Julia Gamolina | Director of Strategy, Trahan Architects and Founder & Editor, Madame Architect | Building a different kind of environment

This week's guest is Julia Gamolina, Director of Strategy for Trahan Architects in New York City, as well as the Founder and Editor of Madame Architect, an online publication focusing on the women who advance the practice of architecture. Julia is dedicated to the build environment and the visibility of women who work in it. Her writing has also been featured in Fast Company, A Women's Thing, and the Architect's Newspaper. Earlier this year, she was named one of Apartment Therapy's Design Changemakers, and she's been honoured as one of Professional Women in Construction's "20 Under 40". Julia received her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell, graduating with a Charles Goodwin Sands Memorial Medal for exceptional merit in the thesis of architecture.
In this conversation, Julia and host Eva Hartling discuss representation, gender bias in the workplace, and how to build a different type of environment where women can thrive.

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Full Episode Transcript

Eva Hartling: This week, my guess is Juliet Gamolina, director of strategy for Trahan Architects in New York city, as well as the founder and editor of Madame Architect, an online publication, focusing on the women who advance the practice of architecture. Julia is dedicated to the build environment and the visibility of women who work in it.

Her writing has also been featured in fast company, a women's things, and the Architects Newspaper. Earlier this year, she was named one of Apartment Therapy’s Design Changemakers, and she's been recognized among constructions Top 20, under 40 Julia received her bachelor of architecture at Cornell. Graduating with a Charles Goodwin Sands Memorial Medal for exceptional merit in the thesis of architecture in this conversation.

We address representation. What gender bias in the workplace can look like and how to build a different type of environment where women can thrive.

 All right, Julia, it's a pleasure having you on The Brand is Female today. Thank you so much for speaking

Julia Gamolina: with me. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited.

Eva Hartling: I'm going to start by bringing you back in time a little bit, and I'd love for you to tell me, growing up, what were you dreaming or imagining you'd be doing in life later and was becoming an architect already on your radar

Julia Gamolina: at that?

Sure. So I grew up in multiple places. I was born in Russia and I lived there until I was eight in Siberia. And then some of my kind of pre-teen and formative years were spent in Toronto. And then I went to high school in Colorado. So that's as a foundation but in Russia I.

Did a lot of performing arts actually do a lot of dance and singing and things like this? I went to an afterschool school that focused on these things. So I had a very, I don't know, I feel like I always had a very dense existence with activities and running around from thing to thing, which is maybe why I'm able to do, Working at Trahan Architects and Madame Architect right now.

But all this to say is also in addition to that, I saw myself as a teacher. I think that was the first profession I had in mind for myself. I'm not sure why. I was an only child and I don't know if something with that. And just like being in control and being in charge of your reality, translated into what I thought my profession would be in that way.

But that was the early and the first vision I had for myself. And then when we moved to Toronto I was writing a lot and I was drawing a lot because as a new kid, I had a lot of time to myself. And from that I definitely considered journalism. I considered fashion design. And I think my parents were immigrants and we were trying to establish ourselves in this new country thought, oh my gosh, if this girl becomes a journalist or a fashion designer, she'll never make any money.

So that we find her something to suggest that might be a little bit more steady and stable. And it was. So they, my dad and my mom had does a structural engineer, by the way, my mom's a mathematician. They were the ones that put the idea of architecture in my mind early. And also actually this was a pretty formative experience.

We learned English by watching movies on rotation, the same movies over and over. And one of those was one fine day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. And Michelle Pfeiffer plays an architect in New York City and that movie. And so I'm pretty sure that my destiny had been York city and that movie. Learning English in that movie.

Eva Hartling: I love that story. That is so funny. And as an only child myself, I can understand that, desire for independence and in influencing what your choice of profession would be. Who are your role models? And you've mentioned your mom were there women? And you've mentioned Michelle Pfeiffer in that movie, but were their women that were inspiring to you, that you were looking up to, or maybe they came later in your

Julia Gamolina: There were for sure.

So definitely my mom just the end, my dad just seeing him start all over in a new country. And one thing I should mention is they, so my mom had a Ph.D. in mathematics, was a calculus professor in Russia. My dad was a structural engineer when we moved to Canada they lost that accreditation.

There, there wasn't reciprocity. And so my dad was a delivery guy for Fried chicken and then worked as a carpenter. And he worked in construction and my mom worked on the retail sales floor for maternity clothes when she was pregnant with my brother. So I'm no longer an only child, my brother and I have a very big age gap, 12 years.

