Women’s History Month
Women in Architecture: the Stories of Sedgewick + Ferweda’s Leading Ladies
Traditionally, architecture has always been a male-dominated field, spanning nearly every level in the profession from licensed architects to designers/drafters and project managers. Going back through the years, seeing women in architecture and/or design courses was a rarity at nearly every college. Oftentimes, men have made up more than 80 percent of students and professionals, so seeing women in a high-level position in the professional world used to be few and far between.
There is no doubt that women continue to face challenges in the STEAM area of study: Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics; however, those roadblocks – at least during the past two decades – have been slowly removed from the paths of many women looking to make a living in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
Sedgewick + Ferweda Architects currently has four incredibly intelligent, talented, driven and passionate women in the office – and we’re proud to highlight the stories of Brianna Fuller, AIA; Annie Kufuor, Assoc. AIA; Lauren Meyer, Assoc. AIA; and Bailey Ramirez, Assoc. AIA.
Each one of them has contributed to Sedgewick + Ferweda’s recent growth in so many invaluable ways.
“As we all know, women’s and men’s brains are wired differently,” said Fuller. “Women tend to be more organized.”
Today, in 2024, we’re seeing increases like never before. According to Pew Research, women make up 50 percent of the STEAM workforce compared to their 47 percent holding of the general workforce.
Overall, the statistics never really discouraged Fuller, Kufuor, Meyer, or Ramirez. They knew what they wanted to do and were willing to put forth their best efforts. They continue to attend seminars, AIA training and other related educational courses in order to perfect their skills and better serve their clients.
So men dominate architecture? That’s what they say anyway.
But not at Sedgewick + Ferweda Architects, where the women have made incredible contributions to their firm and their clients, all while balancing marriages, children, and life at home.
They’re not secretaries, assistants, or receptionists.
They’re an architect, designers, and project managers.
“They’ve all been valuable members of our firm and will continue to help us move forward,” said Jeffrey Ferweda, Principal in Charge of Sedgewick + Ferweda Architects. “They all bring diverse skills to the table and work well together. I couldn’t be happier to have them.”
Power Blazer, Powerful Intent
Bailey Ramirez loves her “power blazers,” and she is proud to be a young, successful professional in the field of architecture.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s just a term. You know how they say: ‘Dress for the job that you want.’ It’s dressing in a way that makes you feel confident and shows that you’re professional. When I wear my blazer, I feel that way,” said Ramirez, who has been at Sedgewick + Ferweda for roughly one year but has 10 years of design experience.
Her favorite?
“It’s a new collection,” she said, laughing. “I’d probably say it’s my purple blazer.”
A designer who loves fashion? Go figure, right?!
All jokes aside, Ramirez is all substance and zero flash. Sure, her attire may send a message, but her work in design makes a far more important statement about her dedication to her career and love for helping others.
Ramirez does far more than follow the basic codes and principles of design – she aims to make spaces more accessible and welcoming for everyone who uses them.
“I would say that I’m a huge advocate in architecture. I love that you can have so much advocacy in architecture. We are designing for the user. We make spaces that are fully accessible for any type of disability… but it’s not just about disability, though. I’ve worked on projects that have also served racial and gender minorities too. I’ve worked on LatinX, a resource center for Latino residents in Flint. I’ve also worked on projects including lactation rooms for women in the workplace, prayer rooms, and gender neutral toilet rooms.”
Always mindful of the small details – which for some, are incredibly important details – Ramirez always tries to design facilities that offer free feminine care products, diaper changing stations in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms, and other often overlooked features that make a facility more inclusive and user friendly.
That approach applies to everything she designs. Her intent is, and always will be, to create something that feels welcoming and inclusive.
As a high school student, Ramirez displayed skills and passion that outweighed that of many of her peers. Her high school offered limited architecture courses, but Ramirez was so proficient and passionate, that her teacher made an almost-unheard-of exception for their rising student.
“I took every architecture class that my high school offered. I took three, but they only offered two,” she said. “The third one that I took, my high school teacher made an extra curriculum; it was a class of one. I was in a class with other students, but I had my own individual curriculum. I’m still friends with that teacher today.”
Ramirez’s passion spans beyond accessibility and inclusivity, which are her two highest-priority interests when it comes to design. But there is one more that really gets her excited about designing.
“I’m super into historic preservation. I like saving buildings and bringing them back to their original glory days. I like doing historic buildings the justice they deserve,” she said.
Like her colleagues at the firm, Ramirez was inspired early on in life. She was always willing to learn and couldn’t soak up enough knowledge once she figured out architecture/design was her calling in terms of a career.
“I’ve always liked art and design. As a kid, I was pretty crafty. I’m not sure what came first, learning about architecture or taking a drafting class in high school, but it just clicked for me,” Ramirez said. “It’s not ‘structured’ like structural engineering, but ‘structured’ in rules and right angles. I was good at that.”
While everything is relatively smooth sailing for Ramirez, she has encountered obstacles that many women in her position have had to overcome while pursuing architecture as a career.
She saw the full scope early on in her career, as a fresh student out of Lawrence Tech (after transferring from Arizona State). Of course, the work hard, no-sleep thing was going to be an issue, regardless of her career path. But she also felt the need to prove herself as a woman.
“I think when I first came in, I felt really intimidated by the field itself. I was young and had no experience. It really did open my eyes to how much there is to architecture, more than just the design aspect,” Ramirez said. “But I think it was good for me to just jump right into the field. I had good mentors at my first job. I learned a lot; although, I was constantly sleep-deprived being a full-time student and full-time employee… but I did learn a lot. Being a 20-year-old female in the field… I’ll tell you what, it’s hard to gain respect.”
Ramirez feels fortunate to be in her current position and is pleased with the trajectory of her career and that of the firm. There aren’t many firms like Sedgewick + Ferweda, she said
“I personally love it. I’m a self-proclaimed feminist,” she said. “I love working with other women. This is my first time working with other women my age. It’s really nice that we’re in the same stage of life. We’re all balancing work and family. We message each other in the evening for information on mom things and work things. It’s nice to have people on the same wavelength, who can give you tips and life experience.”
Strong, professional women aren’t an anomaly – but they’re still viewed as a rarity in some cases. Ramirez feels that it’s almost comical, but she fully understands the reasoning why women are asked about work/life balance, such as ‘How do you do everything with a child and husband?’
“As you know, women are excellent multitaskers,” she said about her ability to do it all at home and in the office. “I don’t think any man has ever been asked that question. Women always get asked how they juggle their career and kids, but rarely does that question get asked to men. My husband has never been asked that question.”
Ramirez elaborated on her opinion of the professional woman dynamic – more specifically, why there shouldn’t even be a “dynamic” in the first place. She’s a person working hard to help support her family, and that’s the bottom line. Most marriages and partnerships require both parties to work in order to sustain their lifestyle.
“Society puts more on the mom. It’s balancing. It’s making sure my time with my daughter is intentional on my lunch break and when I’m at home after work” she said. “I have to find a way to pump, to feed my daughter when I’m not home. That is constantly on my mind. I think, in today’s society, there aren’t as many opportunities to be a stay-at-home parent. Single-income households aren’t realistic for most people. Being a stay-at-home mom wouldn’t be an option, even if I wanted to do that. I’ve always been really career-driven anyway, and that’s a huge part of my identity. Being a mom is a huge part, too – but I don’t think it could be my entire identity.”
With that said, she remains thankful that she is employed by a firm that understands the new, and constantly evolving nature of professional women in the workforce.