A Parlour soiree

An enthusiastic crowd of about 200 members of Melbourne’s architecture community gathered at the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne on 2 July to celebrate the success of Parlour: women, equity, architecture.

Launched at the Australian Institute of Architecture’s national conference on 11 May, the Parlour website is an outcome of the Australian Research Council-funded research project, Equity and Diversity in the Australian Architecture Profession: Women, Work, and Leadership. The site provides a space for women in architecture to speak; bringing together research, informed opinion and resources, generating debate and discussion and expanding the spaces for women in Australian architecture.

Parlour has received an overwhelming response demonstrating that it has struck a chord with many. As Justine Clark, co-editor of Parlour said on the night, “Parlour is not about doom and gloom. Parlour is about making a difference. It is about celebrating and recognizing the rich and diverse contribution women already make. It also seeks to expand the spaces and opportunities available to women.”  

The national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, Shelley Penn, was guest speaker at the event and spoke personally about her experiences as a woman in architecture. “I have to remind myself to not hold back, to have confidence to work hard and put myself on the line,” she said.

The soiree was also an opportunity to launch Parlour Survey No. 1: Where Do All the Women Go? This survey aims to capture a more nuanced picture of the women of Australian architecture. It is also intended to discover women abroad with backgrounds in Australian architecture as well as those who have left architecture.

Read Shelley Penn’s speech here.