But anyway see that, I think just the idea of not really the hustle, but doing whatever's needed to get to where you want. They instilled in me. But in terms of other role models, this actually goes in a kind of another way. I was mentored, not necessarily by people and by, but by media is I read a lot of magazines when I was in Toronto and in Colorado.

Again, a lot of times I try to find my place in these new worlds and. I remember reading, there was a blurb with the editor in chief of 17 magazines, sometime in the early two-thousands. I forget who it was specifically, but I read her column a ton and that was somebody I looked up to.

And, someone sent in a question once asking, like, how do you become an editor in chief? Do I need to study journalism? And she was like, not at all. I studied political science so that I think something was planted then also but I also really looked up to Anna Wintour growing up. And there, there are all kinds of things about her out in the media and I've never met her.

So I can't comment whether they're true or not true, but just hearing her talk about creative vision and being decisive and sticking to what you think is right for the platform that you're running. She's made some decisions that were seen as very controversial, but she completely stuck to her guns.

And I think that kind of seeing that was really good for me.

Eva Hartling: And were there women in architecture specifically, or maybe it was even when you actually started your career? And I'm curious to know, because architecture, generally speaking, is male, or women are underrepresented, or, and I think we see when I picture an architect, the idea that comes to mind is, a studio full of men.

So wondering what that was like and what your experience was when you. Step foot in the architect studio.

Julia Gamolina: So I knew nothing about architecture or architects when I decided to study it. And then when I actually went to Cornell to study it except for Michelle Pfeiffer and her role in one fine day.

So my introduction of an architect to me and the person that I pictured that was when the word architect came to mind, or someone said it to me was Michelle Pfeiffer. And it was a woman so that I think that's really key and foundational. But then when I started in school, It was definitely more heavily male.

We had so many wonderful female professors. But I do remember like the first architect I ever saw lecture was a guy and my studio professor was two guys. And I only had one studio professor, which is the main design course. That was a woman. And it was also the studio. I did the best in the best grade.

Best time. Really wonderful growth experience. And that was Caroline O'Donnell. Who's now the chair of undergraduate education at Cornell for architecture. So clearly another role model. But yeah, I would say she's the first woman in the field that I really looked up to and she was just super cool.

She's from Ireland. She did not fit the mold of what we were taught. You know what the image of an architect was. And I think that was really great for me to see first. And then so in school and then both graduating and going into the profession, it was very heavily male, but the founders, the studios were mostly men.

When I started working at my first job there were very few women, there was maybe one woman that was an architect and the other two women were in marketing or business development. So from a design perspective, there weren't as many women to look up to as maybe I had hoped. And so that's actually how Madame Architect then later came about.

I took it upon myself to go find the women that were there. It turns out there are so many that just people were talking to them and that's just how everything's snowballed.

Eva Hartling: And what was your, I, and I want to talk about Madame architect and what you're accomplishing there. But what was your experience, as a young woman in the profession, did you experience gender and equity at all or gender bias, or was it a smoother introduction for you?

Julia Gamolina: So interesting. It was really both when I first started, especially when I was an intern, I had, I heard things like, you're still enthusiastic, but you don't have enough experience, go get some experience and come back. And I don't know how much that relates to gender, but I think it does because this just came from a guy, first of all.

And I think, I can see that if a young guy was being mentored or working with the same gentlemen that I was this gentleman would maybe take this guy under his wing and train him. I just have a feeling that's how it would play out. And it's not just a feeling I have. I think it's, what I'm saying is built on a lot of collected experiences that now it makes me know that this is the case, but then when I finally settled in, at affirm at my first term and stayed there for a couple of years, When I was early in the career, I find that people were very nurturing and would take me under their wing, both men and women.

And show me the ropes and teach me. And then the older I got and the more advanced I, as I advanced in the industry that went away. And so I almost think that this is like nurturing, taking you under the way. The approach early on is also gender-based because I was treated like a precious new person if you will.

And maybe taken less seriously in that way. I don't know. It's really hard to say because I only know my own experience. I don't have the experience of a young guy starting in the industry. But it is interesting. There's a, it's a double-edged sword, and there are pros and cons.

Being treated anyway, but that is what I experienced heavy nurturing early on. I'm also told I don't have enough experience to go get some experience. And then as I started to come into management positions, that's I think that's where the discrimination started being felt more.

Eva Hartling: And tell me about starting Madame architect.

So what was the general feedback, when you started speaking to women and the profession what did you hear back from your peers basically? Yeah.

