The Challenge

After an equal number of male and female students graduate from architecture school, there are sharp drop-offs in the number of female practitioners in the very early stages of their careers.

According to the AIA Equity By Design Surveys, the top five reasons these women are dropping out of architecture are: “Low pay, long hours, lack of opportunities, lack of role models, and challenges with work/life flexibility.” AIA SF (Equity By Design – 2014 Survey Reports)

The Goal

The aim of the seminar is simple.  It is to introduce emerging practitioners to the vibrant community of experienced female professionals, in the context of their individual office or practice.  These professionals have all risen in the field, balanced their careers and family, managed to make a living while pursuing a career in architecture, and/or proceeded to successfully rise in the ranks, proving that there are many ways for women to persevere and prevail in the profession of architecture. 

Meet the Founders

Anik Pearson, Nancy Kleppel & Angelique Pierre created the seminar series to improve and enhance mentorship opportunities for incoming female practitioners.

After a childhood spent in Bourgogne and Savoie in France, Anik Pearson began her training in architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City.  She has been in business as a licensed architect, under her own name since 2001, following apprenticeships at established New York City architectural firms.  Anik Pearson Architect, P.C. is an 100% woman-owned architecture firm and has been involved in over a hundred new constructions and renovations, locally as well as nationally; from apartments to single-family residences, from churches, private clubs, offices to country estates.  

 The firm has successfully completed a number of historic renovation projects in New York City. In 2011, the firm received the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, for preservation of the St Stephen’s United Methodist Church, located in Marble Hill.  St Stephen’s is of the last surviving wood-framed and shingled churches in Manhattan.

 The firm’s projects have been published in Architectural Digest, The World of Interiors, New York Magazine, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Cote Ouest, Luxury Homes, Southern Living, Celebrity Deco and work has been featured in a number of books, notably Katie Ridder Rooms, Maisons de Bois and Architects Draw.

In addition to being an Architect and business owner, Anik is proficient at freehand drawing, photography, sculpture and martial arts. Anik has recently been leading efforts to support Architecture students at the Cooper Union through the creation of an endowed scholarship named in honor of professor emerita Sue Ferguson Gussow A’56.

She is a member of the AIA, a certified LEED AP, a former Certified WBE business owner, and is currently an appointed State Board Member of the New York State Board for Architecture, Office of the Professions.

For over 25 years Nancy has consistently delivered real, measurable results for design and construction services firms. Her success stems from persuasively articulating the objective value her clients provide to their own clientele.  Nancy began her career as a practicing architectural designer and shifted her focus to firm management and success in 1997 as Director of Business Development for SOM NY.  Most recently, she served as the Director of Business Development for North America and a member of the 4-person regional management team for Turner & Townsend, a global program, project, and cost management firm.  As a consultant for over 13 years, she has provided integrated strategic marketing, business development and communications services to a diverse mix of clients including Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, BKSK Architects, Herreros Arquitectos, Schirmer Engineering and many others.

Nancy is a native New Yorker and holds a B. A. from Brown and a M. Arch from Harvard.  She has also studied textile design at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology.  She is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services and the AIA New York chapter.  Nancy has taken a leadership role in delivering professional development seminars for both organizations and has written and co-written professional practice articles published in the Zweig Letter, ArchNewsNow, and ArcCa, The Journal of The AIA California Council.

Angelique Pierre is the founding principal of blk|dr architecture + development, a residential architecture + development practice with a focus on environmentally and socially responsible restoration and renovation projects. She is a graduate of The Cooper Union Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture and a Registered Architect in the state of New York.

In over a decade of architectural practice, Angelique has designed and managed complex residential projects. Her focus, precision, and attention to detail ensure the highest standards of quality to every project. Angelique is a consummate collaborator that thrives on working with a team to develop and refine solutions that meet project objectives of time, cost, and energy efficiency without compromising design integrity.

In her time away from her desk, Angelique is a Board Member of ArchiteXX, a group of academics and practitioners dedicated to the advancement of all women-identified, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and allied individuals. She is also an Advisory Board Member for the AIA NYC Women In Architecture Committee, an active mentor, an Open Architecture NY volunteer, and an active member of The Cooper Union alumni community, serving on the Anti-Racism Task Force.