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Architect, Nea Poole Shares How Women Are Transforming the Architectural Field

Nearly half of the students in architectural schools nationwide are female, and a growing number are entering the field. But there are early-career challenges that prevent many of them from staying in the profession.

For the latest issue of Engineered Wood, we spoke with four award-winning female architect executives who are role models for women just launching their careers.

Today we’re spotlighting Nea May Poole, Managing Partner/COO of Poole & Poole Architecture. Her distinctive designs, many of which were built with LP Building Products, include NOHO Flats in Tampa, Florida and the Icon Apartments in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nea-May-Poole

On career challenges:

“When students graduate from a five-year architecture program, they have to intern a minimum of three years before they can take their licensing exam. This puts them in their mid-to-late twenties, and for women at that age there’s a struggle between work and family. Many decide to leave the profession to have more time with their kids.”

On opportunities:

“My area of expertise [single-family and multifamily] is a great area of practice for women because the mindset—from developers to engineers and contractors—is very different from the expected stereotype. Women work throughout multifamily on the owner side as development associates, in marketing, in the management companies, and as interior designers. Men who are multifamily developers appreciate the design perspective of a female architect since women are half the housing market.”

On designing with LP products:

“LP is an incredible resource for multifamily architects. Our projects use a wide variety of LP products, including LP® FlameBlock® Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing, LP® SolidStart® LVL and LSL, and LP® TopNotch® Sub-Flooring. LP FlameBlock sheathing is a great substrate with impressive strength, which helps with structural design values. It’s also more resistant to weather than either gypsum or FRT panels.”

To read about other influential women in the architecture industry, be sure to check out the latest issue of Engineered Wood. Download the digital version here: http://lpcorp.com/media/3787/16-lp-0011-m2lb-ew-magazine-issue-16-web.pdf

For more information on LP FlameBlock’s architectural benefits, check out the product page here: http://lpcorp.com/products/panels/lp-flameblock-fire-rated-osb-sheathing/

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