Cary Bernstein. To the right: a view from the wonderfully elegant Ridge House. Images: courtesy of Cary Bernstein.

Curiously, Cary Bernstein's remarkable professional path starts with a BA in Philosophy and Russian Literature. A couple of years after receiving her MA Degree from the Yale School Of Architecture, she opened her own office in San Francisco and since then, has won numerous awards and has been featured in exhibitions and publications worldwide.

Apart from being a talented and versatile architect, Cary has taught Russian, jewelry, philosophy and architectural design and is involved with pro bono work for non-profit organizations. Her studio's work includes a wide range of projects, among which the renovations and transformations of historical buildings stand out as a creative dialogue in time.

Cary Bernstein chose to respond through the Q&A format. She struck me as being sharp and thoughtful: something that resonates in her works, whose elegance and simplicity result from the careful and inventive resolving of numerous inherent contradictions.

Big thanks to Cary for sharing her experience and opinions with us. Here are her answers, along with a number of her works.

1. Did you ever face any gender-based prejudice in architectural school? Do you think lecturers/ co-students regarded you and your work differently, because you are a woman? 

I was in a graduate program (M.Arch) for architectural studies which was very different than my undergraduate experience (BA in Philosophy and Russian).  My fellow students never treated me differently.   It was clear, however, that in front of the faculty and jurors, that women had to be twice as good to be taken as seriously or as equal as men. Men were given the benefit of the doubt when they didn't know something or had an unresolved part of their project:  women with the same level of work or understanding were just written off as weaker students with less potential.  There were one or two older women critics who were equally condescending - many, but not all, were supportive.

2. In work, have you ever felt a particular attitude from co-workers/clients/employers because of your gender? Do you think women and men receive the same chances for professional development?

Clients have never been a problem - once they have decided to hire me, gender issues are gone.  Getting the job, however, has its challenges. Recently, I went with a friend and her interior decorator (a woman) to look at a house she was considering buying.  The sellers were an older couple, leaving their lifelong home for a retirement community.  When my friend introduced me to the older woman as "her architect" the woman said "oh- I guess women do that now."  While she meant no harm, it was the kind of comment that makes you wonder who isn't even considering calling you for an interview. 

In my third job, (after 6 years of work experience), I was in a budget meeting with my new (male) boss and a number of contractors (mostly older men).  The contractors assumed I was the secretary & were waiting for the project architect to come in.  My boss only sheepishly presented me to the contractors as the project architect.  One Saturday, while I was working in the office and he was also there, he made a number of off-hand "observations" about life, which were filled with racist and sexist undertones directed to me in a passive-aggressive way.  At first I brushed it off, but later I discussed it with another partner - they are lucky I am not a litigious person.

In my practice, I share office space with a male friend of mine from architecture school. At the time, I had a larger number of female employees than male.  Both our names are on the door with the title  "architect" on the signs. One day, one of his civil engineers came in for a meeting (a guy around our age), looked over at our side of the office and asked my friend if we were interior designers.   My staff was indignant.

I do not like the term "receive the same chance."  No one should ever expect to "receive" anything, except basic respect as a person.  Professional chances are earned, not given.  If someone gives you a break or takes a leap of faith with you when you're young, that's very good luck - but not something to be expected.

3. Why do you think there is the large discrepancy between the number of female architecture graduates and practicing professionals?

Most women I know who dropped out couldn't handle the pressure/competition or couldn't find a way to balance their professional and personal lives.  Ultimately, I don't think they really cared aboutarchitecture enough to stick it out - they had enough talent but not enough drive. There are a lot of people (both men & women) who go into the profession for the wrong reasons and then live with long periods of disappointment - it's easier for women to drop out for family reasons than it is for men.  I don't know any women who dropped out because the profession felt too male for them. 

4. Is architecture a 'Man's World'?  

Mostly - but not exclusively.  It's a competitive profession - if women aren't ready for competition then they will face disappointment.  Boys have friendly competition built into their socialization.  Girls have a schizophrenic relationship with competition.  The best women employees I've had all competed at something when they were young - sports, dance, music.   These women understand the role of training for a goal and that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose - not everyone gets a trophy just for showing up. 

5. How do you think the profession can change to encourage equality? 

The profession has to be more vigilant about making sure female architects are more visible in the public eye - on juries, in the press, in exhibitions, short-lists for competitions. The more the word "architect" is associated with "woman" (and not just a woman who is married to her partner) the more everyone - public and professionals - will accept it as the norm and not an exception.

Ridge House, Sonoma County, USA. This new house sited on a ridge overlooking the Dry Creek Valley is an orchestrated dialogue with the landscape. The designed spaces undulate following the tectonics of the ridge and open to the outdoors through a number of external walkways and platforms. Images: Sharon Risedorph.

Slow Food Nation: Charcuterie, San Francisco. Cary Bernstein Studio was asked to design a temporary exhibition space for the Charcuterie pavilion at the Slow Food Nation event in 2008. In the words of the architect, "The design reinterprets familiar butcher shop and ranch iconographies in the form of a gallery through the use of large scale photography, graphics, video installations, object vitrines and significant artworks depicting cultural interpretations of charcuterie." Images: Mark Darley, Sharon Risedorph.

Choy Residence 1, San Francisco. This renovation of a small house from the beginning of the 20th century includes the addition of a third floor offering stunning views of downtown San Francisco. The renovated facade explores the interaction of the traditional aesthetic of the former cottage with a modern and simple aesthetic. Images: David Duncan Livingston

See more of Cary's works on her studio's website.