The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is a research and educational not-for-profit 501(c)( 3) dedicated to advancing knowledge about the contributions women have made and continue to make in shaping the American built environment. It is the only foundation in the U.S. with this mission.
Founded in 2002, after two years of investigating current practices within the present culture of the building professions, including engineering and construction, the Foundation embarked on a grant program for individuals and national organizations that support its mission. Core programs now include education, research—both historical and interdisciplinary—and outreach. BWAF hopes to broaden our collective understanding about the many different roles women have in shaping the places and spaces in which we live and work, as well as to ensure a vibrant future for all women involved in all aspects of the building professions.
BWAF currently achieves its mission by:
- Convening the Industry Leaders Roundtable, limited to 20 firms, whose participants represent the largest global firms in engineering, architecture, and construction;
- Initiating public programs in collaboration with major museums such as the National Building Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum;
- Developing educational resources geared to a diverse audience including building professionals, educators and students of all ages;
- Preserving historical legacies online through the Collection of Women of 20th-Century American Architecture, housed within an easily accessible database, the Dynamic National Archive.
The Foundation also works in collaboration with a number of national member organizations which include: Professional Women in Construction (PWC), the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and its Women’s Leadership Council, the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Archive, the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA). Additionally, BWAF is included among the workforce alliances of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).
