Meet Our Women in Design Co-Chairs

Women in Design (WiD) serves to promote the professional development and advancement of women at PAYETTE through regular dialogues that encourage teamwork, collaboration and learning in an atmosphere of collegiality. The group includes women professionals with all levels of experience, in all roles, who come together for discussion, fellowship and exchange of design and professional ideas. The primary goal of the group is to provide a forum for professional interests and common concerns in order to advance the professional careers of women in the firm.

Meet Shreeya Shakya and Jess Jorge, our newest co-chairs.

Shreeya Shakya

What drew you to become a WiD co-chair?

As a young designer, I have always relied on the support system of mentors and colleagues to navigate my experiences and continue to grow (and I count my co-chair Jess as one of them!). I am drawn to WiD as a platform to create visibility and to cook up more opportunities where mentorship and networking can foster throughout the office. 

If you could eat lunch with one architect, living or deceased, who would it be?

To just choose one, I would love to have lunch with Minnette de Silva and talk about what inspired her. A contemporary architect I would like to have lunch with is Summaya Vally from Counterspace – I just think she is so cool and would love to hear her reflections on the present and her ideas about the future.

How do you think the opportunities for women in architecture are changing?

It is important to acknowledge the profession is in a different place than it was even 20 years ago for what it means to be a woman in architecture. There is a lot that is being put into question as we move towards equity, but I would like to believe we are doing so with more agency. I think this is an exciting time where architecture is evolving very fast giving us an opportunity to define for ourselves how we can be more inclusive, intersectional and accessible.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I get abundant inspiration from the creative people around me and the environments that I find myself in. I also have a lot of appreciation for craftsmanship of all sorts – the attention to detail, the practice and care that goes into creating something – it is really how I like to approach my design. Recently I have been inspired by pottery and embroidery – both slow patient arts.

The sky is the limit: what is a structure or system that you would redesign?

I would redesign city I grew up in – Kathmandu.

What do you do in your free time?

I paint with acrylics, and I practice my violin. The violin is something I picked back up during COVID after years of being out of practice – I am still a beginner but learning how to play instruments brings me a lot of joy.

Jessica Jorge

What drew you to become a WiD co-chair?

The 2020 AIA Membership Demographics Report indicated just 23.3% of AIA’s Architect members are women. At the same time, women make up 42% of those testing for the ARE (Architect Registration Examination) and, according to the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 48% of those attending NAAB-accredited architecture programs (2018 Annual Report). I think these numbers show the importance of elevating women in architecture and design and how much work still needs to be done to close the gap between those studying architecture and those becoming architects.

If you could eat lunch with one architect, living or deceased, who would it be?

I really enjoy the drawings and aesthetics of SANAA (nobody does curvy lines quite like them!) and have seen Sejima in a couple lectures. I think it would be a lot of fun to meet her and discuss both their buildings and drawings. I am also a big fan of how Peter Zumthor uses materials and has such attention to detail. He seems enigmatic so while we might not have a ton in common, I would certainly not pass up a chance to chat with him.

How do you think the opportunities for women in architecture are changing?

Citing the same AIA 2020 Demographics Report, in 2012 women were 15.7% of Architect members. This means over the past 8 years, there has been a 1% increase of women architects per year. This is a painfully slow increase and I think we should be worried about it, especially given the number of women studying architecture. That being said, an increase in women architects is better than a decrease and I think many firms, including PAYETTE, are actively trying to address questions of gender inequalities at all levels.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I believe in understanding and learning from historical precedent to better contextualize our current architectural impulses. Nothing exists in a vacuum so, for me, looking at typologies and how certain architectural questions of program and form have been addressed before is critical and inspiring. This could mean a trip to the library for research or doing a deep dive on ArchDaily into a specific architect, material, building type, or form.

The sky is the limit: what is a structure or system that you would redesign?

Starting right here in Boston, I would love to re-design mass transit, access to green space, pedestrian/bike paths, and reduce our reliance on cars and highways. I think it is such a shame that we do not have better mass-transit that is both affordable for all and powered by renewable energy.

What do you do in your free time?

I joined a local running group during COVID and it continues to be a great way to get outside, even in winter, and enjoy my neighborhood. I also enjoy beach trips with my dog and hope to get back into watercolors and illustrations.