Archinect - News

Strike at Taubman College and the University of Michigan continues as student workers and staff assistants demand fair wages

2023-04-26T17:52:00-04:00

A group of 40 striking graduate student instructors and staff assistants at the University of Michigan Taubman College have reportedly had their April wages taken from them in response to their participation in a campus-wide movement that has sought improved working conditions and better pay for workers.

The school’s retaliatory move was met with ire, with the strike now going on for nearly a month. Protestors have already been met with police violence and say the University’s latest tactic constitutes an escalation in the midst of bargaining efforts that are, for now, ostensibly stalled.

Solidarity! Here are striking international grads picketing at Taubman College right this moment. Their chants are streaming into the architecture studios. pic.twitter.com/DoPQoretgk
— Grad Employees' Org UMich #OnStrike (@geo3550) April 26, 2023

In an open letter to Taubman's Dean Jonathan Massey, supporters of the strike wrote, “Such retaliation is wrong. Taubman College’s leadership should come ...

Tim Disney's $1 million donation boosts SCI-Arc's DEI scholarship program

2023-03-21T17:51:00-04:00

SCI-Arc recently announced a new $1 million scholarship fund dedicated to the school’s efforts to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion interests in the architectural field.

Former trustee Tim Disney established the fund in order to augment the school’s growing Equity + Inclusion Scholarship and Mentorship program, which pairs students from underrepresented backgrounds with mentors while providing fully-funded tuition.

The current E+1 cohort is 16 students. Disney said, “I am very grateful to be able to support this work, and very proud that SCI-Arc has made equity and inclusion scholarships a top priority.”

Other DEI initiatives adjacent to the program will also be pursued along a five-year strategic plan as part of the gift. The school has continually expanded its Structural Actions to Promote Access, Inclusion, and Equity in Architecture over the past two and a half years, hiring new faculty and bolstering the liberal arts curricula and Kappe Library collection in addition ...

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 ...

AIA President-elect Emily Grandstaff-Rice joins Perkins&Will's staff in Boston

2022-12-05T09:00:00-05:00

Perkins&Will has announced the recent addition of AIA President-elect Emily Grandstaff-Rice to their Boston studio in order to help further its EDI, decarbonization, and research pursuits across the industry.

The organization’s soon-to-be 99th President comes to the position with a breadth of K-12 and higher-education experience around Massachusetts, including recent projects for the UMass Lowell and Boston Children’s Museum.

Grandstaff-Rice pointed to the firm’s “unparalleled” focus on climate action and social equity causes as the principal factors that led her decision, adding: “I envision this next stage of my career as one in which I collaborate with interdisciplinary teams in support of creating safer, healthier, and more responsive architecture.”

“Emily’s experience in the education market will beautifully complement our Boston studio’s K-12 and higher-ed practic...

New 5G towers are altering the streetscape all over NYC

2022-11-08T14:27:00-05:00

But as is often the case when something new appears on the New York City streetscape, people seem startled by the large structures — and some have expressed unfounded fears about 5G. They’re concerned about the towers’ sheer size and, in some cases, the wrecked views from third-floor windows.

The three-story towers are part of the de Blasio Administration-backed LinkNYC wireless infrastructure network expansion that will eventually deliver more than 2,000 such structures to underserved neighborhoods in an effort to increase accessibility and combat racial inequality throughout the city before 2026.

The plan had to be approved by New York’s Public Design Commission and will be subsidized in large part by wireless carriers who can rent out space inside the poles, which are designed to last well into the era of 7G, according to CityBridge CEO Nick Colvin.

AIA issues a supplementary guide addressing issues in architectural education

2022-11-07T12:15:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) together along with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has published a new supplement to its Guides for Equitable Practice in order to reflect a renewed focus of university education and institutions.

The supplement, titled Equity in Architectural Education, is intended to provide teachers and administrators with scenarios, actions, and prompts that “inspire discussions about creating welcoming environments to attract and retain those currently underrepresented in academia and in the profession.”

It is also useful to the majority of practitioners whose firms employ student interns and recent graduates, prospective high school students, and others interested in entering the field as its output importantly “defines the concept of culture in architectural education” and subsequent impacts in the working world.

