About The AIAPrograms & Initiatives
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Diversity and Inclusion remains a top priority of the American Institute of Architects as we continue to equip our members with the tools and resources needed to remain competitive and relevant within a changing global marketplace. Click here to read more about our Diversity and Inclusion definitions and policies.
Highlights
AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture Selected as Honoree for 2012 AIA Diversity Recognition Program The AIA Diversity Recognition Program jury has selected AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture as the 2012 honoree. Jurors were most impressed with AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture’s variety of programs and events; its three-pronged focus on education, the community, and the profession; and the relative ease that its initiatives could be duplicated in chapters and firms across the country. “The AIA Diversity Recognition Program showcases how different folks design the processes that meet their needs,” writes 2011 and 2012 juror Clarence Kwan, AIA. “Hopefully, others can learn from these examples and implement their own plans.”
Join us for an exciting lineup of Diversity and Inclusion events at this year’s AIA national convention. Highlights include: David Ajaye, Hon. AIA, and Phil Freelon, FAIA speaking at EV406 Celebrating Culture and Diversity in Architecture about the new National Museum of African American History and Culture Special guest Robby Gregg, National Director of Equality and Diversity Partnerships for Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) at EV319 LGBT Reception AIAS Vice President Laura Meador, Assoc. AIA, with Dina Griffin, AIA, and Suman Sorg, FAIA, at EV203 Women in Architecture Dinner A viewing of “Master Builders of the Nation’s Capital,” a documentary featuring the biographies and histories of African-American architects in Washington, DC
The AIA remains committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the organization and the profession; and we are pleased to welcome our 2012 appointees to the AIA Diversity Council. This year’s Council will be chaired by Wendy Ornelas, FAIA, and Miguel del Rio, AIA. Areas of focus for the Council will continue to include women within the profession, multiculturalism, and pathways to the profession. Additional Council members include: John Padilla, AIA (Ex Officio); Tamarah Begay, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP; Melissa Daniel, Assoc. AIA; Donna deJongh, AIA, CSI, NCARB; Gabriel Durand-Hollis, FAIA; Carmen Pérez García, Hon. AIA; Valerie Hassett, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP bd+c; Jaki Jefferson; Judson Kline, FAIA, LEED AP; Brian McAlexander, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP; Joyce Raspa-Gore, AIA, Esq.; Curtis Sartor, Jr., PhD, Min. Assoc. AIA, NOMA; Amy Slattery, AIA.
Diversity and Inclusion Celebrates Black History Month Join us as we recognize the contributions that African-American architects have made to the profession and the built environment. Featured architects include Norma Merrick Sklarek, FAIA. She was the first African American woman to be licensed as an architect in New York and California, in 1954 and 1962 respectively; the first African American woman member of the AIA in 1959; the first African American woman to be elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 1980; and the first woman to receive the AIA Whitney Young Award in 2008. She passed away on Monday, February 6, 2012; her obituary can be read on the Los Angeles Times web site.
Two Years After the Quake, New Community Designs Take Shape In Haiti “The city is a legacy of architecture without architects, engineering without engineers, and buildings without builders,” says Patrick Delatour, Haiti’s former minister of tourism, and now chair of the Haitian Presidential Commission for Reconstruction. He is referring to Port-au-Prince, a city built for 250,000 with a population now nearing 3 million. It grew without master planning, strong building codes, or the seismic-tested materials needed to withstand the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that leveled much of the Haitian capital on Jan. 12, 2010. Now, nearing the two-year anniversary of the quake, Delatour, a preservation architect, is working with other architects to re-envision and rebuild Port-au-Prince and other nearby Haitian cities close to the quake epicenter.
Mortimer M. Marshall Jr., FAIA Awarded the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award The American Institute of Architects Board of Directors bestowed the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award on Mortimer Marshall Jr., FAIA, for his continued dedication to the profession and his approach to architecture as a vehicle for leadership and service. Established in 1972, the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award has honored architects and organizations that exemplify the profession’s proactive social mandate, ranging from issues such as affordable housing, minority inclusiveness, and access for persons with disabilities. The award is named after the civil rights-era head of the Urban League who confronted head-on the AIA’s absence of socially progressive advocacy at the 1968 AIA National Convention.
The STEMconnector™ Project is a free resource that aims to bridge the gap between STEM organizations and to increase communication and collaboration in the STEM community. Visit the STEMconnector™ web page for more information.
The American Institute of Architects has launched its Stalled Projects Database, where industry leaders can connect with investors and re-start projects nationwide that make solid economic sense but which lack the financing needed to be finished. Find out more about how you can get involved.
The AIA Board Diversity Council, as a goal for 2011, is compiling and documenting the history of diversity and inclusion at AIA and within the profession. The comprehensive diversity histories timeline will feature cultural trailblazers and signature moments and events along AIA’s path toward a more diverse and inclusive profession. This web site, initiated by Marga Rose Hancock, former Executive Director of AIA Seattle, also includes an open survey to help elicit additional information from members of AIA, NOMA, and other related organizations. Visit the Then+Now+NEXT web page for more information about this long-term project and to complete the survey.
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Mark Your Calendar
Beyond the ADA: Residential Universal Design | May 9, 2012, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | U.S. News STEM Solutions | June 27-29 | Dallas, TX (Enter Promo Code AIAR006 when registering) NOMA 2012 Conference and 40th Anniversary Celebration | October 18-20 | Detroit, MI
Featured Story
BWAF, now celebrating its 10th year, is dedicated to advancing knowledge about the contributions women have made and continue to make in shaping the American built environment. Diversity and Inclusion Celebrates Women’s History Month Join us as we recognize the contributions that women architects have made to the profession and the built environment. Featured architects and organizations include the Beverly Willis Foundation, begun in 2002, by Beverly Willis, FAIA. BWAF, now celebrating its 10th year, is dedicated to advancing knowledge about the contributions women have made and continue to make in shaping the American built environment. It is the only foundation in the U.S. with this mission.
Architect Barbie Workshop Toolkit Ready for Download Interested in sharing the profession with the next generation? Why not host an Architect Barbie Workshop in your community? The Architect Barbie Workshop Toolkit contains a step-by-step guide to setting up a workshop, as well as sample documents and activities that can be tailored to your specific event. Firms, components, and individual members are all encouraged to host a workshop. Download your Architect Barbie Workshop Toolkit today!
News One Perspective on Universal Design: Philip Rubin, Assoc. AIA
Diversity and Inclusion Awards AIA Diversity Recognition Program
Featured Pages LGBT Resources Page Tools and Resources AIA Resources
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Meet the AIA Diversity Council
Get Involved AIA Diversity Recognition Program
Podcasts
AARRIS Architects Design Build Team is a Finalist in the “Building Back Better Communities for Haiti” Competition (BBBC)
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