reSITE to Rebalance Gender Inequality in Architecture and Design
reSITE aims to do its part in elevating female voices as an opportunity to achieve social balance in architecture and design. By bringing together all different backgrounds we can create provocative conversations around housing and quality of life that reflects the different needs of everyone.
The existing gender imbalance in architecture and design is reflected in conferences or events. reSITE is the exception.
Since its genesis in 2012, reSITE has always invited and attracted outstanding women, both on the stage and in the audience. Our ambition is to continue our work while fostering the gender balance in the architecture and design professions to correct the ratio of female voices in urban design disciplines and municipal decision making.
“There is a gender imbalance that has been artificially created, so we think it’s important we do what we can to stimulate actions that rectify it, or rebalance. The existing gender imbalance in architecture and design and reflected in conferences or events. reSITE is an exception. We work hard to balance the presence on stage, but with far fewer women in the industry, far fewer are then at a high level to be able to afford to take off work and attend an event to then further their career. Conferences aren’t pointless at all. One of our main objectives is to bring people together, out of the silos. If only men are coming, because they can afford it, and have an easier time getting out of work - then we have failed.” - Martin Barry
#WomenMakeCities at reSITE 2018
reSITE encourages female designers, architects and women in cities leadership to attend the annual conference reSITE 2018 ACCOMMODATE focused on housing. reSITE is proud to present architect Jeanne Gang and choreographer Elizabeth Streb amongst the first announced guests, along with several female Mayors invited to speak at the event. A special promotion “Women Make Cities” has been introduced offering a 70% discount from the standard registration fee to all women working in design, architecture, cities leadership and administration (bringing the price to €75).
Read more from Dezeen how reSITE is helping to move the needle
Our last campaign offering a generous discount for females to attend RESONATE Thinking Sound & Space which took place last month in Lisbon stirred a provocative conversation amongst the design community - perhaps one that needs to be had. Media partners, Dezeen shared the initiative that stimulated such discussion. One commenter said "Now even more women can afford to come and listen to male speakers".
Traditionally, it has been decided upon what to play, how to deal with it, in dark rooms, by old men, in dark suits. And it needs to change, that definitely needs to change
During the panel discussion between Snøhetta architect, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen and designboom founder, Birgit Lohmann, Thorsen shed light on his motivation to make the Oslo Opera House transparent - for more reasons than just dark winters in Norway’s capital.
"I like this issue of transparency, on many levels, it’s something that we miss. I think architecture and opera houses have something in common, and that is, traditionally it has been decided upon what to play, how to deal with it in dark rooms by old men in dark suits, and it needs to change. That definitely needs to change. More than 50% of architectural students worldwide are female. There is some sort of secrecy that is happening around to certain portions of architecture, but we should say open the doors, show it, even if it’s not finished, it’s fine. You can see people rehearsing, you can see the dancers from the outside, you can see them making wigs and costumes." - Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Snøhetta
We hope by doing our part we can inspire a growing generation of females.
reSITE is a global non-profit acting to improve the urban environment
Cities are the sum of designers, developers, artists, citizens, public officials, entrepreneurs, and the displaced, but rarely do each of these constituencies gather in the same room or even speak the same language, and cities suffer for it. But, reSITE is literally that room. Our events, stories, talks and podcast frame the future of our cities through as many lenses as possible and convenes them in one place. All to to make our cities more livable and lovable.
reSITE Talks from Female Voices
Landscape is Everything Around You with Kathryn Gustafson
Kathryn Gustafson is a landscape architect and co-founded the landscape architecture firm Gustafson Porter + Bowman, based in London. Gustafson’s projects include Gardens of the Imagination in Terrasson, France, Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London.
How to Design Architecture for People with Caroline Bos | reSITE City Talks
Caroline Bos is a co-founder of UNStudio based out of Amsterdam. She talks with reSITE about resilient design and her belief is that architecture is not about creating something perfect, but something inspired and designed for people to be in safely.