Gensler and Amazon among $4.7 million donors to California College of the Arts supporting diversity and innovation

2022-10-28T11:22:00-04:00

Gensler and Amazon are among the donors who have gifted $4.7 million to the California College of the Arts (CCA). The funds will be used to support diversity, equity, and innovation in the arts and design field.

CCA received a $1 million gift from the Gensler family and an additional $1 million gift from Gensler as a practice; donations which will establish the M. Arthur Gensler Jr. Center for Design Excellence. According to the college, the newly-established center will “support and enrich learning, teaching, and research in CCA’s Architecture Division” with a focus on supporting students from diverse backgrounds through “tuition scholarships, mentoring, and career development support.”

The donation will extend over ten years, with the first cohort of Gensler Center scholarship recipients set to receive awards this year.

The remaining $2.7 million in donations to the CCA was received from Amazon ...

Kent State University seeks to bridge academia and practice by hiring a Director for Design Entrepreneurship and Inclusion

2022-09-15T08:53:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an open opportunity for an Intermediate Designer for the National Medal of Honor Museum at Rafael Viñoly Architects, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore a role for a Director of Design Entrepreneurship and Inclusion at Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC).

The role, situated in Cleveland, OH, asks for an individual with 6+ years of design experience to help conduct research, provide technical design assistance to communities, and support public education and design advocacy programs.

Kent State University student work by Peter Nogay

Why the role interests us

The role at the CUDC offers an insight into moves being made by academic institutions to extend their impact beyond campus design studios. Such efforts are often of benefit to students and the community alike, as we saw back in June when we reported on the University of Buffalo students who were constructing tiny homes to fight homel...

Los Angeles County to allocate more than $9 million for park projects in communities in need of open space

2022-07-20T20:01:00-04:00

The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District announced on Thursday, July 14, that it will allocate more than $9 million to support the development of park projects in communities in most need of open space. The grant funding is from Measure A, the LA County Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Measure — a parcel tax approved by voters in 2016.

The funding will be allocated across 30 cities and in unincorporated areas in the Los Angeles region. According to the district’s director Norma Edith Garcia-Gonzalez, the funds will be critical in creating parks in areas with much less park acreage than the county average.

The Measure A funding will establish the Technical Assistance Program, which will help organizations with applications for grant programs for their park projects.

RIBA's new diversity chair says it's not adequately funding a 'priority' EDI initiative

2022-07-12T16:19:00-04:00

The ability of perhaps one of the world’s most influential architectural organizations, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), to address issues of diversity and inclusion within the industry has once again come under scrutiny after news that one of its supposedly priority projects has yet to receive additional funding to proceed.

The Architects’ Journal is reporting that RIBA’s Finding and Accessing Architecture group chair, Femi Oresanya, expressed his concerns over an overall lack of funding for a project that a RIBA executive had apparently told him was of top priority during a Council meeting held on June 28th.

According to the Journal, the project was supposed to entail a matching program that provided students with work experience opportunities as overseen by the group and Oresanya. President Simon Allford and chair Jack Pringle reiterated the known financial straits of the organization before the former proposed providing additional funding for the project via a s...

Grimshaw announces new foundation aimed at inclusivity, youth engagement

2022-07-12T06:00:00-04:00

The new charitable arm of Grimshaw Architects has been announced by its founder at an event held last week at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The newly-formed Grimshaw Foundation is aimed at promoting inclusivity and will serve a broader purpose to “engage and encourage young people to discover the value of creativity and the inspiration of art.”

Its genesis is the product of more than a year’s worth of coordination between Grimshaw founder Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the firm’s leadership, and an advisory committee that includes Bartlett honorary professor Neil Pinder.

Grimshaw Foundation board of trustees. Image courtesy Grimshaw Foundation

Speaking in a press release last week, the 82-year-old Grimshaw outlined his goals for the new entity, saying “what the Foundation will do is enable young people, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to experience the art of making and the making of art and introduce more opportunities and different career paths — opening up th...

