by Bailey Shelton
“They are the [durable houses] that will stand against the winds and floods and rains of changing fashion. For they are founded upon the rock of good taste,” reads a 1900s pamphlet from Fort Wayne architectural firm Wildwood, which was co-founded by female architects Joel Roberts Ninde and Grace Crosby. Many of the 300+ homes they designed over a century ago are still standing today.
The ethos of these female builders speaks to modern ambitions– where Indiana is at a critical housing deficit, with a worker shortage to match. As the building industry works toward the over 1 million homes needed to fill the housing shortage, women builders will be the ones pushing the industry forward with every home they touch.
Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women make up only 10% of workers in the US construction industry, the door is more open than ever before to young women wanting to enter the trades. Karen Shreves and Beth Carey, co-owners of Midwest Remodeling alongside their mother, have spent the past several years working with the Build Your Future program through the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation to introduce middle schoolers to possible careers in the trades.
“There’s so many lucrative careers available, and that’s the experience we want to convey,” says Shreves. “There’s an extreme skilled worker shortage here in Indiana. We’re going to be in hot water, and you’re already starting to see it.”
As early as the late 1800s and early 1900s, women architects and engineers like Effie Schoen-Morgan and Josephine Woodbury made their mark around Indianapolis and beyond. One of the enduring selling points for women builders throughout our history is “homes from a woman’s perspective”, a phrase still commonly heard from clients of female architects, painters, tilers and interior designers.
Talented, intelligent women are easy to find in the building industry. However, women builders are no strangers to pushback and criticism.
Carlie Suskie of the Design and Sales team at ACo knows that the days of criticism aren’t so far behind us, “When I entered the world of remodeling, it was primarily a male-dominated industry. I remember showing up to appointments and the client asking, ‘Will there be a man coming too?’”
Inspiration from others, especially her mother and coworkers, are the factors that pushed Suskie through moments like that. It’s important to have a strong network when you’re potentially the only woman in the room Monday through Friday.
Events like the recent Women Build It conference are offering women opportunities to focus on collaboration and networking with their peers.
Keynote Speaker Emily Shaw of Lushin spoke on methods for combatting Imposter Syndrome in a male dominated field. “Statistically speaking, those who experience imposter syndrome are more likely to be qualified for their role than those who don’t,” Shaw says. “It’s hard to imagine a future where the issues women face are completely gone, but it’s possible for there to be a room full of women who are all confident in being there. That’s possible today.”
Diana Daniely, Outside Builder Sales at Ferguson Enterprises, emceed the annual single day conference.
“As a woman in corporate America working in a male-dominated industry, it’s incredibly important to participate in conferences that represent women and the building industry,” says Daniely. “Having women in construction is crucial for fostering innovation, improving workplace culture, and addressing labor shortages.”
So what future are Hoosier women hoping to create for the building industry?
An industry that welcomes all. One that makes space for people to live their lives affordably and comfortably. Designs that will last for another 150 years. Buildings that are a testament to the Heartland, and all the promise it has to offer.
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