Context Celebrates International Women's Day
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To celebrate 2020 International Women’s Day, we caught up with a few of our female designers at Context Architecture to discuss how they found a passion for the art and broke into the industry
Angela Campbell is a Project Manager with over 25-years of architectural experience. Angela graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Architecture Design and kick-started her career in Philadelphia before relocating to the North Shore. Her role as a project manager includes the development and coordination for every stage of the project that she is working on.
What first made you pursue a career in architecture?
“My grandmother and I would pour over all the beautiful architecture in Home and Garden magazines, she sparked my interest in history, art, architecture, and design and encouraged me to move to Rome!”
How has architecture transformed the way you look at the world?
“It makes me appreciate the differences in culture all around the world; beauty, art, and architecture can mean something entirely different depending on the person and their individual experiences.
Architecture was and still is mainly a male-dominated profession, as a diverse firm that includes both different ethnicities and genders, how do you think this positively affects the buildings we design.
“It forces you to appreciate the true meaning of a “team approach” to building good architecture. Women in architecture are knowledgeable and creative in their own right but all have experienced bias, forcing us to tackle the toughest of hurdles with ease and lead by example.”
How would you define women in architecture?
“Abundantly creative, determined and noble, sure in their ability to make a difference in the world.”
How would you define an architect?
“A person who defines and shapes cities and communities by designing and building responsively and thoughtfully.”
Angela is currently working on a new Community Center in Westford, MA and Fire Stations in Milton, MA.
Ellen Light, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, MCPPO is a Project Manager with a career spanning over 40-years focusing on the demands and requirements of successful public construction projects within the New England area. Ellen studied business and holds an MBA from Simmons School of Management, a MArch from Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University.
What first made you pursue a career in architecture?
“While I was first interested in building as a child, playing with our Lincoln Logs and Legos and, as a 7-year-old, walking through the wood studs of our new house that my parents were having built, architecture was not considered an appropriate future career for me as a student. Instead, I gravitated toward art, drawing, and painting, which were also considered a hobby by my parents. My passion was buried, but not stopped.”
“I made the decision to study and become an architect in 1971 as a 19-year-old when I was lucky enough to spend 6 months in Jerusalem, a magical city in its many layers of architectural history and associated styles. I then had an extended trip home through major European cities. There have been multiple challenges along my professional journey, but I always found the open doors and many wonderful opportunities.”
How has architecture transformed the way you look at the world?
“I look more closely at cities and buildings and very much enjoy urban explorations. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of building types, for which I am very grateful. It has taught me about different types of workplaces- always fascinating. I have met people, both owners and tradespeople, who I would not have met had I chosen a different career. My favorite mentor continually reminded us that architecture is “all about people”.”
Architecture was and still is mainly a male-dominated profession, as a diverse firm that includes both different ethnicities and genders, how do you think this positively affects the buildings we design.
“It’s great and it’s about time. Despite our current reactionary political situation, I’ve seen the profession turn to a much more diverse cast of people.”
How would you define women in architecture?
“They are women who like to design and build places for people to live and work.”
How would you define an architect?
“Architecture has been defined as frozen music, which I think is a nice analogy, with the architect as the conductor. For the most part, we work as teams, so I’d prefer to think of us as a jazz ensemble. There are lots of moving pieces, lots to learn, but it is an art in the end.”
Ellen is currently working on the new and historic renovation of the Andover Fire BallardVale Station in Andover, MA
Nicole Groleau, LEED AP is one of Context’s talented Job Captains with extensive experience in design. Since beginning in the industry, she’s built a broad portfolio of work spanning from municipal, independent and higher education institutions. Nicole earned her B. Arch from Mississippi State University.
What first made you pursue a career in architecture?
“I was always interested in building things. My brother and I made car models together when we were kids, I got permission to take woodshop in middle school and learned how to draft and build real furniture, and I won the county science fair in high school by building interlocking bricks that might be able to be used in seismic areas. I was always encouraged to keep doing this as I was applying to colleges.”
How has architecture transformed the way you look at the world?
“I always notice the small things. I see details that I sometimes wonder if only architects notice. I’ll admit that sometimes I miss the bigger picture but it’s the little fussy things that I tend to notice first.”
Architecture was and still is mainly a male-dominated profession, as a diverse firm that includes both different ethnicities and genders, how do you think this positively affects the buildings we design.
“I’ve always believed that the more variety of people and different kinds of thinkers make things and the experiences of them better.”
How would you define women in architecture?
“I see us as equals – with one more way to see, build, and experience something with a different perspective. Another group bringing in something new.”
How would you define an architect?
“People who think of how people see, hear, and experience space – inside and outside. And then work hard to build those into something real.”
Nicole is leading our in-house team completing the documents for the Lewiston Sabattus Fire Station in Lewiston, ME and the Mattapoisett Fire Headquarters in Mattapoisett, MA.
Elizabeth Apeldoorn, RA is a newly minted Project Manager at Context and was promoted when she completed her Architectural Registration Exams. Elizabeth joined the firm in 2013 and quickly became an integral member. She is also extremely talented with BIM and has contributed to defining modeling standards firm-wide.
What first made you pursue a career in architecture?
“My mother always wanted to be an architect but when she was growing up it was hard for women to get the profession so from an early age, unbeknownst to me, she ‘nudged’ me in that direction and was always giving me graph paper to draw on (that part I remember). I spent hours just drawing plan after plan after plan of houses. I only ever wanted to be an architect and never had any other profession in mind.”
How has architecture transformed the way you look at the world?
“The built environment is everywhere. I traveled a good amount while growing up and even to this day the memories I have of trips usually focus around the buildings I saw, more than anything else… well except for the food of course!”
Architecture was and still is mainly a male-dominated profession, as a diverse firm that includes both different ethnicities and genders, how do you think this positively affects the buildings we design.
“I think that the ‘man’s world’ is true to some respect however throughout my schooling and professional experience it has always been a 50/50 male to women ratio. I’m lucky I guess but I don’t see a difference between male/female … we’re all just architects.”
Elizabeth is currently in charge of the new Police Headquarters in Medford, MA and the historic renovation at Everett’s Central Fire Station.
On this International Women’s Day, Context Architecture would like to thank the contributions and hard work the women, along with all our employees, help to ensure that our clients receive the best project available to them.