Gertrude Leverkus was the first woman to graduate from the Bartlett School of Architecture, using her skills to design pupose-built safe spaces, and support careers, for women in the capital.
Walk through London and you’ll be sure to spot the impact of Gertrude Leverkus (1898 – 1989) – a groundbreaking architect whose work to develop purpose-built spaces for women can still be felt in the city today.
Born 1898 in Oldenberg, Germany, Gertrude moved with her family to Britain as a child, later becoming a naturalised British citizen.
She enrolled at UCL in 1916 to study architecture during the war alongside only two other women. She was the only woman to complete the course, taking her final exams alongside 500 men, and becoming the first woman to be awarded an Architecture BA from the prestigious Bartlett School of Architecture in 1919.
After graduation, while working as an architect, Gertrude continued evening classes at UCL in order to gain her Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) membership. She was one of its first women members and later became the second woman to be elected a fellow of RIBA.
The greatest drawback [to women architects] is the lack of precedent, which makes it an extraordinary thing for a woman to be entrusted with large important work.
After graduation, while working as an architect, Gertrude continued evening classes at UCL in order to gain her Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) membership. She was one of its first women members and later became the second woman to be elected a fellow of RIBA.
The following year, she established the Women’s Committee of RIBA. The committee reported on gender representation and organised exhibitions of women’s professional work to increase their visibility in the sector. A 1935 Committee report showed that thirty firms of architects were “entirely run by women”, a tangible impact of Gertrude’s leadership.
Gertrude worked as architect for Women’s Pioneer Housing, converting 40 properties across London to provide single women with safe, independent and good quality accommodation.
In 1938, she designed an outpatient extension to the Annie McCall Maternity Hospital in Clapham, a project now recognised with Grade II listing for its architectural and social significance. After the war, she supported urban reconstruction in Crawley (Pound Hill), Harlow New Town and Swiss Cottage.
Gertrude Leverkus laid the foundations for a London that supported women to thrive as both builders and citizens of the city. We follow her lead, committed to shaping a capital that is open to all.
Sources and explore further
- Rebecca Spacen, Gertrude Leverkus: Architect, UCL Bartlett School of Architecture
- Gertrude Leverkus (1899 to 1976) | Architect, Historic England
- Lynne Walker, Golden Age or False Dawn? Women Architects in the Early 20th century
- Pioneering Design: Gertrude Leverkus, Women’s Pioneer Housing architect, Women’s Pioneer Housing.
