Having been born in 1928, Norma Merrick Sklarek graduated from Columbia University and was the first African American woman to be a member of the American Institute of Architecture ‘AIA’. She co-founded Sklarek, Siegel and Diamond, the biggest female-only firm in the country and held a unique reputation for completing huge construction projects on time and within budget. Her vision led to the creation of famous buildings such as LAX Terminal one, the US embassy in Tokyo and the Fox Plaza in San Francisco.

A unique understanding of the power of light and clarity in modern works is just one of the aspects that underpins the talent of Kazuyo Sejima. The common themes of cubes, large windows and glass can be found across some of her most famous works. This includes the Zollverein School of Management and Design in Essen, Germany and the Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. She embodies the evolution of sleek, contemporary designs that have dominated the building world in recent decades. Her award-winning architectural firm was a long-held aspiration from her days as a graduate of Japan Women’s University Sejima.

Tatiana most likely didn’t have much of a choice when it came to her career path, she was actually born and raised in a family of architects! Luckily she wasn’t just inspired by the family’s career, she discovered a unique talent that would propel her into the history books. She actually began her career giving advice to Mexico City’s Department of Urban Housing and Development, which accentuated her desire to use architecture and design to improve lives and communities. Her international projects include a pavilion at China’s Jinhua Architecture Park and the Botanical Garden in Culiacán, Mexico. As a vanguard of contemporary Mexican architects, Bilbao has a modular, build-as-you-go schema for affordable housing designed for as little as $7,000, which has become a critical and empowering case study for architects worldwide.