Homepage

Building Each Other Up: AIA’s Women in Design Mentorship Building Each Other Up: AIA's Women in Design Mentorship

Local Organization Helps Connect Women Mentors & Mentees in Design & Archtecture

By Juan Pablo Guarin-Camargo

Working in a male-dominated industry like design and architecture can be intimidating for a woman to break through to, let alone work in. That's why the American Institute of Architecture held a "Women in Design" networking event Monday night.
© 2020 Juan Pablo Guarin-Camargo

Melinda: I didn’t really have anybody that was a mentor, so that’s where I sought the need for one.

Juan: MELINDA GREEN’S PATH INTO ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN WAS CARVED FROM YEARS OF HARD WORK AND A PASSION FOR THE CRAFT.
HAVING DONE SO WITHOUT A MENTOR TO GUIDE HER, AFTER A YEAR IN THE BUSINESS, GREEN KNOWS HOW HARD IT CAN BE FOR UP AND COMING FEMALE DESIGNERS TO STAND OUT.

Melinda: I think my ultimate career path choice would be to become a firm leader and own my own practice, as well as being able to help others, helping others who are also coming up along and trying to figure out which direction path they want to take.

Juan: THAT DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS LED GREEN TO THE C-N-Y CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS…WHO WERE HOLDING THEIR FIRST EVER WOMEN IN DESIGN MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AT MAXWELL’S BAR AND GRILL TUESDAY NIGHT. MEETING MENTORS LIKE LAUREN ZACHER, AN INTERIOR DESIGNER WITH MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS IN THE BUSINESS, COULD BE WHAT GREEN NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH HER ULTIMATE GOAL.

Lauren: I want them to learn to be empowered by continuing to learn. I want them to know that they have a voice, wherever they are. And I want them to able to stand up for themselves.

Juan: DOWN THE LINE, EVENT COORDINATOR KRISTIN SKOL-NICK PLANS TO BRING MALE MENTORS/ MENTEES INTO THE MIX.

Kristin: There’s been some talk about, y’know, do we allow men to come to an event like this tonight? The consensus of the group was that, for the first time, maybe we just keep it ‘Women in design’ because that’s kind of what our group is right now. But that’s the hope, is that one day we can kind of have events where we can kind of incorporate men to kind of see that we’re equal.

Juan: GREEN’S CAREER IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
BUT THE RIGHT ADVICE FROM THE RIGHT PERSON COULD GEET HER FARTHER AHEAD THAN SHE EVER EXPECTED. JUAN PABLO GUARIN-CAMARGO, N-C-C NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – Growing up of  Utica,  architect Melinda Green was always fascinated by the Victorian Style design many of the houses there had as she drove by. She said she loved knowing about how the minute details of these structures could mean so much to the grand scheme of it all.

That fascination, combined with her love for art and math, led Green to pursue a career in architecture and design. But the road she took to start her career wasn’t easy.

“When  I first started, I think I was very lost; it was very overwhelming to … just going through the school and knowing how many classes you have to take and all the areas of education there are,” Green told NCC News.

Over the last five years, Green has worked as a project architect for SMSA Architectural Services out in Cassville, New York.

And while she enjoys the work she’s put into the company, Green has higher aspirations.

“I think my ultimate career path choice would be to become a firm leader and own my own practice, as well as being able to help others, helping others who are also coming up along and trying to figure out which direction path they want to take,” Green said.

Green wants to become a mentor for young women like herself to look to when navigating the male-dominated industry of design and architecture. But to that, she wants to learn how to be a good mentor.

Luckily for her, the American Institute of Architecture (AIA), a networking organization Green is a part of,  held a “Women in Design” Mentor-Mentee networking event at Maxwell’s Bar & Grill in downtown Syracuse.

The program, orchestrated by AIA Director of Essential Personnel Kristin Szkolnik, brought together female designers and architects from all corners of Central New York, giving them a space to chat and build connections.

“Before last year, we didn’t have a ‘Women in Design’ group in the Central New York region,” Szkolnik sid. “So, in this last year, we started the group, had a lot of interest in it, because we are in a male-dominated field, being in architecture. So, there kind of was a need for more networking, collaboration; just meeting other women within this similar interest.”

For Green, the event, and the group as a whole, have a lot to teach her about being a great mentor. And hopefully, what she’ll pass down to her future mentees will help turn this industry from a male-dominated spot into one that thrives, regardless of gender.

Related Articles