.听The profession鈥檚 underrepresentation of women from more diverse backgrounds听is particularly pronounced. In addition to sexism, many faced other forms of discrimination too, such as racism and ableism.听

This guide signposts just some of the material relating to the hundreds of women represented in our library and collections, focusing on those who were among the first to enter the profession in the UK, as well as historic networks and campaigns that aimed to redress the underrepresentation of women architects. At the end of this guide, you鈥檒l find more resources from present-day campaign groups, as well as contemporary scholarship available in our library. A growing number of our collections materials are digitised, so we've included links to those you can find online.

Find out more about the 澳门王中王 Collections and how you can access them, in-person and online.听

Early entries听

Elizabeth Hardwick (1527-1608), known as Bess of Hardwick, was a high-ranking member of the English gentry. She is most well known for the ambitious building projects she commissioned at Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall, both in Derbyshire. Her patronage led to innovations at Hardwick including an unusual two storey Great Hall that ran the full length of the house.听

Elizabeth Wilbraham (n茅e Mytton, 1632-1705) was also an English aristocrat, linked with Wotton House, Buckinghamshire; , Staffordshire; Easton Neston, Northamptonshire and Woodhey Hall, Cheshire. Some have claimed that she was the architect behind some of these buildings (and others), although this is disputed. She was certainly a significant patron, with a substantial interest in architecture. She owned a copy of Andrea Palladio鈥檚 I Quatro Libri, which she heavily annotated with references to her own building projects.听

Cousins Rhoda (1841-1882) and Agnes Garrett (1845-1935) established the first interior design company run by women in Britain. Rhoda Garrett originally aspired to become an architect but struggled to find a practice willing to hire a woman when she moved to London in 1868. The Garretts were later apprenticed to the office of architect John McKean Brydon. The 澳门王中王 did not admit women members until 1898, so the Garretts may have focused on interior design because, as a less regulated profession, it was more open to women.听

Within the 澳门王中王 Collections are:听

• Bess of Hardwick: photographs of Hardwick Hall, and a by its architect, Robert Smythson听
• Elizabeth Wilbraham: a biographical file containing newspaper clippings and correspondence relating to the theory of Wilbraham as the first woman architect; a design model and photographs of Easton Neston; photographs of Weston Park, 1965 to 2000听
• Rhoda Garrett: a biographical file containing her obituary in Builder听

Further reading (available in the 澳门王中王 Library unless marked*):听

• Bess of Hardwick: David Bostick, 鈥楶laster to Puzzle Over鈥�, Country Life vol. 184, no. 28 (1990) and 鈥楶laster Puzzle Decoded鈥�, Country Life vol. 184, no. 30 (1990); David N. Durant, Bess of Hardwick: Portrait of an Elizabethan Dynast (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1977); Lisa Hopkins (ed.), Bess of Hardwick: New Perspectives (Manchester University Press, 2019)*; Susie West, 鈥楬ardwick Old Hall鈥�, Country Life vol. 202, no. 13 (2008)听
• Elizabeth Wilbraham: Clive Aslet, 鈥極rthodox, Learned, Discreet and Pious: restoration of Woodhey Chapel, Cheshire鈥�, Country Life vol. 173 no. 4464 (1983); John Harris, 鈥榃illiam Taylor: Further Attributions?鈥� Georgian Group Journal vol. 8 (1998); Richard Hewlings, 鈥楾he Architect of Weston Park鈥�, Georgian Group Journal vol. 20 (2012); Historic England, National Heritage List for England: , , , *; Kemp, C., 鈥榃eston Park, Staffordshire鈥�, House & Garden (June 1969); Anne Laurence, 鈥榃omen Using Buildings in Seventeenth-Century England: a question of sources?鈥�, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society vol. 13 (2003)听
• Rhoda and Agnes Garrett: Elizabeth Crawford, Enterprising Women: The Garretts and Their Circle, (London: Francis Boutle, 2002); Elizabeth Crawford, 鈥楢gnes & Rhoda Garrett, House Decorators鈥�, Victorian no. 11 (2002); Lisa Daniels, 鈥楬ouses as they might be: Rediscovering Rhoda and Agnes Garrett and their Influence on the Victorian Middle-Class Home鈥�, Decorative Arts Society Journal vol. 35 (2011); Rhoda and Agnes Garrett, Suggestions for House Decoration in Painting, Woodwork and Furniture (London: Macmillan, 1876); Miranda Garrett, Professional Women Interior Decorators in Britain, 1871-1899 (PhD thesis, University of the Arts London, 2018)*听

