Interview of Renée Gailhoustet, laureate 2014 of the Prize of Women Architects, in special mention pionneer. The Long version of the video is available her : Long version
For ARVHA she answered to those questions :

  • How did you start your career?
  • You constructed a lot for social land ford, including in the Region Ile-de-France (Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis, Ivry), you really did a career on the social housing.
  • You were in a thought-movement of people who think the housing and the city in another way. The form of housing that you created was revolutionary for the 70’s- 80’s.
  • You were the head-architect of Ivry; you were with Mr. Renaudie then alone, you had your own agency. Was it a small or a big agency? You worked with 5 people, how many housing did you do ?
  • The architect profession evolves, there is more and more women. What do you think of the feminisation of the profession ?
  • It’s you who make Mr. Renaudie came to Ivry, however people know better Mr. Renaudie than you.
  • The urban mixity with the fact to conceive all the buildings and equipments in the same spaces is important to you.
  • You’ve been awarded in 2014 the special mention of the Jury of the Prize of Women Architects for your all work, is there women architects that you want to see participate to the Prize of Women Architects ?
  • A message for the young generation ?
  • You were a member of the architecture academy. Is there a lot of women at the architecture academy ?
  • You were also a professor to the Special school. Why did you stop? Did you have other significant experience in the institutions ?
  • How was the mix between professional life and personal life? Did you have to affirm yourself constantly? Was it a struggle? You, as a woman, alone, chief of an agency, was is a possible life ?
  • Any bad memory of this life, colleagues, who were a bit difficult ?
  • How were you perceived in this profession ?
  • It was an era when the architecture made everything: plans, technical plans, and the follow of the building site. Today, we get the impression that the architect is doing less.