AIA releases new Guides for Equitable Practice supplement, outlining ways to advance equity and justice through architectural practice

2022-05-09T17:49:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), in collaboration with the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota, has published a supplement to their Guides for Equitable Practice, a framework for understanding and building equity in the architecture profession. Titled “Justice in the Built Environment,” this latest edition serves as a guide for architecture and design professionals looking to do more to advance justice through their design work.

"This new resource is designed to empower architects to use their problem-solving skills to create welcoming spaces for all,” said AIA Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer Lakisha Ann Woods. “It also provides perspectives and insights on how architects, in all types of workplaces, can help advance equity in their place of employment, projects, and in society.”

The new supplement also offers guidance on actions that individual practitioners and firms can take to advance equity. The document notes that there are at ...

AIA announces energy-efficient redesign scheme for its Brutalist D.C. headquarters

2022-04-20T19:09:00-04:00

In an effort to bring the organization closer to its own self-stated goals on sustainability, equity, and collaboration, the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has today unveiled plans for a comprehensive new upgrade to its aging Washington, D.C. National headquarters.

San Francisco-based EHDD will lead the overhaul of the nearly 50-year-old Brutalist structure using the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence to author a host of efficiency upgrades that are expected to save some 58% of the building’s pre-Covid energy use levels.

Renderings courtesy AIA

“[The] AIA’s headquarters should serve as an expression of the value architects provide and align with the values we uphold as a profession,” President Dan Hart explained. “We have a responsibility to redesign this iconic building to the highest standards in sustainability, resilience, and equity. By demonstrating the powerful role design can play in improving our communities, we can...

Donation by Zaha Hadid Foundation creates scholarships for students from low-income households

2022-03-09T10:09:00-05:00

The London School of Architecture has announced a scholarship program for students from low-income households. The initiative will see three recipients each awarded £36,000 (approximately $47,000), covering the full fees and associated costs of the LSA’s two-year MArch program. The funding for the scholarship was made viable due to a donation from the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

The initiative is aimed at promising prospective Masters students from low-income backgrounds, defined as those whose household income is below £25,000 ($32,000). To qualify, applicants must either be over 25 and not financially dependent on parents or under 25 and not financially dependent on parents. The scholarship is also open to refugees who would otherwise be unable to pursue their studies, even if financially dependent on parents or relatives.

While the scholarship is aimed at all students from low-income backgrounds, the school also strongly encourages applications from students with “particular inter...

$1 million donated to UT Austin School of Architecture honoring John S. Chase, their first Black graduate

2022-02-28T12:12:00-05:00

The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture has received a $1 million donation honoring John S. Chase, the first Black graduate of the school and the first Black licensed architect in the state of Texas. The donation has been provided by Tony Chase and his wife Dr. Dina Alsowayel. An entrepreneur, law professor, and civic leader based in Houston, Tony Chase is also the son of John S. Chase.

The $1 million donation will create two new permanent endowments. The first, named the John S. Chase Family Endowed Graduate Fellowship, will be used primarily to increase diversity and representation in the profession by recruiting graduates of historically Black colleges and universities. Meanwhile, the John S. Chase Family Endowed Professorship in Architecture will help recruit and retain outstanding faculty and support their research of the built environment.

Archinect Feature: Architecture Gets Psychosocial, Socioracial & Sociospatial: A Conversation with Todd Brown, UT Au...

Pratt and Clemson both launch fellowships for underrepresented architecture students

2022-02-18T09:36:00-05:00

The Pratt Institute and Clemson University have each launched fellowships within their design and architecture schools focused on students from underserved or underrepresented communities.

The Pratt Institute’s initiative, titled the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Fellowship program, will focus on students from underserved communities whose work concentrates on issues related to climate change. The fellowship will be awarded to two students for the first year of graduate study at Pratt; one in the School of Architecture and one in the School of Design.

Archinect Feature: Michael Jefferson Talks the Future of Fellowships and the Biases of AI Application in Architecture

The fellows will be selected based on their portfolios of work addressing the impacts and challenges of climate change. A call for applicants will be issued in the spring, with selections announced prior to the beginning of each fellowship year. The program will focus on students in groups and communities that are often underr...