Pioneer professionals听

Sisters Ethel (1871-1962) and Bessie Charles (1869-1932) were the first women to study architecture at University College London, when they entered the Bartlett in 1892 after being refused entry to the Architectural Association (which did not admit women until 1917). Ethel went on to become the 澳门王中王鈥檚 first female member in 1898, with Bessie following as the second female member in 1900.听

Not strictly accurately, Violet Shewell Morris (1878-1958) was proclaimed the 鈥渇irst woman architect鈥� by poet John Betjeman at an event in the 1950s. She worked alongside her father and brother in the family architecture firm, Morris of Reading, and continued independently after their deaths. Her projects included private houses in Bridgwater and Wokingham.听听

Irish designer Eileen Gray (1878-1976) was among the first women admitted to study at the Slade School of Fine Art, going on to be an influential force in architecture's turn towards Modernism. Her projects included widely-acclaimed private houses in France and the 'Centre des Vacances' project shown at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition.

Among the first female students at the Architectural Association was Elisabeth Scott (1898-1972), who graduated in 1924. Her practice, Scott Chesterton & Shepherd, designed the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, after winning the design competition. The theatre is considered the first significant public building in England to have been designed by a woman.听听

Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva (1918-1998) was the first Asian woman to become a 澳门王中王 Associate, when she joined in 1948 after sitting exams at the Architectural Association. She designed a significant number of residential projects in Sri Lanka, as well as colleges and civic buildings.听听

Several 20th century women architects were part of husband and wife partnerships that ushered in British modernism. Sadie Speight (1906-1992) worked alongside Leslie Martin, Jane Drew (1911-1996) was in partnership with Maxwell Fry, and Mary Medd (n茅e Crowley, 1907-2005) worked with David Leslie Medd. She was also the first architect to be employed by Hertfordshire County Council.听听

Housing expert and consultant Elizabeth Denby (1894-1965) was the first women to address a sessional meeting of the 澳门王中王 when she gave a paper titled 鈥楻ehousing from the Slum Dweller鈥檚 Point of View鈥� in 1936.听听

Within the 澳门王中王 Collections are:听

• Ethel and Bessie Charles: 澳门王中王 membership and Bessie Charles; , including designs for houses in Cornwall and London, and sketches from travels to Rome and France; an essay by Ethel Charles titled 鈥榯he development of architectural art from structural requirements and nature of materials', awarded the 1904 澳门王中王 Silver Medal听听听听
• Violet Shewell Morris: Drawings by the Morris of Reading firm; correspondence from John Betjeman discussing Violet Morris鈥� work听
• Eileen Gray: Design models and for private houses including 'Maison Cylindriques', a one-room flat in Paris, and a house for two sculptors; drawings for a cultural and social centre and centre de vacances; including the furniture she designed; of the retrospective exhibition of her work organised by 澳门王中王 in 1973
• Elisabeth Scott: Letter from the 澳门王中王 Women Members Committee congratulating Scott on the opening of Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, with reply from Scott; ; a letter by Hope Bagenal containing an account of a visit to Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, accompanied by Scott听
• Minnette de Silva: a of de Silva by Feliks Topolski and a 听听
• Sadie Speight: extensive archive of work by Speight alongside Leslie Martin; correspondence between Speight and Nikolaus Pevsner regarding her work for the Design Review supplement to the wartime Architectural Review, 1944-1946; correspondence with F.R.S Yorke; a report by Speight, as holder of the Neale Bursary for 1934, entitled `Isabeline architecture in Spain, 1474-1504'; many 听
• Jane Drew: extensive material on Fry & Drew鈥檚 work and life, covering drawings, manuscripts and photographs; audio recordings of Drew at various interviews and events, including a digitised 1986 talk 鈥樷��; 听
• Mary Medd: manuscripts, and drawings relating to Medd鈥檚 work, including with Erno Goldfinger and for the Hertfordshire Architects Department; , Bradford听
• Elizabeth Denby: sketches for a school camp in Glamorgan that Denby worked on with Wells Coates; correspondence between Denby and Erno Goldfinger; papers relating to Denby鈥檚 work with Samuel & Harding including the 'All Europe House鈥� at the 1939 Ideal Home Exhibition; 听

