Barbara Woodward took classes in architecture as an undergraduate at the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated in 1949, after which time she occupied various positions in the architectural field. One of her early positions was in a San Francisco construction firm that built a naval hospital on Guam. Later she worked as a Junior Architect and then as a Senior Architect at Kaisers Engineers during the building of an aluminum plant in Chalmette, Louisiana. After taking time off to start and raise a family, Woodward returned to the architectural field and worked on residential working drawings at the firm of two former classmates. At this point, she began a career in residential remodeling design, which proceeded to span from 1966 to 1991. As a residential remodeling designer, Woodward's projects included kitchen and bath remodels, interior and exterior renovations, as well as room and second story additions. Her clients were initially comprised of her neighbors, and eventually came to include those who were referred by other clients and contractors. Woodward eventually ceased her work as a residential remodeling designer in 1991.