Noel Phyllis Birkby (December 6, 1932 â€" April 13, 1994) was an
American architect, feminist, filmmaker, teacher, and founder of the
Women's School of Planning and Architecture.Noel Phyllis Birkby was
born in Nutley, New Jersey to Harold S. and Alice Green Birkby. As a
child, she made drawings of cities and towns, and miniature
three-dimensional environments in her mother's garden. An early
fascination with architecture led her at age 16-years to express
interest in the profession to a career counselor who would tell her
the profession was inaccessible to her, despite her aptitude: "Well,
Miss Birkby, it appears that if you were a man, you should be studying
architecture." In 1950, Ms. Birkby entered Women's College of the
University of North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina to study
fine art, and she was an active participated in peer advisory and
extracurricular activities, such as Canterbury club and Art club. She
was considered a rabble rouser. In 1954, she was expelled in her
senior year after an incident that purportedly involved drinking beer.
Ms. Birkby later attributed the outcome to her public expression of
love for a classmate. "I wasn't hiding my love for another woman," she
explained, "... didn't think there was anything wrong with it." After
Ms. Birkby returned to her family home in New Jersey for a brief
period of time, she moved to New York City.In Manhattan, Ms. Birkby
worked as a technical illustrator. In 1955, she traveled to Mexico
with American Friends Service Committee to work on development
projects with the Otomi people. A year later back in New York, a women
architect encouraged Ms. Birkby to pursue professional education and
training. In 1959, Ms. Birkby enrolled in the undergraduate
architecture night school program Cooper Union School of Architecture,
and she worked by day at the offices of architect Henry L. Horowitz,
from 1960 to 1961, and Seth Hiller, from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, Ms.
Birkby earned a Certificate in Architecture from Cooper Union, and she
was awarded the Service to the School Awards by the Cooper Union
Alumni Association for having demonstrated exemplary service and
leadership during her time as student.Ms. Birkby enrolled in graduate
school at Yale School of Architecture, and studied under the deanships
of Paul Rudolph (chairman 1958â€"65), and Charles Moore (chairman
1965â€"1970), two renown educators and leaders architect of the
post-modern movement. At Yale, Ms. Birkby was one of six women
enrolled in the department of architecture, among a student body of
approximately 200 men. Ms. Birky would later say the gender gap
compelled her to "rise above the female role" to prove she was as
"good or better than the men." Ms. Birkby achieved a Masters of
Architecture at Yale University in 1966, after completing a course of
training and study, including her thesis on a physical education
complex on Hofstra University.
American architect, feminist, filmmaker, teacher, and founder of the
Women's School of Planning and Architecture.Noel Phyllis Birkby was
born in Nutley, New Jersey to Harold S. and Alice Green Birkby. As a
child, she made drawings of cities and towns, and miniature
three-dimensional environments in her mother's garden. An early
fascination with architecture led her at age 16-years to express
interest in the profession to a career counselor who would tell her
the profession was inaccessible to her, despite her aptitude: "Well,
Miss Birkby, it appears that if you were a man, you should be studying
architecture." In 1950, Ms. Birkby entered Women's College of the
University of North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina to study
fine art, and she was an active participated in peer advisory and
extracurricular activities, such as Canterbury club and Art club. She
was considered a rabble rouser. In 1954, she was expelled in her
senior year after an incident that purportedly involved drinking beer.
Ms. Birkby later attributed the outcome to her public expression of
love for a classmate. "I wasn't hiding my love for another woman," she
explained, "... didn't think there was anything wrong with it." After
Ms. Birkby returned to her family home in New Jersey for a brief
period of time, she moved to New York City.In Manhattan, Ms. Birkby
worked as a technical illustrator. In 1955, she traveled to Mexico
with American Friends Service Committee to work on development
projects with the Otomi people. A year later back in New York, a women
architect encouraged Ms. Birkby to pursue professional education and
training. In 1959, Ms. Birkby enrolled in the undergraduate
architecture night school program Cooper Union School of Architecture,
and she worked by day at the offices of architect Henry L. Horowitz,
from 1960 to 1961, and Seth Hiller, from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, Ms.
Birkby earned a Certificate in Architecture from Cooper Union, and she
was awarded the Service to the School Awards by the Cooper Union
Alumni Association for having demonstrated exemplary service and
leadership during her time as student.Ms. Birkby enrolled in graduate
school at Yale School of Architecture, and studied under the deanships
of Paul Rudolph (chairman 1958â€"65), and Charles Moore (chairman
1965â€"1970), two renown educators and leaders architect of the
post-modern movement. At Yale, Ms. Birkby was one of six women
enrolled in the department of architecture, among a student body of
approximately 200 men. Ms. Birky would later say the gender gap
compelled her to "rise above the female role" to prove she was as
"good or better than the men." Ms. Birkby achieved a Masters of
Architecture at Yale University in 1966, after completing a course of
training and study, including her thesis on a physical education
complex on Hofstra University.
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