Gender issues in architectural education: feminine paradigm

Whether we are referring to architectural practice or architectural education, women’s lack of visibility is an important issue that reveals the fact that architecture is still defined by a masculine paradigm starting from design norms and canons followed by the dissemination of the traditional image of the architect as white aggressive and egocentric middle-class man. In terms of architectural education, the gender barometer leans, according to specific statistics, in favour of the male side and, the growing interest of women concerning the architecture profession, denounced by an increased percentage of female graduates of higher architectural education for the last few years, is not yet equivalent to the number of women enrolled in the Romanian National Architects Chart. Until recently, the macho culture of architecture was encouraged starting with its educational roots through professional practice and leadership. Identifying the premises of a current of change defined in specific literature as: feminizing of architecture education and practice, I propose an analysis of gender immersion within the profession and a reconsideration of the current teaching- learning process by opposing it to the principles of the feminist pedagogy.