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Women of Architecture throughout History
Throughout history, talented architects—both men and women—have shaped the world with their visionary designs. In honor of International Women’s Day (IWD), we celebrate the pioneering women who broke barriers in architecture, paving the way for future generations.
Below, we highlight the remarkable stories of seven female architectural trailblazers whose groundbreaking work not only created some of the world’s most beautiful buildings but also inspired countless women to follow in their footsteps.
While these pioneers made history, today’s female architects continue to push boundaries and redefine the built environment, proving that innovation and creativity know no limits.
Gender Disparities in Architecture: Progress and Persistent Challenges
Throughout history, architecture has been a male-dominated field, with women facing significant barriers to entry—especially throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. While progress has been made, gender disparities persist today. Women have comprised nearly half of all architecture graduates since the mid-1990s, yet they remain underrepresented in senior roles. Research by Dr. Gill Matthewson at Monash University highlights that women still cluster in junior positions, struggling to advance within the profession.
Globally, the percentage of female registered architects has increased but remains below parity. In the United States, women account for approximately 27% of licensed architects, while in the UK, they make up about 31% of the profession. Encouragingly, women now represent 43% of newly registered architects, signalling a positive shift.
Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham (1632–1705)
Celebrated as the UK’s first female architect, Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham was a prominent designer of grand houses. This happened during a time when women weren’t allowed to practice the art, so there is no written record, however, scholar John Millar believes Wilbraham designed around 400 exquisite buildings.
Notable works include Belton House, Uppark House and Windsor Guildhall. The one building she is credited as having designed herself, is her family home, Weston Hall, an estate with unusual architectural details that were later found at Cliveden House and Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth continued to design impressive buildings, but barriers were still prevalent for women. For instance, she wasn’t allowed to be seen on any construction sites, so she would send men to carry out her designs (often perceived as the architects themselves). One positive of this was saved time, meaning she was very productive, averaging eight projects per year.
Sophia Hayden (1868 – 1953)
Sophia Hayden Benett, the first woman to earn an architecture degree from MIT in 1890, struggled to find work in the field and instead took a teaching job in Boston. In 1891, at just 21 years old, she won a competition to design the Woman’s Building for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Despite her success, she was paid only a fraction of what male architects received and endured excessive micromanagement during construction. The stress led to a breakdown, after which she was placed in a sanitarium. Sadly, she never worked as an architect again, as her experience was used to reinforce the belief that women did not belong in the profession.
Marion Mahony Griffin (1871 – 1961)
Marion Mahony Griffin was one of the first licensed female architects and the first employee of Frank Lloyd Wright. After graduating from MIT in 1894, she joined Wright’s firm in 1895, playing a key role in shaping the Prairie style and creating renowned watercolor renderings—though she received little credit for her contributions.
When Wright left for Europe in 1909, Mahony declined his offer to take over the studio’s commissions but continued designing under his successor. In 1911, she married Walter Burley Griffin, and together they established a successful practice. Their work led them to Australia, where they designed Canberra and the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne.
Julia Morgan (1872 – 1957)
Julia Morgan has achieved multiple architectural firsts. She was the first woman to study architecture at the highly prestigious l’École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was the first woman architect to be licenced in California.
Morgan designed more than 700 homes, churches, office buildings, hospitals, stores, and educational buildings during her 45-year career. One of her most famous works is the sensational Hearst Castle,
57 years after her death in 2014, Morgan became the first woman to receive the AIA Gold Medal, the American Institute of Architects’ highest honour.
Lina Bo Bardi (1914 – 1992)
Lina Bo Bardi is a legend of 20th-century Brazilian architecture. Lina was raised in Italy and studied architecture at the University of Rome, moving to Milan after graduation. Bo Bardi was invited to design the São Paulo Museum of Art in 1947. Suspended above a 70-metre-long square, the museum is now one of the most important museums in Latin America and a masterpiece in the eyes of many.
Bo Bardi also had a passion for magazines, leading her to become the editor of the magazine Quiaderni di Domus and in 1950, starting what was post-war Brazil’s most influential architectural publication at the time, Habitat Magazine.
“Architecture is created, 'invented anew,' by each man who attempts her, who roams her space, climbs a stair, rests on a balustrade, lifts his head to look, open, close a door, who sits down or gets up and makes intimate contact with—and at the same time create 'forms' in—the space [...] This intimate, fiery, contact, that which was perceived by man at the beginning, is today forgotten. Routine and communal places made man forget the natural beauty of 'moving in space,' of his conscious movement, of those little gestures… ”
Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926 – 2012)
Norma Merrick Sklarek broke multiple barriers as both a woman and an African-American architect. She was the first Black woman licensed in New York and California and the first to become a member—and later a Fellow—of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Despite facing constant discrimination, Sklarek earned her architecture degree in 1950 and, after many rejections, secured a job at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1955. In 1990, she became the first Black woman elected to the AIA College of Fellows. Among her many achievements, she played a key role in designing the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and Terminal One at LAX.
“In architecture, I had absolutely no role model. I'm happy today to be a role model for others that follow.”
Dame Zaha Hadid (1950 – 2016)
Zaha Hadid, born in Baghdad, was one of the most influential female architects in history. She was the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 and received the RIBA Gold Medal in 2016, the year of her passing. Her success left a lasting legacy, including a $126 million fortune.
Hadid’s groundbreaking parametric designs spanned architecture, urban planning, and product design. Her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, became globally renowned for iconic structures such as the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, the London Aquatics Centre, the Guangzhou Opera House, the Generali Tower in Milan, and the Heydar Aliyev Centre.
“Architecture is particularly difficult for women; there's no reason for it to be. I don't want to blame men or society, but I think it was for a long time, the clients were men, the building industry is all male. ”
Zaha Hadid studied her art at the American University of Beirut before launching her career at the Architectural Association in London. By 1979, she had established her own practice. Hadid’s striking buildings won her critical acclaim throughout Europe for their organic, flowing forms.
Renowned as a “starchitect”, Time Magazine listed Hadid among the 100 most influential people on the planet in 2010. With Hadid’s practice continuing her work, the trendsetter’s architectural legacy remains alive and kicking six years later.
“As a woman, I'm expected to want everything to be nice and to be nice myself. A very English thing. I don't design nice buildings - I don't like them. I like architecture to have some raw, vital, earthy quality.”