Julia Gamolina: So I was completely blown away by the response when it first launched. And it first launched as a guest editorship on a non-profits blog that I was a part of called architects are key T E X chromosome.

So let's see. So when I first launched that guest editorship, the feedback was insane and I could not actually believe it. People resonated with the series because the reason that an architect has started is that it was for very personal reasons. For me, there are two things I was missing in my career.

In two things I knew were extremely important to me that I couldn't go without. And one was mentorship by women. And the other was writing. I had always been a writer like I mentioned earlier, but put that identity aside and architecture school because it was so heavily focused on the design studio.

And when I graduated, I knew that writing was something I had to integrate into my career somehow. And I wanted to write for magazines, but I had no idea how no idea, how to get my foot in the door. I didn't have a body of work of writing that I was proud of because all my time was focused on my portfolio and thesis.

So anyway, so I was actually looking for ways that I could be writing. And then the other side of why Madame architect started was the mentorship aspect. I had always been mentored by my teachers that were women growing up, just again, being a new kid in a new country. Often I would go to my teachers for guidance.

And then my professors eventually when I graduated, as I mentioned, not a lot of women around. And that's part of why I joined this nonprofit and it was for mentorship for women in the field. And there were a lot of seasoned practitioners that were kind of part of this collective and a lot of young women.

And I just by chance met a couple of women at these meetups at these networking happy hours asked one of them vividly if she could be my mentor. Honestly only because we had really great chemistry and just hit it off. And I think that sometimes mentorship or any sort of intimate relationship, like this is almost like dating.

It won't quite work as well if you don't have that chemistry. But anyway, so after meeting with her and asking her all kinds of questions, I was just so inspired and motivated every time we had a session, if you will when I would go to her office and just ask her my list of things that I put together for her I thought, this is too good for me to keep to myself.

I know other young women just like me have these questions too. And how can I share this? And again, I wanted to write and I thought, okay, I'll do long-form Q and A's for this non-profits blog. And again, just went from there.

Eva Hartling: I love that. And I was going to ask you about, building community and you've talked about mentorship specifically generally speaking in your work life, and this would be an example of how you do build those bridges.

What role does community play for you and how do you go about creating it?

Julia Gamolina: It's a great question. I never realized the power of community. Until I think until it really not a marketecture until I built a network and a life here in New York City because I always moved. And my parents and I were these nomads and I was this

I was just, I was not an, I was an outsider.

And in a lot of ways. And so I always felt like I was looking from the outside, in, into. And, but not quite being ingrained in either one. And it's when I moved to New York and really got to know people here and the New York is now the longest place I've ever lived. Actually, it's tied with Russia, but just seeing how it took, eight years of the here to build community, to build a network to build my career, it's really come to mind.

And gosh, in terms of community what was your question? The benefits of,

Eva Hartling: yeah. How do you approach community building? What role does it play for you and how do you go about building it? Basically?

Julia Gamolina: Yeah. In terms of how to build it. I think authenticity is a word that's overused may be right now. And no matter what, no matter how trite it is it really is about that.

I think you just have to find people that truly care about the same things that you do, and that could be different for different themes in different communities, but everyone kind of has to be aligned with what the core of the community is about. And, in Madame Architect's case, it is about professional advancement for women.

And I have to say, it's so clear how much. Of that was missing in the industry because we have such a loyal following. Our following is not the biggest it's good for, I think being a niche thing and a niche industry, but what I do know about our followers and our readers, that they are very loyal.

I will, I was at a lunch once with landscape architects. So not even, a traditional architect who likes is the main kind of audience for. And I, and she said how much Madame architect. And I said, oh, what interview? Stood out to you the most, what interviewed do 11, which have you read?

And she goes, oh, all of them, like I read all of them. And I actually hear that a lot, which is baffling to me because we now have a lot of content, but yeah. I just think I really have true alignment. A very authentic alignment of what is really important and what people care about and want to push forward themselves.

The number one basis for a strong community and building.

Eva Hartling: Yeah, love that. And I'm going to turn a question around because you asked me some questions before we got on this call and I'm all in this conversation. And so out of the women you've spoken to for Madame architect what are some lessons that come to mind?

And maybe even if you recall, a few anecdotes from specific conversations that were an eye eyeopening for you, or really inspired.

Julia Gamolina: Yeah, certainly I've noticed that our themes, tend to come based on where a woman is in her career. Founders of firms that have been doing this for a while and are now looking for what's the next step, tend to say the same things.

