Episode 133: Elizabeth Coit
Elisabeth “Betty” Coit, born in Winchester, Massachusetts, in 1892, was a pioneering architect and housing reformer. Encouraged by her architect father, she studied at Radcliffe and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts before earning a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from MIT in 1919. After briefly working for her father, she joined Grosvenor Atterbury’s New York firm, where she was exposed to innovative ideas in low-cost housing and standardized construction.
In the mid-1920s, took a year in Paris to study art and ceramics before returning to New York to establish her own practice. Her early independent work included private homes—often commissioned by women—as well as restaurants and offices. She also built a cabin for herself and companion Eleanor Duncan, which earned recognition in a national housing competition.
Betty’s greatest legacy came from her dedication to affordable housing. Inspired by European models she studied firsthand, she became active in the National Public Housing Conference, advocating for designs that reflected residents’ actual needs rather than middle-class ideals. Awarded the AIA Langley Fellowship in 1937, she traveled extensively across the U.S. to study housing projects, publishing influential reports such as Notes on the Design and Construction of Dwelling Units for the Lower Income Family and Housing from the Tenant’s Viewpoint.
During World War II, Betty became Technical Standards Editor for the Federal Public Housing Authority, and in 1948 she was appointed Principal Project Planner for the New York City Housing Authority. There she oversaw major housing initiatives, including the Bronx River Houses, integrating tenant-centered design features.
Even after retiring in 1962, Betty remained active in professional organizations, preservation efforts, and advocacy for women in architecture. She passed away in 1987 at age 94. Her career was defined by a conviction that architecture should serve people first, particularly working-class families, and by her insistence that women had a vital role in shaping the built environment.
Caryatid: Catherine Hernandez
Catherine, originally from South Central Los Angeles, is an architect whose work bridges design, community advocacy, and policy. With a strong background in community organizing and housing justice, she leads her own studio dedicated to creating affordable housing and public spaces that serve neighborhoods often excluded from development. Her practice is grounded in the belief that design can be a catalyst for social, economic, and physical change, particularly in historically marginalized communities.
Beyond her studio work, Catherine collaborates with tenant unions, grassroots organizers, and policy advocates across Southern California to advance equitable housing initiatives. She is also deeply involved with Design As Protest, a national collective that challenges the design and architecture industries to confront their role in systemic harm to Black communities and to pursue practices that prioritize justice and accountability.
Equally committed to education, Catherine mentors the next generation of designers through teaching, workshops, summer programs, and portfolio reviews. By helping young people see the potential of architecture as a tool for change, she encourages them to envision—and build—healthier, more equitable communities.
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This transcript was prepared during the development of the episode.
Final recorded episode may deviate slightly from the content presented below as changes, edits, or improvements may be made during the recording and editing process.
References
“1970s — Articles — Now What?! Advocacy, Activism and Alliances in American Architecture Since 1968.” Now What?! Advocacy, Activism & Alliances in American Architecture Since 1968, 27 Nov. 2018, www.nowwhat-architexx.org/articles/tag/1970s#:~:text=Feminist%20design%20practice%20began%20to%20focus%20on,in%201979%20as%20a%20response%20to%20a.
Coit, Elisabeth. dna.bwaf.org/architect/coit-elisabeth?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Pioneering Women of American Architecture. pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/elisabeth-coit/#:~:text=Elisabeth%20Coit%20%281892%E2%80%931987%29,to%20the%20preferences%20of%20tenants.
Reggev, Kate. “Breaking New Ground: She Builds (and Hammers, and Walks Beams, and Lays Brick) — Madame Architect.” Madame Architect, 30 Mar. 2022, www.madamearchitect.org/in-ink/2022/3/29/breaking-new-ground-she-builds-and-hammers-and-walks-beams-and-lays-brick..
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