Sarah P. Harkness facts for kids

Sarah (Sally) Pillsbury Harkness (July 8, 1914 – May 22, 2013) was an amazing American architect. She helped start a famous architecture company called The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was one of only two women among seven young architects who teamed up with Walter Gropius in 1945.

Sally was a true inspiration for women in architecture throughout her long career. She believed strongly in making buildings that everyone could use easily and that were good for the environment. She shared these important ideas when she was the President of the Boston Society of Architects in 1985.

Early Life and Learning

Sarah Pillsbury was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts, but everyone called her Sally. Her father, Samuel Hale Pillsbury, was a lawyer.

Sally went to the Winsor School. She then studied architecture at the Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, which was connected to Smith College. She earned her master's degree in 1940.

In 1941, she married John "Chip" Cheesman Harkness. He also helped start TAC. Sally and Chip had seven children together!

Sally wrote books like "Sustainable Design for Two Maine Islands." She also helped write "The Architects Collaborative Encyclopedia of Architecture." Her important papers are kept at the International Archive of Women in Architecture.

She lived in Lexington, Massachusetts, in a special neighborhood called Six Moon Hill. TAC, her company, designed this community. Bates College gave Sally an honorary degree in 1974.

In 1979, Sally was chosen as a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. This is a high honor for architects. She was a licensed architect in both Massachusetts and Tennessee.

Amazing Buildings She Designed

Sally Harkness was the main designer for many cool buildings. Here are some of them:

• The Olin Arts Center and Ladd Library at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
• The Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
• An addition to the Art School at the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts.
• The C. Thurston Chase Learning Center at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
• She was also a co-partner in charge of designing the Six Moon Hill community in Lexington, Massachusetts.
• She led the design of the Independent Study Unit (Carrel) for the Bedford Middle School in Mount Kisco, New York.

Awards and Honors

Sally Harkness received many awards for her excellent work:

• 1941: A prize from The Boston Society of Architects.
• 1967: The American Association of School Administrators Award for the design of the Fox Lane Middle School.
• 1967: An Honor Award from The American Institute of Architects for the Chase Learning Center at Eaglebrook School.
• 1987: The American School and University of Louis I. Kahn Citation for the Olin Arts Center at Bates College.
• 1991: An Award of Honor from The Boston Society of Architects.

Independent Study Units

Sally Harkness helped design special "Carrels" for Bedford Middle School. The main idea was to give each student their own private space to study. These spaces included a study area, a place to eat, and even coat storage.

Not all students got a Carrel. The school decided that two-thirds of the students would have one, and one-third would not. This was because they thought some students might not be ready for so much independence.

The Carrels were placed next to storage units. Students could choose to work with a classmate or by themselves. They could do this by opening a door on their storage unit. For lunch, tables could be moved and joined together. This created enough space for six students to eat, including those without a Carrel. The Carrels also had screens that could divide students into groups. All student belongings, like coats, were kept in their Carrel.

Work and Being a Mom

Sarah P. Harkness and Jean B. Fletcher were the only two women who helped start TAC. Both were mothers. Sally had seven children, and Jean had six!

These two amazing women worked together to create a schedule that allowed them to work at the company and also take care of their children. They worked half days. Jean would work in the morning, and Sally would work in the afternoon. They even shared the same babysitter! This shows how dedicated they were to both their careers and their families.