Further reading (available in the 澳门王中王 Library unless marked*):听

• Ethel and Bessie Charles: The Barlett, 鈥�, The Bartlett History Project (March 2014)*; 澳门王中王, 鈥楾he Admission of Lady Associates鈥�, 澳门王中王 Journal vol. 6 no. 78 (1898); Lynne Walker, 鈥樚�
• Violet Shewell Morris: H. Godwin Arnold and Sidney M. Gold, 鈥楳orris of Reading: A Family of Architects 1836-1958', Ancient Monuments Society Transactions vol. 33 (1989); Godwin Arnold, H., 鈥楯oseph Morris and the Pearl Building, Reading鈥�, Ancient Monuments Society Transactions vol. 28 (1984)听
• Eileen Gray: Peter Adam, 'Eileen Gray: her life and work' (London: Thames & Hudson, 2009); Clo茅 Pitiot, 'Eileen Gray: une architecture de l'intime' (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin: Cap Moderne, 2017); Jasmine Rault, 'Eileen Gray and the Design of Sapphic Modernity: staying in' (Farnham: Ashgate, 2011)
  
• Elisabeth Scott: Eleanor Mills, 鈥楪reat Scott鈥�, Museums Journal vol. 119, no. 3 (2019); Gavin Stamp, 鈥楢rchitecture: 'An Absolute Necessity', Apollo vol. 186, no. 659 (2017)听
• Minnette de Silva: Chana Daswatte, 鈥�Sri Lanka style: tropical design and architecture鈥� (Singapore: Periplus, 2006); Ashley De Vos, 鈥楨xperiments in Modern Architecture by Minnette De Silva: in retrospect鈥�, Sri Lanka Architect vol. 102, no. 2 (2000); Ellen Dissanayake, 鈥楳innette De Silva: Pioneer of Modern Architecture in Sri Lanka鈥�, Orientations vol. 13 no. 8 (1982); Minnette de Silva, 鈥楾he Life and Work of an Asian Woman Architect鈥�, (Kandy, 1998); Shiromi Pinto, 鈥楶lastic Emotions鈥� (London: Influx Press, 2019); Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi, 鈥楥rafting the Archive: Minnette De Silva, Architecture, and History鈥�, Journal of Architecture vol. 22, no. 8 (2017)听
• Sadie Speight: Louise Campbell, 鈥楥onstructivism and contextualism in a modern country house: the design of Brackenfell鈥�, Architectural History vol. 50 (2007); Leslie Martin and Sadie Speight, 鈥楾he Flat Book鈥� (London: Heinemann, 1939); Jill Seddon, 鈥楾he Architect and the 'Arch-pedant': Sadie Speight, Nikolaus Pevsner and Design Review', Journal of Design History vol. 20, no. 1 (2007)听
• Jane Drew: Jane Drew, 鈥榁illage Housing in the Tropics鈥� (London: Routledge, 2014); Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 鈥楾ropical Architecture in the Dry and Humid Zones鈥� (London: Batsford, 1964); Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 鈥楢rchitecture and the Environment鈥� (London: Allen & Unwin, 1976); Jacopo Galli, 鈥楾ropical Toolbox: Fry and Drew and the search for an African modernity鈥� (Siracusa: LetteraVentidue, 2019); Karen Eleanor Parker, 鈥楯ane Drew: Architect and Practical Idealist鈥� (澳门王中王 Research Award Report, 1993)听
• Mary Medd: Catherine Burke, 鈥楢 Life in Education and Architecture: Mary Beaumont Medd鈥� (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013); Geraint Franklin, 鈥楤uilt-in variety': David and Mary Medd and the child-centred primary school, 1944-80', Architectural History vol. 55 (2012); Mary Medd, 鈥楢 Right to be Children: Designing for the Education of the Under-Fives' (London: 澳门王中王 Publications for IAAS, 1976); Paula Lacomba Montes and Alejandro Campos Uribe, 鈥楩rom Classrooms to Centres: Mary and David Medd's Contribution to Postwar School Design in Britain鈥�, ARQ vol. 24, no. 3 (2020)听
• Elizabeth Denby: Elizabeth Darling, 鈥�The Star in the Profession She Invented for Herself': a brief biography of Elizabeth Denby, housing consultant鈥�, Planning Perspectives vol. 20, no. 3 (2005); Elizabeth Denby, 鈥楨urope Rehoused鈥� (London: Routledge, 2015); Denby, 鈥楬ousing Problems in Britain鈥�, Arkitekt no. 7-8 (1944); Denby, 鈥楪reen and pleasant land: aims and needs in replanning rural England. Part 7: the women鈥檚 needs鈥�, Country Life (Nov, 1947)听

