As a female architect working in a male-dominant housing industry, I might be expected to tell stories of trials and tribulations of how hard it was to break into the industry and make a name for myself. On the contrary, I find my gender to be a distinct advantage in home building. OK, maybe not at first. Starting out fresh out of college was intimidating, though that largely came down to being a new face in a very established industry. Initially, there might have been a time where I wanted to blend in and be seen as “one of the guys,” but I quickly learned that people rarely get ahead by blending in (especially designers!).
Business Owner and Designer: A Balancing Act
It was never my intention to run my own firm, I simply wanted to design beautiful homes for people. Primarily, I started my own firm to offer a woman’s perspective—MY perspective—on home design to an industry that, at times, seemed to miss the mark with winning over the female buyer. With more than 70% of family home buying decisions coming from women, this is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked.
Over the years, I have found that most builders are very receptive to a female lead architect. If I am meeting a builder on the phone for the first time, they are usually taken aback when they hear a woman’s voice as “Deryl.” There are certainly some leadership traits that help get the job done: Confidence, patience, and humility, but these applies to men and women alike.
Housing Design Matters
Fundamentally, I consider myself a designer before a business owner, though in practice, it is often not in that order. One tradeoff to running my own firm is that I do not necessarily get to draw all day.
Thankfully, I have an incredible team alongside me to keep things running smoothly. Despite my experience, I am well aware that I still need to prove myself and deliver from start to finish, particularly when much of my work comes from repeat clients.
The Woman’s Perspective and Influence
Housing Design Matters
Presenting at conferences also is a way to get in front of builder customers from a new angle.
Once I get a job, it’s time to deliver. I thrive when I hit the ground running, working to understand my client and drawing a floor plan to enhance their desired lifestyle. This is often a collaborative effort with the builder, so I like to communicate my design ideas and intent and let the men envision it from their own perspective. This start-to-finish collaboration has proved to be a far more efficient process, resulting in a cohesive and optimal design while minimizing back-tracks.
For whatever reason, “cute” is a term that some builders tend to avoid. This is where I come in and bring them out of their comfort zone. We want to move away from cookie-cutter communities, don’t we? Let’s not leave that up to interpretation: Diversity is the key term we’re looking for. A few feminine homes mixed in with a few masculine homes will only enhance a streetscape.
Turning to exterior colors, I have a distinct advantage over men since more men than women tend to suffer some extent of color-blindness. Even if my client isn’t color blind, I find that many men lack interest or confidence in picking exterior colors outside the beige spectrum. The bottom line is that color is an integral part of good architecture, and the market demands it.
How do I view being a female business owner in a “man’s world?” Bottom line is that I consider it an advantage. Home buyers are a moving target. As a woman, I offer increased insight in reaching the influencer of the household. I have the opportunity to surround myself with brilliant men and women tasked with the agonizing yet ultimately rewarding goal of creating a better home for people across the country.
