Sexism Part 1

Architecture

When you think of sexism, does architecture immediately spring to mind?

No?

Read on...

As part of my job, I sometimes get to layout paging speakers on building plans. Know what I've discovered? The men's and women's bathrooms are nearly always the same size.

"So?" I hear you say, "How is that sexist? Surely, that's the very epitome of equality?"

"Aha!" is my answer to you. Due to the relative sizes of urinals versus bathroom stalls, you can get more fixtures per square foot in a men's bathroom than you can in a women's bathroom of the same size. Also, on average, men take less time in the bathroom than women do.

Still not convinced? Think about this: How many times have you seen a line outside the men's bathroom?

Sexism in architecture. It's out there, and it does no-one any good. So, all you architects, please consider this, and put in enough bathrooms for the girls!