Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures

by Elizabeth Schmermund, Lena Chandhok (Illustrations)

What style building do you live in? Is it a skyscraper, a Victorian home, or a modern building? In Cool Women Who Design Structures , readers ages 9 to 12 examine the stories of women who are today designing the houses, schools, museums, and public spaces where we spend our time. Architecture is the planning, designing, and construction of buildings and other structures. It’s architects who figure out what style of building fits best in a certain space, what the structure should look like, how it needs to be built to withstand the environment, and what materials best suit the needs of the people who are using the structure. Art, engineering, science, technology―architecture involves all these disciplines, and more! Cool Women Who Design Structures examines the history of architecture and the journey of three women who are working as architects today. Patricia Galván works in commercial and interior architecture and is the chairwoman for the American Institute of Architects’ Women in Architecture committee. Farida Abu-Bakare was born in Qatar and raised in Canada. Today, she is an architect who designs science labs for universities and other institutions. Maia Small works as an architect and urban designer at the City of San Francisco Planning Department. She has also taught architecture at Harvard University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sidebars on important female architects throughout history, quotes, and essential questions for readers are included throughout the text in order to encourage critical thinking and self-drawn conclusions. The book also includes a timeline, glossary, and further resources for readers to further investigate the topic. Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series provide a comprehensive foundation about both a field of STEM study and women who have contributed to it in meaningful ways. Essential questions embedded within every chapter, QR codes linked to online primary sources, and language that’s designed to encourage readers to connect prior knowledge to new information make these books an integrative reading experience that encourages further, student-led research. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while encouraging them to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. According to the National Foundation of Science, 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys in fourth grade say they like STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but by eighth grade twice as many boys as girls are interested in STEM careers. Why do so many girls turn away from science? One reason is persistent stereotypes and another is a lack of role models. Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series supply a bridge between girls’ interests and their potential futures by investigating science careers and introducing women who have succeeded in science. Titles in the series Cool Women Who Code ; Cool Women in Space ; Cool Women Who Design ; Cool Women Who Investigate ; Cool Women Who Fly ; Marine Cool Women Who Dive ; Cool Women Who Dig ; Cool Women Who Work with Animals ; and Cool Women Who Design Structures ; and Cool Women Who Weather Storms .

112 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[Janet Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures by Elizabeth Schmermund with illustrations by Lena Chandhok offers readers an overview of architectural history that is paired with a look at the careers of three women who are modern working architects.

A brief introduction highlights the book’s topics for readers ages 9 – 12.

Chapter one examines the history of architecture from one of the earliest towns, Jericho on the Jordan river in Palestine and traces changes from Stonehenge in England, the Egyptian pyramids, Roman and Greek advances, through the Renaissance and on to the Art Nouveau trend of the 1900s. The movement toward Modernism that developed during the two world wars receives it’s share of attention as well, with a look at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and the Freedom Tower in New York City. The chapter concludes with a discussion of women in architecture, focusing on Zaha Hadid, and Sophia Hayden Bennett, and the obstacles they’ve faced in a male dominated profession. The chapter notes that “While 42 percent of graduates in architecture are now women, only 25 percent of professional architects are women.”

Chapters two “Patricia Galván”, three “Farida Abu-Bakare”, and four “Maia Small” highlight each woman with a thoughtful biography of their early years, education, and professional careers with an emphasis on how their backgrounds, talents, and determination enabled them to face their individual obstacles to career success. Patricia Galván focuses her career on commercial and interior architecture. Farida Abu-Bakare is well-known for the science labs she designs for universities. Maia Small is an urban designer.

Throughout the book, text boxes explain important concepts such as The Golden Mean, Linear Perspective, and Architectural Styles, highlight career options for Civil Engineers, Product Designers, and Construction Managers, and draw the reader’s attention to significant facts or individuals.

Primary sources and QR codes appear throughout and a timeline, glossary, and further resources for readers complete the book.