Built Barriers

Every day, women move through streets, homes, workplaces and public spaces that were not designed with their needs or safety in mind. It might be a badly lit underpass, a lack of step-free access for those in wheelchairs or with prams, or an overlooked detail that turns a simple journey into a daily challenge.

Our #BuiltBarriers campaign created a national visual archive of the everyday design decisions that exclude, limit or undermine women’s ability to navigate the world comfortably and safely. By documenting these barriers, the campaign uncovered how deeply gender‑biased design is embedded in the built environment, building an evidence base for meaningful change.

We invited the public, along with those working across architecture, planning, engineering and design, to capture the everyday barriers they encountered.

These contributions are now informing the next phase of the work: identifying global best‑practice examples, celebrating inclusive design, and developing policy‑focused solutions.

One photo, one barrier, one story at a time.

  • A network built before accessibility was considered. Leaving those with prams and mobility needs to navigate longer, costlier, and more complicated journeys.

  • Six basins, one height. Designed for neither children nor wheelchair users, sending a clear message that this space was not built for everyone.

  • Poor lighting design across estates and parks fails to illuminate routes safely, can blind or spotlight your movements, creating spaces that feel unsafe.

View the Gallery

Events

Thanks to our wonderful speakers and everyone who joined our events! The Built Barriers campaign launched in March 2025 at Roca London Gallery with a lively Pecha Kucha-style conversation featuring speakers sharing real‑world examples of everyday obstacles women face.

Later in December, we partnered with Festival of Place for an online workshop that brought people together to explore the barriers highlighted through the campaign, with talks and interactive activities that encouraged shared learning and collaboration.

Now, the second phase of Built Barriers turns challenge into action, bringing people together in a series of events to collectively reimagine and redesign the spaces that have for too long been built without us in mind.

Coffey Architects Teamwork Case Study

What does a ‘barrier’ look like in your everyday environment?

At Coffey Architects, Associate Director Margaret Ravenscroft turned this question into a simple but powerful team exercise as part of the Built Barriers campaign.

“We held an informal lunchtime chat — no slides, no agenda — just space to share what we’d noticed in our surroundings. From poor lighting to awkward layouts and under-considered details, the barriers came quickly once we started talking.”

— Margaret Ravenscroft, Coffey Architects

Each team member was then invited to submit one image and a short caption describing a barrier they’d seen or experienced. The result? A collaborative studio submission, shared with Part W and amplified through the practice’s own channels.

“People felt they could contribute even if they weren’t usually vocal on this topic. And submitting as a group took the pressure off.”

Selected Press

Architects’ Journal
Built Barriers: A gallery of obstacles facing women daily

Building Design
Part W launches campaign to highlight gendered barriers

Architecture Today
Dispatches from Part W: Yẹmí Aládérun and Zoë Berman

“This is about experiences we have in person, critiquing the reality of the built environment – rather than disappearing into the digital sphere. This way we can understand the physical and also emotional responses to real places and spaces. We do not want people to put themselves in uncomfortable or dangerous environments, but draw attention to the everyday frustrations.”

— Zoë Berman, Founder of Part W