Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 1 8 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / D E S I G N C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 9 » From Concept Through Ribbon Cutting, From Concept Through Ribbon Cutting, Put Our Expertise To Work For You Put Our Expertise To Work For You Portland (207) 774-7000 Lewiston (207) 777-5200 For more than 40 years, Norman Hanson & DeTroy has been a trusted partner to Maine's design and building professionals. For experienced representation on projects of any size, call or visit us at nhdlaw.com/construction nhdlaw.com/construction WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE BY PERCENT S O U R C E : Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Measuring the pipeline through the profession AIA Gold Medals Pritzker Prizes AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallions IDP Supervisors ACSA Distinguished Professors Licensed AIA Members AIA Member Principals and Partners Deans Architect employment Lecture series speakers School directors, heads and chairs AIA associate members NCARB record applicants IDP interns ARE test takers Architecture degrees (all levels) Accredited architecture degrees Architecture students U.S. population 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% including salary, career advancement opportunities and gender equality in the workplace. "ese are cultural issues in the field that might be addressed by industry leadership," the AIA concluded. It vowed in 2017 to make equity, diversity and inclusion a core value of its board, create best-practice guides for firms, and develop a self-assessment tool for AIA members and their firms but has mostly left it up to industry to change itself. Paving the way In Maine and elsewhere, female archi- tects are making progress. Toshiko Mori, an award-winning New York City-based architect with strong ties to the Pine Tree State, designed the Center for Contemporary Art in Rockland. She's also the first architect to receive the Farnsworth Museum's Maine in America Award for her significant contribution to Maine's role in American art. Asked if she's had to overcome any obstacles as a woman, she replies: "e barriers are all based on perception. If one does not accept those limitations, one is ahead of the game already." She says she likes building in Maine because of the work ethic, pride in craftsmanship and "fundamental under- standing of ecology that we all share." Another pioneer is Ellen Belknap, who joined SMRT is 1986 as an intern, became president in 2004 when there were seven or eight employees and was named a Mainebiz Woman to Watch in 2014. Today she leads a team of 110 in four offices, including 40 licensed archi- tects and architectural designers. As she advanced in her career, her engineer husband pulled back in his own career to help raise their sons. SMRT aims to help employees achieve work-life balance by offering part-time work, summer hours and let- ting folks work from home when needed. Belknap has sought to foster a culture of engagement, knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Examples include pairing people of different experience levels on projects, hosting informal sessions where

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