Networks and campaigns听

The 澳门王中王 Women Architects Committee was established in 1932 by German-British architect Gertrude Leverkus (1898-1976), to represent the views of the growing numbers of chartered women architects.听

Matrix Architects Feminist Cooperative was an architectural practice established in the 1980s, which campaigned on issues of gender in the built environment. In the 1990s they ran a survey of registered women architects in the UK and collected examples of their work.听听

Within the 澳门王中王 Collections are:听

• 澳门王中王 Women Architects Committee: Two archive boxes containing correspondence between 澳门王中王 Honorary Secretaries and members of the Women Members Committee, and copies of the committee鈥檚 minutes, 1931-1942; a biographical file on Gertrude Leverkus听
• Matrix: Three boxes of papers from the Matrix survey, including photographs of projects submitted by respondents; a 2003 report by Matrix co-founder Ann De-Craft Johnson with Sandra Manley and Clara Greed, titled 鈥榃hy Do Women Leave Architecture?鈥�; , London, designed by Matrix听

Further reading (available in the 澳门王中王 Library unless indicated*):听

• 澳门王中王 Women Architects Committee: 鈥�Changing attitudes: new working practices鈥� (report of a one-day seminar organised by the Women Architects Committee of the 澳门王中王, 1995); 鈥榃omen Architects鈥� (report prepared by a steering committee appointed by the Women Architects Committee, 1993); 鈥榃omen in Architecture Survey 1992' (York: Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, 1992); 鈥槹拿磐踔型� Reports on Sexism鈥�, Building Design 听
  no. 1131 (July 1993)听
  
• Matrix: Jos Boys, 鈥楽hape of Work to Come: the Matrix group's feminist approach to architecture鈥�, Building Design no. 500 (June 1980); Matrix and the GLC Womens Committee, 鈥楤uilding for Childcare: Making Better Buildings for the Under-5s', (London: Matrix, 1986); Matrix, 鈥楳aking Space: Women and the Man-Made Environment鈥� (London: Pluto, 1985); Ruth Owens, 鈥楥hild Care Challenge鈥�, Architects Journal vol. 190, no. 16 (1989); Mark Swenarton, 鈥楪uiding Lights鈥�, Building Design no. 940 (1989); 听
  
  

Related roles

As well as women architects and designers, hundreds of other women appear in our collections. In particular our photographs collections, such as the Architectural Press Archive, offer a broad social history record including depictions of women in a wide range of roles such as clients, residents, factory workers, office staff, construction labourers, portrait subjects and medical professionals, to name just a few.