People starting out tend to stay the same things, but so I've learned from that. One thing that's surprised me is. When I was graduating and figuring out what I was going to be doing. I heard so much advice about picking what you want and going for it as though it was very linear and this bull's-eye on a dartboard and my interviews have proven that it doesn't really work like that.

There's just way too much out of your control. And I've learned that from just experiential learning, by living my life and, trying to do things and some things working out, some things. Nobody has really said, have a strategy in mind, have this bullseye, do whatever you need to do to get there, bulldoze things.

It hasn't worked like that for a lot of people I've spoken to, everyone says, make decisions based on what interests you, what feels good, what excites you, and follow people? People are the most important thing. And I would say it's been really about that. Taken organic approach to a career as opposed to a strategic one.

Obviously, there's a time and place for strategy and maybe within kind of these micro-moments and micro timelines, but not for the next 50 years, it's just completely impossible. And to find the good people and really learn from them and follow them, if that makes sense. And just to build the community of support or actually support mentorship, sponsorship, all of it.

Eva Hartling: Yeah, I can relate to that as well. I think that was one of the biggest myths that I was sold, that you have to have a 15-year plan and a 20-year plan. And what's your, what's the strategy and it's that's not how life works. It's not, and you're right. There are moments where we need more of these data-driven decisions, but then also just, it's a flowing river basically.

I can relate to that. What is something you wish you knew earlier in your career that you know, now?

Julia Gamolina: Maybe not so much, but I wish I knew, but I wish I was just less insecure. I think I forget. I think it was maybe anna Wintour that said this. Actually, it definitely is because I would Google like Anna Wintour's advice in my career.

And one of them was that insecurity is a waste of time. And I really agree with that. I just think there were some things that I was so hesitant to finally decide, which in some ways actually is good because in some ways this kind of thought procrastination is not bad because then you really consider everything.

Really make an informed decision that maybe it'll take a little longer, but you will know what's right. And you won't want to go back or think you made a mistake. But I do think that. Some of the self-doubt I had or the questioning over and over the same thing could have saved me a lot of time.

It's hard though because I'm very happy with where I am. All the advice, autobiographical and taken with a grain of salt. But I do wish I had a little bit less self-doubt and I wish I was a little bit more decisive and that could have opened up more Headspace for other things for me, I think.

Eva Hartling: Yeah. Yeah. But I also agree with what you're saying. It's also what got you to where you are today. You can be grateful for that. So you, you're an architect, you work in a profession that designs things and where, you take into account spaces that people move in and around what kind of responsibility comes, with your work how do you approach that role and the impact you can have on other people's lives.

And also thinking of. Even a city and a community, right? You can have that impact

Julia Gamolina: directly. Yeah. I love this question so much because I feel the responsibility in three ways and there are three. So my career has really had three tracks. I talk about it. Two tracks, professional practice in an architectural firm and immediate with Madame architect, but really it's three, because I started out as a designer, as an architectural designer, designing spaces, designing, things that are occupiable by other people.

And. Cause there's that aspect. Then there's the business strategy aspect, which is what I focus on now. And then obviously there's media and communication and putting people in the spotlight and giving people voices. And so there are three responsibilities with design. I think it's really interesting because ever since the racial reckoning last summer in the United States and the black lives matter movement, I'm hearing a lot of firms talk about realizing how architecture has for so long, been an aesthetic practice.

And now they're thinking about how is it a social practice? I actually find that baffling that they're saying that they thought architecture was an aesthetic practice until 2020. My training at Cornell has taught me that architecture is meant to be performative and that means it's not performative in terms of theatrical performance, but performative in terms of.

Being a productive agent for the people that are using it, performative in a sustainable way, just this exterior skin get back to the environment in harmony. Maybe not harm it as much, or, process clean air better performative for the individual in terms of what does this space

do for the individuals physically, emotionally, all of that. And in terms of design, I just think architects have a real responsibility to make sure their buildings are forming and being productive for their people. Forget about the forum. Obviously don't forget about the social aspects, but I think the social.

Aspects are tied in with, talking about performance and like real robust performance. So that's design and building cities, all of that in terms of business I'm reading let my people go surfing by the founder of Patagonia right now. And it's about how do you make a business, which is completely false.

Businesses tend to fall into this capitalist mindset, which is very much in conflict. Doing things that are good for the world or things that are good for the environment. And so now I'm thinking a lot about how do you build a business that, that produces these buildings for people? There's kind of two phases to it and I don't have all the answers yet, but that's something I'm trying to read up a lot on is how do you build a responsible business that does.

