Racial, ethnic, & gender equity at AIA
Harnessing the passion of our members and the broader design community, AIA is taking steps to advance racial justice and equity in our organization, our profession, and our communities.
Advancing racial justice & equity
AIA is committed to advancing racial justice and equity across architecture and design. We have no illusions about the scope of the challenge. Fully living up to our highest ideals and values won’t happen overnight, but neither can it wait another day. Read the AIA Board Statement on systemic racial justice >
AIA is advancing racial justice and equity in the following ways:
- Dismantle barriers within all AIA systems: governance, honors and awards, internal policies, vendor selection, hiring/retention, and any business practice that intentionally or unintentionally contributes to injustice and exclusion (policies, practices, and programs)
- Expand inclusiveness and diversity within the profession through K-12 and higher education engagements and advocate for effective pathways into the profession. Expand the participation of racially and ethnically diverse populations, women, and other underrepresented groups.
- Conduct training, enhance education and knowledge dissemination, and increase the number of high-quality new resources for the Board, staff, volunteers, and members.
- Ensure alignment with the AIA 2021-2025 strategic plan.
Questions regarding race and equity at AIA? Email us
AIA’s commitment to evaluation
Dismantle barriers within AIA institutional systems
Audit and change governance policies, by-laws and practices, appointment processes, honors and awards, media partnerships, internal policies, vendor selection, hiring/retention, and any other business practice that contributes to injustice and exclusion. Board adopts critical position statements and approves framework and direction on equity.
Anticipated outcomes
Barriers to inclusive participation are reduced and ultimately eliminated. AIA systems and positions support justice, equity, human rights, dignity, and inclusive participation.
2023 AIA Member Demographics Report
The overall membership trends in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups reflect the Architect member demographics, with growth among Asian, Black or African American, and Hispanic or Latina/o members. Read the report >
Honors & Awards review
In 2021, AIA conducted a review of its Honors & Awards programs to further foster justice and equality in our organization, in our profession, and in our communities.
Recommendations for implementation were reviewed and a task force was formed to begin to incorporate the changes.
Supporting and amplifying the work of our 98,000+ members involves partnering with hundreds of organizations from vendors to venues to affiliated professional groups. The vast majority of the companies and organizations we partner with do good work that aligns with our goals and values. However, when a partner operates in a way that fails to fulfill our expectations or uphold our values, it can reflect negatively on AIA and our members. We take such errors—intentional or unintentional—seriously, and we’ll be taking steps to ensure we partner with others who share our values.
Making connections & building bridges
Develop stronger connections to bridge workforce, equitable communities and climate action priorities.
Anticipated outcomes
Equity in workplace culture, communities and climate action are elevated to the highest level of priority within the AIA. Volunteers and staff work together collaboratively leveraging interdependencies.
As AIA seeks to enhance programs and initiatives that serve as gateways to opportunity and advancement within the profession. AIA has launched the second cohort of Next to Lead (Resolution 18-3) with an increased focus on the measurement and evaluation of program impact.
Diversify the profession & improve culture (ongoing)
Expand inclusiveness and diversity within the profession through early career awareness, K-12, and higher education engagements. Champion effective pathways into the profession working in partnership with ACSA, NAAB, NCARB, AIAS, NOMA, NOMAS, CCCAP and identity-based affinity groups and other partners. Collaborate in support of efforts that prioritize the participation of racially and ethnically diverse populations, women and other underrepresented groups within the profession.
Anticipated outcomes
Moving the needle after nearly 170 years of lag in the proportion of underrepresented demographic groups working and leading in the profession. AIA and the profession of architecture becomes reflective of U.S. demographics.
Equity focused resources
Where are the women? Measuring progress on gender in architecture
Learn how women are reflected through several avenues of the profession. This report was written by ACSA and it explores how women are represented beginning with education, to licensure, all the way to established professionals. The data also compares women and men in terms of honors, awards, and career milestones as practicing architects, designers, and academic personnel.
Where Are My People? Hispanic and LatinX in Architecture
Hispanic and Latinx in Architecture chronicles both societal and discipline-specific metrics in an effort to highlight the experiences of Hispanic and Latinx designers, architects, and educators.
National Museum of the American Indian: Essential Understandings
Explore the National Museum of the American Indian’s Framework for Essential Understandings, which outlines key concepts about the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Native Peoples. These concepts tell untold stories about American Indians that can expand your knowledge of history, geography, civics, economics, science, engineering, and other subject areas.
Visit the Smithsonian Latino Center to learn about Latinx history and culture, including an overview of influential Latinos, bilingual materials for the classroom, a virtual museum toolkit for educators, and more.
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is a museum without walls, presenting history, art, and culture through digital initiatives. Visit their site to attend their new educational web series breaking down Asian Pacific American bias, or to explore the digital storytelling initiative that presents and preserves Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander stories, plus much more.
