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Unpacking 2022's highs and lows of social justice, equity, and representation in professional practice and architectural academia

2022-12-25T08:00:00-05:00

As the architecture industry reviews another year filled with a range of ups and downs, it's an important time to reflect on what progress has been made when it comes to important topics such as social justice, activism, equity, and diversity initiatives within architecture. While we've already highlighted this year's controversies, it's important to ask: Has the architecture industry made advances toward social justice, diversity, and inclusion in 2022?

Effective change takes time. Continuing with our 2022 year in review, let's look back at the challenges, obstacles, and successes that the industry faced surrounding inclusive design, diverse leadership, social justice, and representation.

Architecture organizations aiming to make change

Image courtesy of the AIA.

AIA issues a supplementary guide addressing issues in architectural education

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) worked together with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to establish a set ...

One architect’s passion for multifaith spaces will continue through the work of DJDS

2022-06-06T15:30:00-04:00

The memory of one up-and-coming New York architect is being honored through a donation drive benefitting one of the firms he most admired, Oakland-based Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (DJDS).

Eric Salitsky was killed in Brooklyn on May 5th after being struck by a sanitation vehicle while on his bicycle. A native of Massachusetts, Salitsky studied for his master’s at the Pratt Institute before joining ESKW/Architects, where he continued to make a name for himself in the design and documentation of multifaith community spaces he pursued in the years following his graduation. Salitsky’s work eventually earned him an AIA Stewardson Keefe LeBrun Travel Grant and curated exhibition in 2019, and he was scheduled to deliver a presentation on the subject at the Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum (ASCF) on June 4th.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eric Salitsky (@esalitsky)

His noted penchant for equity and shared personal drive to foster a mor...

MASS Design Group, Minneapolis to be honored by UPenn's Weitzman School

2021-11-18T17:04:00-05:00

MASS Design Group will be honored alongside the city of Minneapolis by the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design in a public celebration held at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy this evening.

The Boston-based firm will receive the prestigious Kanter Tritsch Medal for its “design excellence and commitment to a climate-positive future.”

Likewise, Minneapolis is being honored with the Witte-Sakamoto Family Medal for its comprehensive 2040 resiliency plan that was developed with the help of Buro Happold.

“MASS and Minneapolis remind us of the central role for design in overcoming seemingly intractable challenges like unequal access to jobs and housing, and mass incarceration,” Weitzman dean Frederick Steiner said in a statement. “Our professions have a lot of work to do to see that entire communities aren’t left out of the design process.”

The non-profit, non-...

The debate around prison reuse swells as reform measures continue to decrease incarceration rates dramatically

2021-11-11T12:51:00-05:00

Some prisons have been successfully transformed into whiskey distilleries, youth hostels, museums and boutique hotels. Others have been demolished, sometimes over the objections of local preservationists. But there’s a third option: Carceral sites can be reoriented as places that actively work to undo the damage wrought by mass incarceration.

The movement to design spaces that are actively working to undo some of the social harms caused by mass incarceration is still fairly nascent, with salient projects in Atlanta and other places serving as models that can be applied in the age of bail reform, alternative sentencing, and other measures that have reduced the overall prison population by up to 42% in certain states.

“Our view is that more architects should instead help those who are formerly incarcerated so they don’t go back to prison, and to support populations who are targeted and at high-risk for incarceration,” DJDS founder Deanna van Buren told Archinect’s Antonio Pacheco in a 2019 interview. The impetus should be shifted even further towards designing spaces that alleviate the sources of crime in the mold of DJDS. As Thoreau said: “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”

Justin Garrett Moore is proposing a 'Department of Care' for NYC

2021-10-29T12:41:00-04:00

The Department of Care should be designed to break through bureaucratic silos. Caring for public space will require multiple agencies to invest time and resources, and to work collaboratively with local stakeholders who know their communities best. This means having everyone at the table: from the Departments of Transportation, Sanitation, and Health to the Parks Department and the city’s Economic Development Corporation to Small Business Services and Cultural Affairs.

Mayor de Blasio appears to have reneged on his police 2020 commitment to taking $1 billion out of the annual NYPD budget. Justin Garrett Moore, who left the city's Public Design Commission in December and was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts by President Biden this year, has been a leading figure in the push for design justice initiatives in New York.

#CareNotCops
What if cities instead had billions in funding for a Department of Care? What if NYC had a $6 billion annual budget for the better care for our people, our places, and our planet?
— Justin Garrett Moore (@jgmoore) June 8, 2020

"What if cities instead had billions in funding for a Department of Care? What if NYC had a $6 billion annual budget for the better care for our people, our places, and our planet?" Moore stated on Twitter. He added that his concept was influenced by political theorist Joan Tronto's definition of care that first appeared in her seminal 1993 text Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for ...

The crisis at Rikers Island could spark a radical shift in the way architects approach prison design

2021-09-28T09:00:00-04:00

The question of how to remake the city’s jails has sharply divided city officials, who are intent on maintaining lockups, advocates for prison rights and even architects. As the city pushes for new designs that might make its jails feel more humane, many activists and some city officials are pushing for the city to invest more in social services in underserved communities, which could keep people out of prison to begin with.

