The share of women in architecture and design has increased by leaps and bounds over the last few decades. According to the AIA, in 1958, just “one percent of registered architects were women.” By 1999 that number increased to 13.5 percent and “the share of women in leadership roles has continued to grow.” Women principals and partners at firms have quadrupled from “four percent in 1999 to 16 percent in 2005. “Today, women make up a quarter of the architecture industry.”

However, there’s still much progress to be made. Men still outnumber their female counterparts exponentially compared to the number of registered women architects, women in leadership roles at firms, and women owners of firms.

While the growth we’ve seen is encouraging, we still have to balance out those numbers. International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on and celebrate the progress women in the field of architecture and design have made so far and chart a path forward.

Every year, the Women@EC, EwingCole’s internal women’s network, celebrates International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month throughout the month of March. As an organization, our goal is to support a collaborative network of women at EwingCole who influence our peers, inspire growth, and create lasting cultural change at our workplace. That’s how we’re Breaking the Bias – the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day – by celebrating the leadership and creativity of the women at our firm. Breaking the Bias envisions “a world free of stereotypes, and discrimination” and “a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.” We break the bias by celebrating our accomplishments and demonstrating that we deserve a seat at the table.

Our 140-member network represents a broad cross-section of our staff and ensures that decisions made and topics addressed by the larger group reflect our staff’s goals and needs. Our Steering Committee is made up of women from nearly all our disciplines and all experience levels. Our vision is to ensure that EwingCole is seen as a firm with a culture of honoring, respecting, and promoting women’s professional growth and leadership. We’re proud of the work we accomplish every year, which is why we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the incredible work of our staff at EwingCole.