On May 11, Iowa Women in Architecture members, Jeanne Huntsman and Laura Kessel, presented in Chicago at Ross Barney Architects to a sold-out group of approximately 60 people. The presentation, “Attract, Engage, Retain, Promote: Tools for Equitable Practice,” was co-hosted by Chicago Women in Architecture and AIA Chicago with additional sponsorship from Redmond Construction Corp. Landon Bone Baker Architects and Shive Hattery. The interactive presentation introduced attendees to the iaWia Best Practice Recommendations Document and allowed attendees to use the document to tackle relevant issues in groups. Participants were very complimentary of iaWia’s efforts on the Document. One firm owner would like to share it with her HR consultant as an example of the direction they need to head. Thank you to all of our volunteers that have contributed to this important effort!
Event Recap | Networking with Danny Beyer
On July 11, CREW Iowa and Iowa Women in Architecture co-hosted networking specialist, Danny Beyer. Through an interactive talk, Beyer emphasized how networking helps people accomplish more, but that many people (including himself once) dislike and fear networking. He shared how the traditional fears people have and mistakes people make when trying to network can be easily avoided with a few simple reminders and tips:
- What is networking?
- Networking is building relationships, networks, and trust so you can support them and they can support you. As Beyer’s father told him, it is “talking to people, you idiot.”
- Tip One: Don’t talk about work. Ask great questions. Have great conversations.
- Approximately 2/3rds of people don’t like their work which creates a potentially bad start to any conversation. Instead, ask questions such as “What’s your story?” “What do you do for fun?” or “What are you passionate about?”
- Tip Two: You have to be willing to tell people what you want.A lot of people suffer for being too nice or worry about being perceived as using other people. You have to be able to ask people if they can help.
- Remember, people want to help their friends.
- Tip Three: End your interactions, coffee dates, and meetings (informal or formal) with the question: “How can I help you?” AND follow through.
- This cements your relationship and opens doors for the future.
- Tricks for Remembering Names
- Stop telling yourself you can’t remember names. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as you then stop trying to remember.
- The easiest way to remember a name is to have a great conversation. (See Tip Two!)
- Tips for Women
- Danny’s survey work addressed some of these concerns, but he doesn’t believe he is an authority on gender-specific advice. His tips and tricks are as gender neutral as possible. In general, he recommends: 1) Don’t be afraid to go to the table, 2) “Lean in,” and 3) Be confident.
- Networking with Age Differences
- Have great conversations helps bridge the age gap. Mentorship can go both ways.
Submitted by Laura Kessel
July Professional Member of the Month
Judy McClure
Entrepreneur
Our line of work is built on the value of relationships and opportunities; what have you found is the best way to communicate in times of conflict?
Getting to “yes” starts with active and empathetic listening, seeking to understand other perspectives, finding the kernel of agreement to develop, collaboratively creating a solution (even if partial) with which all can align – OR respectfully stating one’s point of view and values, possibly suggesting other possible assistance for the person or group, then moving on.
Sometimes our careers can be demanding; how do you wind down in the evenings to maintain a balanced lifestyle? My career has long been a composite of several activities, from an historic architect and tax credits consultant to office manager/partner for my husband’s home inspection business to hat shop retailer. That variety helped with balance, given that I was working from home in relatively small blocks of time over 8 to16 hours daily. Over the last 9 years as a widow, West African djembe drumming several times a week in the local community – so playing poly-rhythmic traditional music is a great grounding and releasing activity -- which may not be winding down so much as shifting my energy. And then, having a social community based on earth-reverence feeds my spirit and gives an outlet for creativity and play.
In 2017 technology is at our fingertips - what is your favorite app and/or website? Ha – my favorite tools are grid paper and bar/café napkins for creative brainstorming and collaboration. I have long joked that as architects, we almost cannot talk unless we hold a pen/pencil in our hand!
As professionals we are versed in community interaction and collaboration; what are you involved in outside of your profession? I stay pretty active in historic design issues within my historic district neighborhood. Most recently, I have gotten a little bit involved in Girls Rock, which is an organization using music to empower marginalized persons.
We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? Barb Welander of Mt. Pleasant encouraged me to become a licensed architect and join her in the AIA. Julia Morgan and Denise Scott Brown were role models on the way, as were artists Georgia O’Keefe, Frieda Kahlo, and Judy Chicago. Some more recent contemporaries for whom I am grateful are Claudia Cackler, Suzanne Schwengels, and Kate Schwensen -- and the fact of more women in architecture every year!
Dream-Design-Build | Iowa Architectural Foundation
Graphic by Dawn Thorpe; Photographs by Cristina Rodriquez.
To learn more about this event that was held last Saturday, visit Iowa Architectural Foundation's website.