A total of twelve people have died at Rikers this year alone. Unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, and a staffing shortage have only added to the growing chorus of voices calling to shut down the 400-acre prison, which the city has announced plans to do by 2027.

The nearly $9 billion replacement initiative would add a borough-based jail system using updated guidelines that were crafted last year through a coalition of planners, community activists, and city agencies, although some architects continue to view prison reform as essentially a moral issue and not one that can necessarily be erased by better or more humane design techniques. The AIA officially updated its Code of Ethics in December to reflect some of the ascendent thinking surrounding the issue.

“You cannot make an unjust space more just by creating more natural light,” NOMA president Pascale Sablan said. The Times has more on the movement toward progressive prison design in New York City here.

...

Social Design and Restorative Justice: Architect Deanna Van Buren teaches us how to re-design with values

2021-03-03T09:30:00-05:00

For Deanna Van Buren, designing towards justice and equity is more than a trend; it's a lifelong calling to dismantle a system that perpetuates oppression and suppression for Black and Brown communities. Back in October 2019, Archinect chatted with Van Buren to learn more about her firm Designing Justice + Designing Space (DJDS) , and what it means to "design spaces for peacemaking, inside and out."

Many may be familiar with her remarkable work involving decarceration and "justice architecture" by unbuilding racism. Van Buren makes it very clear that while many may call her a "justice architect," her mission works towards ending mass incarceration by developing infrastructure that "counters the traditional adversarial and punitive architecture of justice—courthouses, prisons, and jails."

When we spoke with Van Buren in 2019 she shared, "We started a new practice together because we felt that traditional architecture and real estate development firms were not practicing in alignment...

Suman Sorg, FAIA forms non-profit design firm to promote social justice through architecture and design

2021-01-28T11:10:00-05:00

Award-winning architect and designer, Suman Sorg, FAIA, founder of Sorg Architects, has formed the non-profit design firm, A Complete Unknown, in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to promote social justice, peace, and unity through architecture and design.

"At this stage in my career, I have turned my sights to projects that advance the basic tenants of humanity, such as compassion, love, and a pledge to nonviolence towards all– humans, animals, and nature," said Sorg, in a statement. "Washington, D.C. – being at the center of the federal government – allows us to play a critical role in affecting and informing policy. There is so much that each of us can do using our energy, experience and talent to support those at risk, both locally and around the world."

Sorg has over 30 years building a successful architectural practice. Some notable projects include the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence for formerly homeless veterans, and the Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Center i...

Perkins&Will and AIA publish white paper pushing for more Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.)

2021-01-26T11:59:00-05:00

Perkins&Will and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) this week released best practices for creating and implementing comprehensive diversity programs for U.S. firms. In a white paper entitled “Creating a Culture of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Your Architectural Practice,” authors Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA and Bill Schmalz, FAIA push for architecture firms to uphold J.E.D.I. principles to remain relevant to clients, attractive to talent, and competitive in an increasingly diverse world.

"Our industry and society are facing an unprecedented convergence of crises. Economic, health, environmental, social, and racial justice challenges have presented us not just with an opportunity, but also a responsibility, to address them," said Bullock, who has served as director of global diversity at Perkins&Will since 2013, in a statement. "We can elevate the industry by challenging the status quo and reimagining the future by looking through the J.E.D.I. lens."

In addition t...

The inaugural Anti-Racist School of Architecture Virtual Symposium will explore the intersection of architecture, race, and education

2021-01-07T16:58:00-05:00

The Anti-Racist School of Architecture Symposium 2021 will shine a spotlight on the intersection of architecture, race, and education. The Symposium aims to address the following topics:

Injustices Black, Indigenous, and People of Color face in the architecture and design education system
Antiracism by design discussions on social justice and our roles as design students and professionals
The global perspective of Architecture, Race, and Education
Explore what an anti-racism university looks like to students and professionals across the world

The Symposium will open on Monday, January 18th with an opening keynote from Bryan Lee, Founder and Principal at Colloqate Design. There will be a panel discussion moderated by Wandile Mthiyane, CEO and founder of Ubuntu Design Group, which will be followed by a second keynote from Dr. Kwesi Daniels, Department Head of Architecture at Tuskegee University.

Previously on Archinect: DAP: Design Justice for Black Lives initiative seeks to streamline pr...

Moody Nolan CEO Jonathan Moody delivers hopeful TED Talk on the power of design

2020-12-16T11:08:00-05:00

Moody Nolan CEO Jonathan Moody, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP, delivered a hopeful TED Talk at a TEDxKingLincolnBronzeville event back in October. Moody begins the talk with a confession — that designers have failed citizens in the community and that designers have been complicit in allowing systemic challenges to be introduced in underrepresented communities.

Previously published on Archinect: A Conversation with Curtis Moody, FAIA on What It Means to Help Shape a Future for Black Architects

Moody uses the design of the Martin Luther King Branch Library of the Columbus Metropolitan Library as a backdrop for his case that design is a vehicle for hope and a tool for protest. Citing Dr. Martin Luther Kinf Jr., the architect argues that buildings should be places where people can connect to resources to build a better future. Spaces with public internet access, affordable childcare, and education, are some of the examples Moody presents.

