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Cuttings from the Newsletter- July 2004 |
Articles following the Civic Society Debate at the Architecture Centre on 14th May, 2004
By Sandra Manley and Linda Farrow
Is Bristol's Environment being Man-handled?
Given that the skills shortage in the construction professions is reaching crisis point, why are so few women employed in these professions?
Why are women leaving the architectural profession?
What is the effect of the under-representation of women in the construction professions on the quality and characteristics of the built environment?
These are some of the questions that were discussed by Michaela Mobley from Arup, Linda Farrow from White Design and Sandra Manley from UWE during a debate at the Architecture Centre in May chaired by Louise Brown from Laytons. All three speakers were concerned about the under-representation of women. This was not because they doubt the ability of men as designers and managers of the built environment, but because they feel that women and people from a diverse range of races, cultures, abilities and backgrounds are capable of enriching our towns and cities. It has long been recognised that the professions are not changing at the expected rate of progress to achieve diverse representation and yet little seems to have been done to reverse this trend.
Research carried out by Sandra Manley, Ann de-Graft-Johnson and Clara Greed at the University of the West of England has attempted to find out why women are leaving architecture, so that action could be taken to create a woman-friendly environment in the construction professions. The Royal Institute of British Architects commissioned the research last year because they were concerned that although 37% of students of architecture are now female and the percentage has been increasing for some years, the number of women practicing as architects remains at around 13%. This must mean that some women leave after qualifying.
By interviewing women who had left the profession and providing scope for women to complete an on-line questionnaire, the researchers found many reasons why women left. Many of these, such as the macho environment, long hours culture, lack of family friendly policies do also strike a chord with men, who are also finding it difficult to juggle working in construction with a reasonable work/life balance. Michaela Mobley raised concerns about this and pointed to the acute skills shortages in the construction professions. She suggested ways of attracting more women into the professions but stressed that if this was to be successful in not only attracting but also retaining women, it was necessary for both men and women to provide the right supportive environment. The role of support networks, such as "Women in Property" that could provide mentoring for new recruits was regarded as crucial to support young women who are struggling with the demanding aspects of the construction professions.
The consequences of the lack of participation by women may also be undesirable for the built environment, according to the speakers. New research carried out for the Housing Corporation, for example, found that new neighbourhoods in the UK often fail to meet the needs of the people who live there. Issues such as safety, the reduction of energy consumption and the need to design to accommodate the diverse needs of people of different ages and abilities, are often ignored or seen as a low priority. This point was well illustrated at the debate by Linda Farrow's description of a walk through Bristol. Examples were cited of situations where the streets and spaces of our city do not accommodate the needs of everyone from young children through to disabled and elderly people. It is possible that if more women entered the construction professions some of these issues might be addressed and women could contribute to filling the skills gap and make a real contribution to raising the quality of life in the city.
Sandra Manley
Principal Lecturer
School of Architecture and Planning
University of the West of England
Innovation & Education at Bristol
The new Architecture & Planning Studio building for the University of the West of England (UWE) opened in October 2002.The project brings together innovative technologies to deliver a new environmentally friendly home for the first jointly RIBA and RTPI accredited undergraduate Architecture and Planning course in the UK.
The building is the first major project in the UK to use Belgian 'thin bed masonry' brickwork. This innovative technique 'glues' the brickwork together instead of using cement mortar. The system is quicker and less wasteful than traditional brickwork. Its strength has allowed the brickwork to be 'stack bonded' without the need for reinforcement. The building also demonstrates 'hybrid' sustainable construction - taking the best sustainable construction ideas and matching them with commercial techniques - through 'ModCell' panels: pre-fabricated, compressed straw bale cladding units. Their insulation value - ten times better than is legally required - and their speed of assembly, brings a tried and tested sustainable technique into the commercial construction world.
These and other innovations mean the building is saving UWE money in capital, energy and maintenance costs and have won the building a number of awards, including the 2002 British Institute of Architectural Technologists award for innovation and a recent Royal Fine Art Commission award for its integration of art and architecture.
Linda Farrow
Director, White Design
0117 9547333
Email:linda@white-design.co.uk