National Museum of American History: LGBTQ History
LGBTQ+ history is a part of American history that the National Museum of American History has been documenting since its founding. Explore the museum's online resources, news releases, exhibitions, and collections.
National Museum of American History: Disability Rights Movement
The National Museum of American History explores the Disability Rights Movement, looking at the efforts of people with disabilities, plus their family and friends, to secure civil rights guaranteed to all Americans.
#BlackLivesMatter: What Matters
What Matters combines documentary narrative with interviews to illuminate specific, timely issues, aiming to create safe dialogue to promote freedom, justice, and collective liberation. What Matters is a salve and a safe place where we can connect, learn, think freely, and transform the world.
National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking About Race
Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture's website for resources on race, including a history on the foundations of race, addressing bias, and community building.
Explore the NCARB’s annual report, which highlights key insights into data long the path to licensure, diversity in the profession, and more.
When Architecture and Racial Injustice Intersect (Architectural Digest)
This Architectural Digest article details the work that the National Trust for Historic Preservations' African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is doing to preserve Black history.
Where are my people? Black in Architecture
A part of a research series, "Where are My People? Black in Architecture investigates the intersection of race and academia specifically through the architecture lens. This report written by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) provides data to illustrate the impact of systemic racism throughout history and how it reflects today.
AIA Guides for Equitable Practice
The Guides for Equitable Practice are a vital part of AIA’s long-term commitment to lead efforts that ensure the profession of architecture is as diverse as the nation we serve. These guides will help you make the business and professional case for ensuring that your organization meets the career development, professional environment, and cultural awareness expectations of current and future employees and clients.
Updated for 2022, the AIA Firm Survey Report is the only report that covers the full complexity of firms that power the architecture and design profession. Free for AIA members!
Design for Equitable Communities—Framework for Design Excellence
Architect’s Role in Creating Equitable Communities is a collection of targeted ways that architects—using their agency and power—can work to mitigate oppression and advocate for a future with just and equitable communities.
Compensation and Benefits Report
The AIA Compensation & Benefits Report is the architecture industry’s most comprehensive report on salary, hiring, and benefits trends. The 2023 edition includes data from firms in 35 states, 37 metro areas, and 21 cities.
NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) launched a joint study to identify how minority professionals experience obstacles on the path to licensure. Findings from the study, highlight areas of additional support and an action plan to address the disparities moving forward.
Understanding opportunities
BIPOC studios listed with job openings
A group of architects and designers have created a dynamic Google Docs spreadsheet to highlight design, architecture, engineering or planning studios founded by black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) that may have job opportunities.
Diversity Advancement Scholarship
Incoming and current architecture students can apply for the Architects Foundation's Diversity Advancement Scholarship, which was created to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing a career in architecture.
The Prescott Reavis HBCU Professional Development Program Grant
Grants are awarded to support the repayment of student loans, moving expenses, cost of living expenses for interns working in cities away from home, and other expenses that can be associated with the transition from school to the profession. Grants are awarded in amounts not to exceed $2500 each and will be awarded based on each student’s active participation in the HBCU PDP, demonstrated need, and recognition of the need to give back.
Professional resources for black designers and architects
If you're looking to join a networking group or expand your community within the profession, consider one of the organizations on this list that have made it their mission to support architects and designers of color.
Donate to the Diversity Advancement Scholarship
Many donors support the Architects Foundation’s work with an unrestricted gift to our Architects Fund, enabling us to address the needs of our Diversity Advancement Scholars as they pursue their architectural education; innovate and grow our programs; and maintain the historic Octagon.
Enact change by voting in your local, state, and federal elections. Register to vote, get election reminders, and more here.
Black Lives Matter toolkits for conflict resolution, healing justice, ways to take action toward racial justice and resources to intervene when violence is inflicted on Black communities.
Linkedin: Free Courses to Help You Become a Stronger Ally and Have Inclusive Conversations
LinkedIn's free courses can help you understand and confront unconscious bias, have inclusive conversations and communicate across cultures, and create a diverse and inclusive workplace.
6 free courses (Business Insider)
Consider taking one of these free online courses about race and America's history of injustice from three Ivy League schools. The open courses present an average time commitment of 2-4 hours per week.
The Guides for Equitable Practice are a vital part of AIA’s long-term commitment to lead efforts that ensure the profession of architecture is as diverse as the nation we serve.
Next to Lead is a new pilot association leadership program that removes barriers to AIA leadership positions for ethnically diverse women.
The Future Focused video campaign highlights underrepresented architects and designers weekly. The series shares the stories of women, men, and firm leaders who are leading change in architecture.
Explore a special series highlighting architects who overcame adversity to make an impact.