Edith Burnet Hughes

Vocation

Scottish architect, and is considered Britain's first practising woman architect, having established her own architecture firm in 1920. She was the niece of the architect Sir John Burnet. She married her fellow architect, Thomas Hughes. Thomas and Edith Hughes were refused a place in Burnet's London office, partly because there was no female lavatory. However, the couple joined Burnet's Glasgow office, becoming partners in 1919. Disagreement with another partner led to both the Hughes departing the following year, to take up teaching at the Glasgow School of Art, where Edith later became head of architecture. She set up her own practice in Glasgow in 1920. In 1927, she became the first woman nominated for membership of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). However, RIBA's legal advisers stated that a woman could not be elected. She was similarly denied access to the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Link to Wikipedia