Men Who Design Women-oriented Spaces
Dear men who design women-oriented spaces,
I understand that you are immensely qualified for your architectural design/building/construction jobs. You probably have designed and built many amazing spaces throughout your long, illustrious careers. But I humbly beseech you to first seek a woman’s opinion the next time you are asked to design a space that is meant solely for women.
As a frequent occupant of my building’s mother’s room, I am quite grateful that the holders of the purse strings saw fit to remodel and update this room used by pumping mothers. It probably had been untouched since its construction over a decade ago. You have made the new room so much more environmentally friendly by putting the lights on timers and motion sensors, so they will use less electricity. It is unfortunate that the room’s occupants spend most of their time sedentary behind a curtain, completely hidden from the sensors. I have learned to flail wildly while bottles containing a precious liquid dangle precariously from my breasts, strategically avoiding the tubes connected to a device that must remain upright while in use.
The sleek, ivory wall-mounted table neatly aligned with the bottom of the electrical outlet embodies the trendy Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic. My six-feet tall husband would feel right at home working from this elevated desk, and would marvel that he had enough room underneath to cross his legs comfortably. I, however, have to raise my shoulders and bend my elbows awkwardly like some cartoon bird as I pour my pumped milk into one bottle, since the desktop hits my 5’3” frame at roughly boob-height when I’m seated.
Gone is the behemoth, black 1990’s looking fridge and freezer combo that used to dominate an entire corner of the room. In its place, a sleek unit that tucks tidily under the countertop. The perfect size for storing extra sodas and beer. I wonder where I should store my freezer pack now?
The masterfully designed curtained alcoves meet the legal requirements for mother’s rooms--they are both private and without toilets. Bonus points for cutting the sizes of the pumping stations in half--cozy and claustrophobic basically mean the same thing, right? There’s so much open floor space in the middle of the room now--enough for a couch for us to lounge on after a grueling pumping session?
A hearty congratulations to all of the men involved in the design and construction of this room. You have checked all of the boxes to fulfill your legal obligations to provide a room for pumping mothers. Nevermind that the room is nearly useless for its intended purpose--nursing mothers don’t really need to pump at work anyway.
Sincerely,
Nicole
P.S. Surveys are easy, and everyone knows women love sharing their opinions.
