Posts by Karen Burns

Challenging the Canon
Jude Barber, Madhavi Desai, Karen Burns, Sarah Rafson March 6th, 2021
How and why do we recover the histories of women’s active participation in shaping the built environment? Watch Jude Barber, Sarah Rafson, Madhavi Desai and Karen Burns discuss recent projects to rewrite history in a Transformations panel discussion chaired by Julie Willis. How do we recover the histories of women’s...

Women, Architecture, Activism
Karen Burns March 28th, 2018
Karen Burns looks back at 1970s Melbourne and shines a light on the important work of Deborah White and others building community institutions in the late modern city.

Women in the Street
Karen Burns January 23rd, 2017
Karen Burns reflects on protest and the transformation of the street by the fluid body politic.

Cheers to Marion!
Karen Burns December 7th, 2016
Karen Burns raises her glass to Marion Mahony Griffin – one of Australia's most impressive architects, who could also pull off wearing a Tutankhamen turban at a garden party.

Why do women leave?
Karen Burns November 17th, 2014
Karen Burns examines the Parlour survey responses to understand why women leave the profession.

The Elephant in our Parlour: everyday sexism in architecture
Karen Burns August 20th, 2014
It is time to start talking about everyday sexism in architecture – the elephant in the Parlour. Karen Burns leads the way.

Who wants to be a Woman Architect?
Karen Burns May 1st, 2012
We all want to be valued for the quality of our work, not framed by the fact of our gender. Karen Burns reflects on the complex interactions between culture and individual agency.

A girl’s own adventure
Karen Burns April 28th, 2012
How do anthologies of architectural theory represent feminism and gender theory? Karen Burns finds a "strangely antiquated", essentialist version at odds with the aims of the work itself.

E1027
Karen Burns April 24th, 2012
Countering women’s marginalisation by appropriating the model of the urban 'boys' club'. Karen Burns recalls the activism and intellectual engagement of E1027.

On the radio
Karen Burns March 10th, 2012
Download the audio of Karen Burns being interviewed about Women and Architecture on Radio National's By Design.

Women in architecture
Karen Burns March 10th, 2012
Karen Burns' essay gives an overview of the state of play and the issues facing women in Australian architecture.

Women, leadership and democracy
Gill Matthewson, Karen Burns, Naomi Stead March 6th, 2012
The paper "Women and Leadership in the Australian Architecture Profession: Prelude to a Research Project" details the current Women,Work and Leadership research project.