Social ecosystem of architectural design in the discourse of women architects in Japan: Case study on the Autumn 2018 lecture series at Gallery IHA

Abstract

In Japan, the architect’s profile has changed in the last decades, with a steady increase in women practitioners. Meanwhile, the intersection between gender and architecture remains scarcely explored. This paper aims to show how gender influences the architectural profession by taking as a case study the Gallery IHA Autumn Lectures 2018, a series of lectures by female architects organized and held by women under the theme “exploring the architect’s social ecosystem”. A comparative analysis of the discourse of six female architects working in Tokyo showed how to overcome gender barriers in the profession through diversifying and democratizing architectural practices.