An evening with Women In Architecture

Women in Architecture Philadelphia

Last night Helen, Pomme and I attended the AIA Philadelphia Women in Architecture Event, which we were also pleased to sponsor. The evening started off with a networking reception which led into an interactive panel discussion where two award winning women architects presented brief overviews of their careers to date and their work.

The first presenter was Karen Blanchard AIA, LEED AP who has been recognized within her firm as well as the architectural community as an emerging professional in the field of architecture. She won the AIA Philadelphia’s Young Architect Award last year – only the second woman to ever win! After only two years at WRT (Wallace Roberts & Todd), she became an Associate, and is now a Senior Associate. TLP has worked with her on a few projects, including the one shown in the photo at left – Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania). We’d love to be a part of another one of her project teams in the future!

Next, Mary Warner DeNadai, FAIA, founding principal of John Milner Architects, Inc. and a noted figure in the Philadelphia architectural community for over thirty years, presented a vast array of amazing historic preservation work. TLP and Mary worked together on the Nemours Mansion and Gardens Masterplan (Wilmington, Delaware) in 2005 and only hope we can collaborate again on another exciting restoration project.

It was so inspiring to hear such successful women, both at very different stages of their career, talk about their work and what it’s like to be women in the design and construction industry. Both are so passionate about what they do and put in countless hours at the drafting table (or computer), but still manage to find some sort of balance with their personal lives.  This is something all of us, whether we are architects or lighting designers, strive for. All in all, it was a fantastic evening. Thank you AIA Philadelphia Women in Architecture for allowing us to sponsor such a great event!

*Post by Heather Kilroy, former Associate with The Lighting Practice

WIA Event
Karen Blanchard AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate, WRT

WIA Event
Mary Warner DeNadai, FAIA, founding principal of John Milner Architects, Inc.