Women in the Built Environment: Jo Anne Murray AIA

The DesignForce team had the opportunity to talk with the talented Jo Anne Murray AIA. Jo Anne Murray Levenson has a long history of success within the architecture industry. Jo Anne has partnered with school districts across the DMV region to create spaces for children’s imaginations to wander. Jo Anne has been twice honored with the AIA Northern Virginia Service to the Chapter Award, which pays tribute to her contributions as chair of the Women in Architecture committee and recognizes exemplary and meritorious service to the chapter.

What initially brought you to this field of architecture?

I came out of high school in ‘69 and I already knew I wanted to be an architect. My family was in real estate, so I got exposed to architecture really early on. I was actually quite torn between fashion design and architecture until my senior year of high school, when I went to Europe. While abroad I was so homesick, but then I walked by a construction site and smelled the concrete and said “that’s it, that’s home, I am going to be an architect.”  And, I had well–prepared myself for the field at that time. In high school I had taken mechanical drawing, had worked under an architect, and had gone out in the field to take measurements of homes; I really did any small thing I could do to get exposed to the field of architecture.

I went on to the University of Maryland which had a very young architecture school; I was in the third graduating class. At the time, there were just four women in the class of sixty. What I didn’t realize until graduation was the number of people who dropped out along the way, and out of the twenty-three people who graduated, all four women were still there. We were all absolutely certain that we wanted to be architects, there were no doubts in any of our minds.

I wanted to get out into the real world as soon as I could to put my degree to work. I went to a large firm out of school, and had the opportunity to rotate myself between different departments to get as much exposure as possible. I think this was important in understanding the broad brush of all of the moving parts in our profession.

After seven years, I decided to open my own architecture design firm in Old Town, Alexandria. Up until then, I had primarily been working in K-12, banks, hospitals, and commercial projects. When I decided to go out on my own, I made sure not to burn any bridges, and even asked my previous employer if they minded if I went to work with one of their public-school clients and they gave me their blessing.

We know you are an avid traveler. What is your favorite city?

Paris is hard to beat. I have been to Paris 15 times, I speak French, and the French Embassy in DC was a client of mine when I had my own firm. So, yes, Paris is hard to beat. 

What is your favorite piece of architecture?

It’s hard to say, but if I had to pick one, it would be the Guggenheim. Frank Lloyd Wright wasn’t always known for giving credit to the women he employed. But, considering the time period, he employed over 100 female architects giving them the opportunity to learn which is really important.

What is the most rewarding project you have worked on?

My award-winning project, Suitland Elementary school in Prince George’s County. We were able to almost completely tear down the old school, except one addition that the State said must stay. So, we had to design this whole school around this one existing six-classroom wing. It turned out to be such a fabulous project. My husband is an artist and he designed murals across the school that featured giant dinosaurs and whales. I wanted the children to feel the same sense of awesome scale you feel when looking at the animals on display at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

What is the biggest obstacle you faced in your career as a female in architecture?

When I had my own firm, I started off working with one school district. Often when I was called in to interview with other school districts for projects, the firm I was competing with was larger and not woman-owned. It was impossible to get a foot in the door. In each school system I was successful in creating a partnership with, I had a mentor within the school board who would help me understand the background of what the school was looking for. I advise people to seek mentors in other organizations or professions because these relationships can be really resourceful for your career long-term.

What was your experience like as a female architect in a historically male-dominated industry?

At my age, I was sort of a novelty. What I always found was that there was a subtle patronization, a very subtle push back.

I became a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1978, and I remember sitting in a meeting of 400 people where I was the only woman. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean there weren’t any women in the AIA, there just weren’t any who attended this particular meeting. When I look back to when I entered the industry, I see that there were very, very few women in architecture. Through the years things have changed a lot and we have seen a much higher level of active women in the AIA. We have made a ton of progress in terms of women in architecture, now there are over 14,000 women members of AIA National. As women in this industry, we need to do what we can to lift each other up.

What advice would you give to emerging professionals in our industry?

Architecture is a team sport, it’s almost like an orchestra and the architect is the conductor of all of these various, diverse specialties. You can have your own specialty, but you still need to know what everyone does on the whole team. It is very important that you do rotate yourself through various departments and broaden your exposure throughout your career. Every several years, take stock of your career and do what you can to get another perspective to become a well-rounded architect.

Furthermore, construction exposure is really important in order to communicate your drawings and vision to the contractors. At my first firm, I sat in the construction administration department for 3 years, where I also wrote specifications for the whole firm. This allowed me to understand the underlying principles of the designs and what constructible designs look like. This understanding proved very essential for the rest of my career.

How can employers create inclusive work environments?

One tactic I utilized to bring my team together was encouraging my group leaders to rotate which individuals from their team represent their discipline in meetings, which gave people a chance to buy into the project and get project management exposure. These types of opportunities really bring people together. The key to successfully orchestrating is learning how to deal with different people and to give everyone a voice. To be a successful architect you have to be a good communicator.

My other advice is to mentor those above and below you in years of experience. Right now, I am a mentor to someone who has been in the business for 40 years and we continue to exchange information and promote continuous learning.

We know you are an active member and leader of W.I.A – Women in Architecture. What are the benefits of joining Women in Architecture?

There will be different times in your life in which you’ll be able to take advantage of AIA, which is why it is important to become a member as early as possible. I know becoming a member of the AIA is expensive, but often your employer can reimburse this cost or you can write it off on your taxes. There are also student Women in Architecture groups to join for those who are still in school.

Joining the AIA is worth it, and it is even more worth it if you actively participate. Soon after I joined as a member, an internal leadership opportunity arose and I became a chair for 4 years. Seizing on opportunities like this are a great way to learn how to become a leader if that leadership opportunity isn’t presenting itself at your employer. This is a way for young women, particularly at that 7–15-year level, to get a leadership position, get their name out there and known, and expand their resume.

If you were to give your younger, professional self advice, what advice would you give yourself?

My first tip is to definitely become involved in construction administration, even if you don’t make it your whole career’s focus, it serves as the biggest reality check you can ever have and makes you a much better architect. Being in construction is the last time the client sees you thus it is very important to be there to defend yourself and know from a design perspective what works and what doesn’t work.

Building the correct team is also crucial. From an early time, you need to know understand the strengths you bring, and find a partner who doesn’t necessarily have the exact same skills as you, but compliments your skill set.

My last piece of advice is to travel. Traveling gives you a different picture of the world. Early in my career I went to Africa, in Tanzania specifically, where I did a project for USAID. I lived and worked there for 5 weeks, and I learned so much and gained such a unique perspective of what the world is like outside of the US. Travel is very important; you need to see different perspectives.

Do you have any closing pieces of advice?

Please, persevere. If you made it through architecture school, you are already really blessed. Find someone, either a younger or older female architect, to talk candidly with. There are a lot of difficult times you will face in your career and you need that person’s perspective to boost your confidence.

Women in Architecture is a great community to turn to. AIA Northern Virginia Women in Architecture Committee represents women throughout the entire DMV and coordinates with the other AIA chapter committees representing women and equity. We have all different age groups and are open to everybody. Come to an event, it doesn’t take a lot of time. If you want to learn more about WIA and get involved, you can email aianovawia@gmail.com or visit wia.aianova.org.