June Professional Member of the Month
Lisa Kalaher
PLaN architecture, Partner
Mod House Interior, Owner
Our profession is built on the value of relationships and opportunities; how do you prepare for a meeting with a new client? In our practice, we have many different types of projects and have found that we learn the most from the client themselves; how they live and work and the processes of how they run their business. So, I prepare for each new client by using my initial meeting to learn about them and how they do what they do and letting them know what and architect does and how we can help them. It is important to know what is currently working for them in their space but more importantly what isn’t working for them. Questions like: What are your goals as a company? What do you do differently than your competitors? What is your expected growth? Often early on in the getting-to-know-each-other stage of client relationship we will work schematically through diagrams to understand how they work and how our design process can work for them. We don’t design for clients; we design with them, they are part of the process and our success is based on how well the end product works for them.
We often design to improve the health of people and the environment; how do you wind down in the evenings to maintain a balanced lifestyle? I have two small children so currently I unwind by playing silly games with my kids. There is nothing better than seeing the world through their eyes … there are no rules on how spaces are used and how you move through them. They keep me young (and more creative). WATCH out for the hot LAVA!!!
The question of balance always seems to come up and the truth is, it’s difficult to live a balanced life especially for people that always strive to give ‘more’ to work, volunteering, or family. The fact is balance doesn’t come from one equation. It’s trial and error and no one philosophy works. It’s a combination of strategies and continuously evaluating those systems to see what is and isn’t working for you. I can tell you, however, there is only one guarantee; once you get it figured out everything with change!
Strategies I try to use:
- I make a concerted effort to put my phone down, to not become wrapped up in emails or reviews of work material while I trying to relax or spend time with family. If you respond to a client at 10pm they will continue to email you late at night; even if you work late and want to get items off your check list, set a timed response to the email so they got out the next morning.
- Take vacation. After a period of about three years with no real vacation, we decided that we need to force ourselves to take vacations (and be un-plugged while there).
- Explore different interests: I started a modern furniture store a couple years ago, which has provided me a different schedule, a different set of skills to work on, and a broad outlook on my career.
- Breathe: literally. I was told once that one of the most important things you can do for your health and stress relief is breathe. Yeah okay. Thanks. However, someone then shared the box breathing method with me and it is a game changer. Our jobs, our lives are stressful, there is no doubt about that but take time for you … and breathe.
In 2017 technology is at our fingertips - what is your favorite app and/or website? Pinterest?? I love apps and exploring the web. I will say in such a visual industry I have found Pinterest to be a really effective way to work with clients, you can share boards and get a visual idea of what they are interested in as well as show them how different products can be used and applied.
As professionals we are versed in community interaction and collaboration; what are you involved in outside the realm of architecture/design? Since PLaN’s founding, not just I, but the firm as a whole has encouraged community engagement and activism. Personally, I’ve been involved in a number of organizations that help youth like Women United or Girls Inc. Leadership and young professional groups like the Sioux City Growth organization or Sculpt Siouxland. Being engaged in the community is very rewarding for me and no matter how much time or money I may give to an organization, I always feels like I get so much more out of it. Community involvement provides for an incredibly beautiful work-life balance that I personally need. I often cannot help but apply logics learned in the profession to everyday problem solving outside of the profession and I get excited thinking about all of the sort-of bonus impacts our profession has on our communities because of this type of engagement.
We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? Probably not so strangely, my role models were not female Architects. My role-models were everyday heroes; my single-parent mom who taught piano while raising three overly-independent girls, my tough-as-nails grandmother who riveted planes together during World War II, and friends that have started businesses with simply an idea and a dream to make it happen. I’m inspired by people that work hard for what they want. I’ve always admired and continue to look up to women in leadership roles that support fellow women, building them up instead of tearing them down.
May Professional Member of the Month
Deborah L Baeder
RDG Planning and Design
Intern Lighting Designer/Electrical Engineer
Our line of work is built on the value of relationships and opportunities; what have you found is the best way to communicate in times of conflict? Seek to understand so you can be understood. It’s important to remember that everyone works towards a goal. If both parties work to respect the other’s efforts and interests, while keeping a calm demeanor and intently listening to the other’s needs, coming to a resolution is much easier. It’s about compromise and sticking to your word. Reliability is also very important.
Sometimes our careers can be demanding; how do you wind down in the evenings to maintain a balanced lifestyle? My favorite evening habit is to stream music and practice painting or calligraphy. There’s something about pen to paper that really lets your mind breathe. Other times, it’s very relaxing to take a walk outside or discuss the day with friends. I think that nature is one of our best resources for finding an inner peace.
In 2017 technology is at our fingertips - what is your favorite app and/or website? It’s probably a close race between the Minimalism Amino and Snapchat apps. I like to blog about minimalism and simplicity, as well as play around with the filters and spam my friends with too many snapchat images. It’s a balance of the calm and the silly.
As professionals we are versed in community interaction and collaboration; what are you involved in outside of your profession? RDG offers so many community events to attend; I’m involved in the Build Days for Habitat for Humanity, am a part of a team for CANstruction, and enjoy smaller office events as well - like National Walk Day. Outside of work, I’ve recently started volunteering at the Animal Refuge League of West Des Moines – it’s heartwarming to help out.
We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? I admire Emma Watson and Michelle Obama. They are both strong and independent leaders. They stand up for what they believe is right and they persevere. They also set an example for young women today: they can (and should) work towards all that they want to be without hesitation or denial.