Future Scenarios of Architecting Motherland
When I first became a mother, I didn't realise how many challenges and political issues I would face in my professional life as an architect.
At the beginning, after my maternity leave, I thought, no problem, a piece of cake, I'll come back full-time, overtime - I have to stay on track. Despite having a child, I worked tirelessly, first combining office hours and the construction site. Then in academia, running from the studio to the kindergarten, to give lectures, to give consultations to my students, worried that at some point the phone would ring and it would be the kindergarten telling me that I had to go pick up my child. I thought nothing had changed, I just needed to work a little harder, a little longer, to achieve my dreams and keep my CV on track. I was a full time architect and a full time mother.
I have noticed on several occasions that once you become a mother in the world of architecture, you are basically left without a support system and you have to work three times harder if you want to keep up. There are a lot of young students who are always willing to work extra, a lot of colleagues who don't have families and overtime is a given, not something that needs to be discussed, there is a constant shifting of boundaries, time frames and structures because we are ARCHITECTS and we need to have enough time to discuss our ideas, inspirations and concepts.
In the profession of architecture, women are constantly challenged to question their values, identities and principles. In order to survive, we compromise financially, physically, psychologically, we are forced to compromise on many levels and yet we continue to push ourselves harder and harder. For example, we are expected to work when our children are burning up with fevers, as if we were some kind of super beings capable of using all our energy to attend to the needs of our babies and children while discussing the deadline for tomorrow's presentation with drawings.
As I am currently on maternity leave for my second child, I am aware that I will no longer be able to practice architecture in a classical format. And I decided I don't want to do it that way anymore.
I am a firm believer in new, more sustainable models of life and work for women architects. And it is my intention to share a modest example of this with my way of living and working.
How could that look like?
The future scenarios of Architecting Motherland:
Women architects should have opportunities and sources of income other than the traditional 8- ~ hour day, where overtime is common but rarely compensated.
Women architects should be financially independent and financially valued for their expertise.
Women architects should not have to burn out to be successful.
Women architects do not have to be in survival mode all the time, but can enjoy life, work, life and be inspired - something that is crucial to designing architecture.
Women architects should allow themselves periods of contemplation, reflection and resource building - essential for any artist, architect or designer.
Women architects should have working and living conditions within an appropriate support system.
Women architects shouldn't have to constantly justify their work or how much they've worked to prove they deserve their salary.
Women architects should still be enabled time for self-exploration and self-development.
Women architects should demand financial reward commensurate with the quality of their expertise, products and services without having to justify or doubt themselves.
Women architects should not have to sacrifice EVERYTHING just to survive in architecture.
Women architects should not have to be overworked to make life work for them.
Women architects should be playful and enjoy life, make choices, have enough space for different stages and phases of life.
Women architects should be enabled opportunitues to achieve the standard of living they want.
And in writing all this, I don't mean that women architects are solely responsible for this. On the contrary. I believe that we can all plant a seed and build communities that make these principles work. The world needs more empowered women architects, because they are the people who will make sustainable spaces, resources and futures possible.I felt so much motivation, magic and effortlessness while writing this, probably because I was no longer in survival mode, there was nothing left to stop me.
Shape Space with me.
Click on the link below if you would like my support in thinking about alternative scenarios as an architect and designer, or if you would like mentoring on values, self-esteem, balancing work and family life.
