Friends of Winthrop Library Spotlight: The Women Behind the Architecture

This originally appeared in the Friends of Winthrop Library Newsletter on March 22, 2023.

This month, the Winthrop Library is celebrating Women's history! The theme chosen this year by the National Women's History Alliance is "Women Who Tell Our Stories," and you'll see books (and some movies) on display all over the library that tell all kinds of stories. [The librarians] Ree and Alison had a lot of fun choosing materials, and they hope you enjoy the selection!

margo peterson-aspholm of prentiss balance wickline architects with mary johnston, co-founder of ja / image by peter houston for friends of winthrop library

In the newsletter, we decided to continue the celebration by taking a behind the scenes look at the four women architects who designed our Winthrop Library. The super women pictured here, Margo Peterson-Aspholm (left) and Mary Johnston (right), along with Mona Johnston Zellers and Siyao Zhang, together with the community, the Town of Winthrop, NCW Libraries and FOWL, established the vision and design of this architecturally recognized building, most recently featured by World Architects as their United States Building of the Week and in Green Building & Design magazine.

Of the 152,775 architects in the United States, only 25% are licensed women. With those numbers, it's a delight that four women architects played significant roles in the visioning and design of the Winthrop Library.

Mary Johnston, Margo Peterson-Aspholm, Mona Zellers and Siyao Zhang come from diverse backgrounds, with different paths to architecture. What they share is a passion for beautiful design and excitement about the Winthrop Library.


 

How did you get into architecture?

 

mona johnston zellers with her mother, mary, long before she realized she wanted to be an architect / photo courtesy of the johnston family

Mona: I am the daughter of two architects, so you might assume that architecture was something I always wanted to do - but it really wasn’t. My experience of architecture growing up was mostly sitting in the car, in the cold, waiting for my parents to finish walking job sites. It seemed very un-glamorous. I didn’t realize how well suited I was to the profession until after college. I had majored in biology and minored in art at Colorado College, and after undergrad I was trying to find a career path that allowed me to exercise the parts of my brain that were drawn to those disciplines. It turned out that architecture was exactly that. A couple of years ago I finally joined my parents at their firm (Johnston Architects), and now I’m the one hauling my son to job sites.

Mary: I came to architecture through a side door. I was an English major in undergraduate school and very much NOT a STEM person. But I could use language to tell a story and in time learned the language of architecture to tell different kinds of stories. I think I always had a visual imagination and it was thrilling to discover that what I could think up could actually exist in the world and create positive experiences for other people.


What your journey been as a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and what have you learned?

 

siyao was recently promoted to associate at ja / photo by av goodsell

Margo: In architecture school, there is a balance of male and female students. In the work world, however, only 25% of licensed architects are female. It is very surprising, especially because I think women bring such crucial perspective to design teams. I have always valued my male colleagues but I have had to learn, as a project manager, to be very clear about when I am open to discussion or when I simply need something to be done as directed. A high point for me would be working on projects that tap into traditionally “feminine” strengths, in which commitment to family and community informs the design… Little Star Montessori and the Library are good examples.

Siyao: Based on my experience at school and at work, a lot of women are really good at STEM subjects and have their own distinct strengths in both the ways of thinking and executing in related fields. Gender does not determine one’s abilities to study or pursue a profession in STEM at all.

Mary: Learnings? So many! Even after a 35 year career I learn things every day. It is hard sometimes to see that a project did not turn out exactly as you envisioned it, but then you have to remember that architecture and building is a collaborative art and no one person has complete control, nor should they.


 

What advice do you have for your younger self and young women exploring architecture?

 
 

mary johnston with her daughter mona, now a partner at johnston architects / photo by av goodsell

Mona: Architecture is important because it defines the spaces that we live our lives in, where we connect with people, where we forge community. And it’s important to have diversity in the field so that diverse perspectives are taken into consideration when those spaces are designed and built. The profession includes its challenges, but it is incredibly fulfilling to watch a project come to life.

Siyao: You definitely have a place in the architecture field and there’re many people within and beyond this profession who support and value you without bias.

Mary: Understand your worth and your strengths, stand up for yourself and have confidence in your abilities. You belong in the room!


Lastly, tell us about the Winthrop Library project - what do you love about it?

Margo: I love the Methow Valley so much! I thought I would die if an amazing, impactful project like the library happened in my community and I was not involved. It was exciting to team with Johnston Architects and learn about the unique needs of a library project, as well as contribute my skills in design and construction administration. It was also exciting to partner with a predominantly female institution such as NCW Libraries.

Whenever I pass by the library, I think: “What a miracle we pulled this off!” The library reinforces what I already knew about the generosity of our community. - Margo Peterson-Aspholm

Mona: As members of a community, it’s sometimes hard to sense the connectedness or the scale of that community until you are faced with a big, daunting project. The Library was that kind of project, and I think it made everyone, including me, feel the depth and the breadth of support and connectedness that exists in the Valley. The library connects people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, and across the socio-economic spectrum in a way that few other places or events do.

I’m so grateful as an architect to see how the Library was warmly welcomed by the community since the design phase, and their passion to contribute to better shaping this new community hub. - Siyao Zhang

Mary: I love the Winthrop Library because it certainly is a reflection of what the community needed and wanted, but it was also a surprise. I’m not sure that patrons expected it to be so uplifting and beautiful. It’s really an aspirational building.

I want the community to say ‘This is a wonderful building…and we deserve it!” - Mary Johnston