Women's Development Corporation Records Women's Development Corporation Records, 1979-2015 Ms.2016.012

Women's Development Corporation Records, 1979-2015 Ms.2016.012


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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

Michelle Noceto, Samantha Winn

Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Identification
Ms.2016.012
Title
Women's Development Corporation Records 1979-2015
Quantity
8.5 Cubic Feet, Three records boxes, three small flat boxes, one large flat box, one roll of drawings, one large flat folder of drawings, 16 foam board presentation panels.
Creator
Women's Development Corporation (R.I.)
Language
English .
Abstract
The Women's Development Corporation (WDC) is a Rhode Island based housing developer and non-profit founded by a group of architects, designers, community planners, and historic preservation professionals. These records document select activities of the WDC from 1979-2015.

Administrative Information

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Women's Development Corporation Records must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Women's Development Corporation Records, Ms2016-012, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Women's Development Corporation Records were donated to Special Collections in 2016.

Historical Note

The Women's Development Corporation (WDC) is a non-profit housing developer in Rhode Island. The WDC was founded in 1979 by a group of architects, designers, community planners, and historic preservation professionals. The founders included Susan Aitcheson (Program Director, Vice President from 1979-2012, and President from 2012-2016), Katrin Adam, and Joan Forrester Sprague. Alma Felix Green was the first Executive Director in 1980 and retired as President in 2014. The WDC designs, develops, constructs, and manages sustainable housing for low and moderate income families, individuals with special needs, and elderly residents. Between 1979 and 2016, the WDC had developed over 1600 housing units.

Additional sources: http://www.wdchoc.org/about-wdc http://www.wdchoc.org/FAQ

Content Description

These records document select activities of the Women's Development Corporation (WDC) of Rhode Island from 1979-2015. Materials include professional correspondence from WDC staff to peers, funding agencies, politicians, and clients; commendations received by the WDC; research notes and reports; administrative records, including meeting minutes and bylaws; public relations materials; press coverage by and about the WDC; project documentation, including design sketches, presentation drawings, photographs, and planning materials; audio-visual recordings; electronic records on DVD; and furniture models used in the participatory design planning process.

Arrangement

This collection was arranged with respect to the original order and the Shephered/Lowell Standard Series and Subseries for Architeture and Landscape Design. The collection reflects the following series and subseries:

Series I: Photographs
Series II: Professional Papers
Subseries A: Correspondence related to the profession
Subseries B: Awards, certificates
Subseries C: Research Notes and Data Collection
Subseries D: Files, articles, clipping, materials
Subseries E: Women's School of Planning and Architecture
Series III: OFfice Records
Subseries A: Administrative articles, bylaws, meetings
Subseries B: Housing Planning Group Meetings, 1980
Subseries C: Public Relations Activity
Subseries D: Published Materials
Subseries E: Exercises and analysis
Series IV: Project Records
Series V: Participatory Design Workshop, 1990
Series VI: Aduiovisual and Electronic Media
Series VII: Exhibits and Artifacts

Separated Material

Separated materials consist of books relevant to the firm's ideals preceding the work, with subjects covering aspects such as participatory design, guides to low-income housing design, housing for Low-Income single women, different types of households, and cohousing.

Titles:

New Households, New Housing , Karen A. Franck, Sherry Ahrentzen
Singular Women: Housing for Low-Income Single Women Without Dependents. Ann Forsyth
Participatory Design. Theory and Techniques. Henry Sanoff.
A Practical Guide to Low-and Moderate-Income Housing. Charles Edison and Bruce Lane

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Container List

SERIES I: Photographs
English.
Scope and Contents

Contains photographs of Susan Aitcheson's retirement, 2015.

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SERIES II: Professional Papers
Scope and Contents

The Professional Papers series consists of material relating WDC's great effort to gather funding and support from several organizations and institutions to fund and subsidize housing for low income women and families. This is supported by correspondence, research notes, reference files related to both the profession and the role of women in architecture. Particular attention was given to the WSPA - Women's School of Planning and Architecture, with related correspondence, publicity, awards.

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SERIES III: Office Records
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SERIES IV : Project Records
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SERIES V: Participatory Design Workshop
1980
Scope and Contents

This series comprises conceptual sketches, fabric and paint swatches, and planning activities from the WDC's original 1980 participatory design workshop with low-income women. The series also includes prototype floorplans produced by Susan Aitcheson after the workshop.

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SERIES VI: Audiovisual and Electronic Media
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SERIES VII: Exhibits and Artifacts
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