In honor of Women’s History Month, the Center for Architecture is hosting the Built by Women NYC (BxW NYC) Exhibition.

BxW is a social and educational initiative that celebrates the many contributions of women to the built environment, to not only recognize and support women in these professions but also to provide students and current professionals strong role models and mentors.

Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Etienne Frossard.

BxW NYC is an initiative by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF), supported by grants from the New York Building Foundation and the New York Council for the Humanities. Last fall, the BWAF held a public competition for submissions of sites built by women. A jury of architectural, engineering and construction professions selected 98 sites designed, engineered or constructed by women. Each selection represented strong design, had historical or cultural significance or demonstrated social or community impact. Over the coming year, BWAF will host events to publicize these spaces, and walking tours, interactive maps and other educational materials will also be developed around the initiative.

The Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Photo by Chris Cooper.

Winning sites fell into the following categories: civic, commercial, cultural, institutional, landscape, mixed-use, transportation, urban design and residential. The Brooklyn Bridge Park, The High Line, Pier 44, Coney Island Hospital, Bronx Zoo Center for Global Conservation, Seven World Trade Center and Neue Galerie New York are just a few of the projects honored.

200 Eleventh Avenue. Photo by David Sundberg.

Jurors include architects Deborah Berke, Audrey Marlock, Andrea Leers and Joan Blumenfeld, architectural engineers Aine Brazil and Fiona Cousins, Cheryl McKissack Daniel, and landscape architect Laura Starr. Andrew Dolkart, Director of the Historic Preservation Program and Professor of Historic Preservation, Columbia University, served as an advisor to the jury.

African Burial Ground Interpretive Center. Photo by Lem Peterkin.

Beginning with New York City, BxW strives to profile and visually map women’s work across the US in order to raise awareness about spaces used for living, work and play. The free exhibition is open to the public for the duration of Women’s History Month, and runs from March 2 to April 11 at the Center for Architecture (536 Laguardia Place).