WOMEN ARCHITECTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 13 August 1923, Page 4

WOMEN ARCHITECTS.

POSSIBLE OPENING TOR FEMALE: ACTIVITY., w Architecture as a profession is quite - as attractive to women, as to men, bufc-» naturally women are drawn to housing,,, interior decoration, garden design, and. so on, rather than to the handling of" large building schemes, involving big;: contracts and. complex constructional problems. All over the country so-called "model" houses are springing up» (writes M.H. ,in the London DailyChronicle), but they are rarely consid-^ ered wholly satisfactory by the average^ practical housewife. ■ She feels thatthe woman's point of view has been,, not overlooked, but considered by a . man who, however gifted: as: an arcbi— teet, is not familiar with housekeepings and housework. Will there be an improvement when* women architects get busy? The firsfcv qualification needed to ensure succesain the profession aptitude for drawling. is the language of the architect, who also requires imagination, reasoning power,., and good taste, together with thatrather rare combination, artistic temperament and business ability.. _ - . The best way for a girl to obtain* her training is to enter a school of" architecture. At the end of threes years, if she has progressed satisfactorily, she will be granted exemptions from the Intermediate Examination of" the Royal Institute of British Architects, which is the examining and controlling body of the profession-.. : vt^ - Her Ttext examination is the Iris#- ; tute Final. If. she is successful iirr / , this she is: eligible for. election as am associate of the institute. A year orso in an office at a small salary afterher school traininc: should entitle a girF to consider horself ausefulassistant,and she shouldvthen be;abjeta;obtem:a X? salary of from four to six guineas ». week. Some girls may prefer to re- '* * main as architects' assistants ratherthan undertake the responsibility of s&, practice themselves, but those who are* are prepared to accept the responsibil-, ity will realise the value of a sound? — training.