Women in Architecture: Bringing hidden stories to light

When a group of editors who share a passion for writing women’s biographies heard about the release of the book Making Space: A History of New Zealand Women in Architecture, they all suspected it could be a useful resource for expanding Wikipedia content.

Over 60 new articles later, it’s safe to say that they were right. 

Written by New Zealand historian Elizabeth Cox, Making Space was first published in 2022. At the time, there were only nine women listed in the Wikipedia category for New Zealand women architects – a number quite at odds with the more than 500 women named in the book.

“There’s a lot of sexism and bias embedded in the architectural profession” shared editor and WANZ Acting President Lisa Maule.

“Women weren’t always supported to sit the exams, and many who did the design work weren’t credited as architects.”

This discrepancy led to the establishment of the Women in Architecture Aotearoa WikiProject, which aims to increase the number of articles about women and non-binary people who work in architecture and related fields in or from Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The motivation is to make women more visible online in their achievements” adds Lisa. 

In partnership with Architecture + Women NZ and the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the project recently held a walking tour and edit-a-thon as part of their efforts to address this gender disparity on one of the most-visited websites in the world.

The two-day event began with a tour of the historic Parnell Baths, which houses the largest saltwater swimming pool in Aotearoa New Zealand. First opened in 1914, the baths were redeveloped in the 1950s in the iconic Lido style by Hungarian architect Tibor Donner. The facilities underwent restoration work in the early 2000’s, led by Jane Matthews of Matthews and Matthews Architects. 

Participants learned about the architectural style and history, photographing different areas of the baths to contribute to Wikimedia Commons.

Images by User:Paora, CC0

The following day featured a Wikipedia edit-a-thon at Auckland Museum, where a combination of new and experienced editors worked together to improve and increase content relating to women in architecture. Resources from the museum’s Research Library, including multiple copies of Making Space, provided valuable sources of information.

Highlights from the editing session include the creation of new Wikipedia articles on notable architects like Sally Ogle, and the expansion of coverage for architectural firm Jasmax, which has a significant history of women architects. A total of 704 edits were made, with over 31,000 words added. Contributions went beyond English Wikipedia too, with a participant from Ecuador able to expand content on Spanish Wikipedia.

This event, held over the weekend of 5 and 6 April 2025, was a continuation of similar events run by the project in 2023 and 2024. The two-day format allows for different people to get involved, with some focusing on photography and others on editing, providing something for everyone.