Elise Woodward AIA, of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, and Jill Medvedow, honorary BSA member and director of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), were honored at Build Boston on November 13th for their contributions to the arts, the design professions, the building industry, and the communities they serve. The two leaders were the guests of honor at the eighth annual awards program hosted by the Boston Society of Architects' Women In Design (WID) Network.
Woodward was the second woman architect at Shepley Bulfinch when she joined in 1981 and the third to be named a principal, Woodward served for six years on its five-member board of directors, four as board chair. Her experience directing and shaping science, education, and healthcare projects has included healthcare and academic science and research buildings.
Under Medvedow's leadership, the ICA in 1999 won civic designation to build a new museum of contemporary art on Boston's waterfront and selected Diller Scofidio + Renfro as the architects to design an iconic architectural presence. In December 2006, the ICA opened to local, national, and international acclaim. Medvedow is a founding board member of Americans for Libraries Council, and she serves on the national advisory boards for "Arts 21" and the National Arts and Learning Curriculum.
The WID Network, sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects (BSA), is a community of women in the design professions, at all levels, in all roles, who come together for discussion, fellowship, and exchange of design and professional practice ideas.