More good than harm and hopefully no harm at all. And then finally with Madam architect, it's a huge responsibility to making, to make sure to spotlight people that are doing great work and responsible work, and they're being good stewards of the environment and, kind to other people. And I feel the responsibility in that way very much.

Eva Hartling: And why do you think women and nonbinary people make great architects? What do you see? Something that maybe you bring or that colleagues bring to the role? And we can extend that to, designers and so on, but yeah, what are some

Julia Gamolina: Let's see. There's so much I can say to this question. It's also so simple. I think just in general, people that are deciding our world should be very reflective of the people in our world. And people are talking about this very much in kind of popular culture in terms of empowerment. You see who's running for positions now for house and Senate, in it made it, it states.

And that's what everyone's talking about. We need people in there that are representative of the people that are. And it's the same for designers. And so I, in terms of women and nonbinary people and why they make good architects, I think ultimately it all comes down to empathy and lived experience, and you can much better design having lived a lot of these things then obviously if you haven't.

And so I just think a healthy mix of everyone, men, women, nonbinary individuals, all these different things. Working together will make for the boat for the best-built environment period.

Eva Hartling: Great. I love that. And I wrote down those words the way the first part of your answer was I think for very important people who design our world needs.

Represent our world and reflect our world. What would be the usual cliche question, but what would be your advice or your tips for a young woman or a nonbinary person? Starting out in a field similar.

Julia Gamolina: Yeah, no, that you were so unique and nobody in the world has the same combination of lived experiences as you do.

And that is your power. That is what you bring to the table that is your expertise. When you start in the profession, people telling you, oh, you have no experience. That is complete jealousy because you will have had. Over 20 years by that point of lived experience, maybe of living in different places and getting to know people all around the world, or maybe being brought up in a certain community of writers or artists, or, whatever it is that other people don't have, even if they're from the same town, even though they're from the same neighborhood.

they don't have the same family like you are so unique and special, and again, that is your superpower. So when people talk about finding your voice or knowing your value, that is where all that comes from, it's from the experiences that you've lived, what you've seen, and what you know. And there is no one else that has that.

So I advise anyone to just know that's. Where their strengths are coming from.

Eva Hartling: Good advice. And my favorite question to always ask guests on the show is, what do you wish women or nonbinary people would do less of? Because we often, I used to ask, what do you wish they would do more of, but it's been brought up that we already do so much in this world.

So I've changed the way I phrase the

Julia Gamolina: question. I'm trying to think of how to best articulate this. I saw a lot of young women coming up and I totally do this myself too. And I think, you know what I'm talking about, it's the nervous giggle at the end of you know exactly what I'm talking about

it, somebody will make a statement.

So valid and so true and an important statement to make. And then they'll giggle at the end too I don't know, you know exactly what I'm saying it's to and it takes away immediately from the confidence behind that statement from, the truth behind that statement somehow.

And so I, again, I used to do this. I hope I don't anymore. I think I still sometimes do, depending on who I'm speaking to. So I'm now actively working on it. Again, what I had just said about your uniqueness and your strengths coming from your lived experience that no one else has. The things that you were saying are very very valid and they're not to be diminished by yourself or anybody else.

And even if it seems, for some reason, silly or inappropriate to somebody else, again, they're not coming from something. They're not coming to something from the same context that you are. There's no such thing as a stupid question. There's no such thing as a, your take and just, you have you're taking your questions and that's it.

And you don't stand by that. I just did that every single,

Eva Hartling: but this and this it's a safe space. You're allowed in here. It, I equate that to a smiley phase or exclamation multiple exclamation points in an email. When we're saying something that's, it has merit. It stands on its own.

And then why do we feel the need to add like that little thing at the end? Exactly. A hundred percent. So that's a good one. Thank you so much, Julius. We'll follow Madame architect and

I keep up with all of your great content and we've got a few things we're working on together, so very much looking forward to that.

Thank you so much for speaking with me

Julia Gamolina: today. Thank you, Eva.

Eva Hartling: I really hope you enjoy today's conversation.

And if you did, as always, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and give us a review wherever that is possible. Thank you to TD bank group women entrepreneurs, further support of The Brand is Female. You've got it in you to succeed. Let TD help guide you. Visit The Brand is Female dot com slash podcast and click on the TD logo.

Thank you for listening. I'll be back in a week with a new guest. Thank you so much for listening to a podcast by The Brand is Female I'm Eva Hartling. And this episode was produced by our team sound engineering by Isabel Morris, research and production support, Claire Miglionico marketing and digital growth, Kayla, Gillis and partnerships, Natalie hope.