Celebrating Decades of Women from the Liverpool School of Architecture

Women have excelled at the Liverpool School of Architecture since the beginning. From its early days the school accepted female students. As early as 1925, student Frances Thelma Silcock was awarded the highest national prize; the RIBA Silver Medal. Head of School at the time Professor Charles Reilly advocated architecture as a career for women. This was also a concern for the student body, illustrated by Hazel Darracot’s article making the case for women architects in 1937. Through the 20th century the numbers of women students grew to reach the 50:50 in take today.

Preliminary and final drawings for the Rome Scholarship 1920s. Drawing by Thelma Silcock, UoL Archive

Drawings for the Rome Scholarship 1925 by Thelma Silcock, UoL Archive

Thursday 7 March, Budden Lecture Theatre, 5pm – 8pm

In 2019, to celebrate the achievements of female graduates of Liverpool School of Architecture (LSA), in conjunction with International Women’s Day, the LSA held a special event with from alumni across the decades. Several generations of women have now graduated from the school but their achievements have remained largely invisible. The panelists, who graduated from the school over several decades from the 1940s to the 2010s, talked about their work and time here, and how their experiences of architectural education and the profession varied.

Panelists on the night included:

Joy Hockey (BArch Hons 1949)
Louise Sheridan (BA 1992-1994, BArch 1996-1998) Director Ellis Williams Architects
Charlotte Wilson (BArch 1995), Director, Broadway Malyan Ltd
Sarah Harrison (BArch 2002), Director, Harrison Stringfellow Architects Ltd
Mona Devereau (MBA 2008), Head of CPD Programmes, RIBA
Jade Meeks (BA Hons 2015 and MArch 2015) Architect at Ellis Williams Architects

The event is brought to you by Staff of Liverpool School of Architecture in conjunction with University of Liverpool Alumni team.

Organiser contacts are:

Sandy Britton RIBA
Sandy.britton@liverpool.ac.uk

Emma Curtin ARB
emmac@liverpool.ac.uk

Anna Gidman ARB
archimum@liverpool.ac.uk

Caroline Mitchell
Alumni Engagement Manager
07843 226 784
Caroline.Mitchell@liverpool.ac.uk

Joy Hockey, our oldest living alumnus, who has recently been awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List for 2019.

1931 photo of first year architecture students.

1931 photo of first year architecture students, UoL Archive