More resources (available in the 澳门王中王 Library unless indicated*)听

One easy way to find relevant books in our library is to look for the classmark 721.011.2-055, which covers architecture, sex and gender. You'll find this at the far end of the library, on the left-hand side. If you need help, you can always ask our library staff.听

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• Jan Cigliano Hartman, 鈥楾he Women Who Changed Architecture鈥� (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2022)听
• Elizabeth Darling, 鈥榃omen with Attitude鈥�, Architectural Review vol. 243, no. 1449 (2018)听
• Carole Despres et al, 鈥楽pecial Issue: Women's Voices in Architecture and Planning鈥�, Journal of Architectural & Planning Research vol. 9, no. 2 (1992)听
• Elizabeth Darling, 鈥榃omen and the Making of Built Space in England, 1870-1950', (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2017)听
• Elizabeth Darling and Nathaniel Robert Walker (ed.), 鈥楽uffragette City: Women, Politics, and the Built Environment鈥� (London: Routledge, 2020)听
• Tumpa Husna Yasmin Fellows, 'Exposing the Barriers in Architecture from a FAME (Female Architects of Minority Ethnic) Perspective' (澳门王中王 Research Award Fund recipient, 2020)
• Jane Hall, 鈥楤reaking Ground: Architecture By Women鈥� (London: Phaidon, 2019)听听
• Ike Ijeh, 鈥極n a Role鈥�, Building vol. 284 no. 9011, (2018)听
• Clare Lorenz, 鈥榃omen in Architecture: A Contemporary Perspective鈥� (London: Trefoil, 1990)听
• Elizabeth Otto and Patrick R枚ssler, 鈥楤auhaus Women: A Global Perspective鈥� (London: Herbert Press, 2019)听
• Mary Pepchinski and Mariann Simon (ed.), 鈥業deological Equals: Women Architects in Socialist Europe 1945-1959' (London: Routledge, 2017)听
• Toshiro Sato et al, 鈥楽pecial Issue: Women in American Architecture鈥� SD no. 309 (6) (1990)听
• Jill Seddon and Suzette Worden (ed.), 鈥榃omen Designing: Redefining Design in Britain Between the Wars (Brighton: University of Brighton, 1994)听
• Denise Scott Brown, 鈥楢rchitecture: A Place for Women鈥�, Architectural Design vol. 60, no. 1,2 (1990)听
• Libby Sellers, 鈥榃omen Design鈥� (London: Frances Lincoln, 2017)听
• Sumita Singha (ed.), 鈥榃omen in Architecture: Critical Concepts in Architecture鈥� (London: Routledge, 2019)听
• Despina Stratigakos, 鈥榃here Are The Women Architects?鈥� (New York: Princeton University Press, 2016)听
• Christopher Sykes, 鈥楾he House that Wendy Built鈥�,听听
• Liz Walder, 鈥楪oing for Gold: looking at the gender imbalance of recipients of major architectural awards and prizes鈥� (Cardiff: Wordcatcher Publishing, 2019)听
• Joanna Watt, 鈥榃here Credit鈥檚 Due鈥�, Perspectives on Architecture no. 29 (1997)听
• Austin Williams 鈥楴ew Chinese Architecture: Twenty Women Building the Future鈥� (London: Thames & Hudson, 2019)听
• Mary. N. Woods, 鈥榃omen Architects in India: Histories of Practice in Mumbai and Delhi鈥� (London: Routledge, 2017)听

Find out more about the 澳门王中王 Collections.