Immigration and Decentralizing Cities with Saskia Sassen
World renowned urban sociologist, Saskia Sassen explains how city size and openness play a role in cosmopolitan cultural development. She highlights the stark contrast between smaller and larger cities and their abilities to accommodate the influx of not only migrants but also the “thick” local cultures which influence overall quality of life.
Janette Sadik-Khan on the Value of Our Streets + PlaNYC
Janette Sadik-Khan, former Commissioner of the Department of Transportation of New York City, discusses programs implemented in her time in the department and the positive changes these have made. She especially focused on safety and community opinion in her policies, and presents how they made safety programs appeal to people and how much safer she made the streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Caroline Bos on Building Cities for the Future
Caroline Bos, a Dutch urban planner and co-founder of the architectural design center UN Studio, questions the sustainability of our current cities and how to make them last into the future. She brings up ideas of resilience in cities, working with a circular economy, and managing resources more sustainably and effectively.
Kathryn Gustafson on The Art of Landscape Architecture
Co-founder of landscape architecture studio Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Kathryn Gustafson embodies the role of artistry through landscape architecture. Noting that art is often a reflection of the artists’ contemporary moment, Gustafson seeks to channel art through landscape design as a reflection of the world around.
On the Balance Between Public + Private Space | reSITE City Talks
Mimi Hoang, founder of nArchitects, discusses public space versus domestic space and affordable housing. She believes that the urban environment should encourage people to spend time in it and make the city space their own.
Saskia Sassen: City is an Extraordinary Animal
Saskia Sassen, professor of sociology at Columbia University, discusses the migrant experience relating to land use and the urban habitat. She focuses on the privatizing and corporatizing of modern cities and how these trends affect the people living in cities, especially disadvantaged and ignored populations.
Illuminating Cities After Dark with Leni Schwendinger | reSITE Small Talk
Leni Schwendinger discusses the 24-hour city, and the reality of an urbanism that utilizes nighttime hours. Through lighting that makes public spaces both accessible and emit a sense of security, the potential for activities in the urban to span throughout the night can become a reality for a wider portion of the population.
Marlena Happach on Copenhagenizing Warsaw
Marlena Happach, a Chief Architect for the city of Warsaw, discusses current issues facing Warsaw in regards to city planning and livability. She references expensive and dificult public transportation and lack of high quality public spaces as two things she wants to address, using Copenhagen as a model.
Martina Ableidinger on How Vienna Made Peace with its Waste
Martina Ableidinger, the head of Waste Prevention & External Affairs in Vienna, lectures at reSITE about the best practices that have made Vienna the most livable city. Waste prevention, recycling, citizen engagement, and creating renewable energy from waste greatly increase the quality of life in Vienna.
How We Gave Back Mariahilfer Straße to Pedestrians with Mascha Onderwater
Mascha Onderwater of Bureau B+B, redesigners of Mariahilfer Straße to a pedestrian zone, speaks on urban regeneration and creating welcoming public spaces in an era of industrialization and lack of consideration for pedestrians. She shows pictures and graphs on their work creating a walking district in downtown Vienna, focusing on urban regeneration and recreating public space.
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Human-Centered Smart Cities with Marianthi Tatari
Associate Director and Senior Architect at UNStudio, Marianthi Tatari, dissects different aspects of city-making that threaten the quality of life such as mono-functional spaces and commoditized smart cities and how to approach designing them with optimism. Photo courtesy of UNStudio
Jee Liu on Applying Subtle Design to Adaptive Reuse
At the core of WallaceLiu’s projects is a design practice called adaptive reuse. In the age of the quest for sustainability, adaptive reuse is becoming more of a necessity for city-makers worldwide.
What is Luxury? Interview with Dara Huang at reSITE 2018
Dara Huang is an award winning architect and founder of Design Haus Liberty, an architectural firm that often works with clients to design high-end buildings.
Jeanne Gang Will Discuss the Microcosm of the Urban Milieu in Prague
Martin Barry walks you through program tips for reSITE 2018: Jeanne Gang, the Founding Principal of Chicago-based Studio Gang is one of the most anticipated guests to speak in Prague this June.
