Nine Women Leading the Public Interest Design Field

As Rennie Jones writes in Architizer, "traditional courtship between architects and projects of public interest relied on the mediation of benefactors with bank rolls who chaperoned the impassioned relationship between the architect and his work to ensure all appearances were in order." However, as architects begin to shift their focus from working with these benefactors, to working within the public interest, the "client" has morphed from the project financiers, to the end users. These people, in dialogue with the architect, participate in the conception and construction of the project.

According to Jones, "Women are an inspiring presence in this sector of design and, in another trend that contrasts tradition, they are being recognized for it. There are many women (and men!) who put in the sweat and lack of sleep to establish the field, but here we will highlight nine of the next young guns."

Some of the women included are Emily Pilloton of Project H Design, Julia King, Ceara O'Leary at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, Marika Shioiri-Clark of MASS Design Group, and Deanna VanBuren of FOURM Design Studio, among many others.