Check out the full talk below.

AIA takes an official stance on the design of prisons and justice facilities

2020-12-14T12:12:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors last week adopted new rules in its Code of Ethics regarding the design of justice facilities.

"We are committed to promoting the design of a more equitable and just built world that dismantles racial injustice and upholds human rights," said AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick, FAIA in the statement. "Specifically, AIA members are required to uphold the health, safety and welfare of the public. Spaces for execution, torture and prolonged solitary confinement contradict those values. This decision emphasizes AIA’s commitment to making a difference on this issue and upholding human rights for our society."

According to the AIA, the new rules to its Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct prohibit members from "knowingly designing spaces intended for execution and torture, including indefinite or prolonged solitary confinement of prisoners for 22 hours or more per day without meaningful human contact, for more than 15 consecut...

Grace Farms' Design for Freedom movement seeks to eradicate forced labor from the production of building materials

2020-10-28T12:48:00-04:00

Sharon Prince, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grace Farms Foundation, announced this week Design for Freedom, a new movement to eradicate modern slavery from the built environment by addressing the systemic use of forced labor in the building materials supply chain.

"Examining our building materials supply chain is a moral and legal imperative,” said Prince in a statement. “Almost all modern construction projects are subsidized with slavery, due to unchecked forced labor that permeates thousands of raw and composite materials sourced both locally in the United States and globally. While initial attention concentrated on developing ethical labor practices on construction and job sites, we now seek to extend these regulations to the building materials supply chain, including oversight of sub-contractors, manufacturers, and commodities-level providers in such areas as forestry, fiber, and mining."

Design for Freedom began back in 2017, when Prince and the late Bill Menking, Fo...

Winners of the 2020 NOMA, NAACP, and SEED Awards highlight design justice and equity within architecture and land development

2020-10-06T13:47:00-04:00

Since 2011, the SEED Awards highlight public interest design projects that address critical community issues at a social, economic, and environmental scale. This year's award winners represent projects that reflect justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the realms of design, architecture, and land development in collaboration with NOMA and NAACP.

Winners were selected thanks to a star-studded jury consisting of design leaders in the industry such as Carl Anthony, Kimberly Dowdell, Maya Henderson, and Tiffany Mayhew, among others. This year, seven winning projects were chosen.

View the winners below and selected project images.

2020 Project Winners

Memorial to Enslaved Laborers - Design Team: Design Team: Höweler + Yoon Architecture, Meejin Yoon, Eric Höweler, Namjoo Kim, Caroline Shannon, Anna Kaertner, Alex Yueyan Li, Caleb Hawkins, Boris Angelov, Julia Robert, Dr. Mabel O. Wilson, Studio &, Marlisa Wise, Dr. Frank Dukes, Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect, Eto Otitigbe, a...

Deanna Van Buren on designing beyond incarceration

2020-03-10T18:58:00-04:00

Van Buren’s most ambitious undertaking so far is the reimagining of a hulking 471,000 square foot Detention Center in downtown Atlanta. [...] Van Buren has been working with social justice organizations and a mayoral task force to transform the site into an “Equity Center” that will incorporate financial literacy, job training, access to legal services and other community needs.

Writing in The New York Times, journalist Patricia Leigh Brown profiles Deanna Van Buren, co-founder of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (DJDS), an Oakland, California-based architecture and real estate development non-profit that is working to end mass incarceration.

Archinect profiled the work and practice of DJDS in a Studio Snapshot last year. In that interview, Van Buren explained the nature of her practice: "Our office is rooted in creative strategies that are empathic and always include deep listening to those most impacted by the problems we are seeking to solve. We are in service to those who have had no voice in the built environment. We are a relatively new practice so the thesis hasn’t changed much, but has certainly become more refined."

Design Justice fuels the work of New Orleans-based Colloqate

2019-12-02T16:00:00-05:00

It’s hard to reconcile our work without first acknowledging that for nearly every injustice in this world, an architecture is constructed to perpetuate that injustice. Our profession overwhelmingly serves those with means and ignores the consequences of our decisions for those without means, resulting in the collective disinheritance of historically marginalized communities.

In a compelling Op-Ed for Next City, Colloqate founder and design director Bryan Lee, Jr. lays out a few of the principles of the Design Justice movement, a perspective that is central to the Design Justice Platform created by his New Orleans-based nonprofit design practice.

Lee writes, "This movement towards just spaces has seen a resurgence within the profession in the last 15 years, with a renewed commitment to address the root causes of some of the world’s most intransigent issues. At the root of climate change is a built environment that exhausts 39 percent of our carbon emissions and demands 40 percent of our energy production. At the root of housing, transportation, and economic injustice are the remnants of redlining and racial covenants that continue to extract wealth and codify structural or de facto segregation. At the root of unjust policing is a prison-industrial complex sustained by spaces that extract human dignity and economic potential from marginalized people in t...