Remembering Prescott Reavis: A champion of Black excellence and mentorship within architecture

2022-02-10T17:57:00-05:00

Within the architecture industry, there are individuals who work tirelessly to not only design impactful buildings but who aim to represent the people, places, and community that their work serves. Prescott Reavis was more than just a Black architect. He was an advocate, a mentor, and a formidable force for equitable design practices. On February 8, 2022, Reavis sadly passed away.

The Oakland-based practitioner was a man of many talents and specialties. For over 20 years, his works as a spatial activist, architect, planner, and educator could be seen throughout his involvement with organizations across the nation, specifically in the Oakland/San Francisco area.

Image of Prescott Reavis as a student at Howard University. Image courtesy of Prescott Reavis' Facebook page.

Reavis was a graduate of Howard University where he received a Bachelor's degree in Architecture with a minor in Education. He also attended San Jose State University where he completed Master's Certificates in Appli...

Reflecting on the architecture industry's contribution toward diversity, inclusion, and social justice in 2021

2021-12-23T13:05:00-05:00

Following a very turbulent 2020, the current year was filled with highs and lows as well. From the pandemic to socio-economical unrest, the architecture industry continued to navigate a year filled with learning and unlearning.

The rise of social justice and equity initiatives pushed on in 2021. As architecture firms, schools, and organizations proceeded to grapple with their involvement in and relationship to systemic racism and inequity, groups and individuals took it upon themselves to continue with their work towards detangling architecture from its history of oppression and injustice.

Architecture media became more than a medium for praising new projects and applauding the so-called "starchitects" of our time. It has become a medium to discuss social and cultural topics relating to race, diversity, and inclusion. As a platform, Archinect continues to report on the issues that impact our community and expand on social and cultural discourse relating to architecture. With the nu...

Amid labor shortages in construction, new reports expose failures in diversity and inclusion

2021-12-10T13:31:00-05:00

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has invited construction companies around the world to support a new charter committed to improving diversity within the global construction sector. The move comes amid multiple reports finding that female, BIPOC, and young employees are significantly underrepresented in construction occupations.

The CIOB’s charter contains five actions for signatories to implement, including highlighting the benefits of diversity and inclusion at a senior leadership level, creating targets to address under-representation and pay disparities, and publishing reports on an annual basis detailing the company’s diversity metrics and plans for the future.

The decision to create the charter was driven by findings from a CIOB report, which noted that women make up just 12.3% of the US construction workforce, with BIPOC individuals comprising between 5% and 7% of the workforce, ...

New AIA report investigates bias in the architecture profession

2021-12-08T17:29:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects has partnered with the University of California Hastings College of the Law to release a new report that details the impacts of bias in architecture.

The study covers the experiences, perceptions, and opinions of women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented demographic groups in the field. It examines how bias plays out in architecture, how it impacts workplace processes, and how it affects outcome measures. As stated in the institute's announcement: “AIA’s goal in conducting the study is to build awareness in firms of bias to help architects recognize and address issues that may be occurring in firms.”

The report also offers strategies and resources that can help firms address bias in the workplace. These tools, as detailed by the AIA, are the same ones that businesses use to solve any major problem: evidence, goals, and metrics. Specifically, the AIA calls on the implementation of “Bias Interrupters,” which are adjustments ...

Penn State Architecture appoints first associate dean for access and equity

2021-07-19T10:26:00-04:00

The Penn State College of Arts and Architecture has announced Folayemi “Fo” Wilson as their associate dean for access and equity. Wilson will be the first individual to take up the inaugural role, which will be dedicated to helping Penn State question and address assumptions about diversity, inclusion, access and equity. Welcoming Wilson the position, B. Stephen Carpenter II, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture said “[Wilson’s] efforts will lead us forward in response to our commitment to addressing social, cultural, and institutional challenges.”

Wilson is currently co-director of academic diversity, equity and inclusion at Columbia College Chicago, where she is also a professor of art and art history. She is also a co-founder and principal of blkHaUS studios, a socially-focused design studio in Chicago that is centered on transforming and uplifting marginalized communities.

Wilson lectures and exhibits widely, with her design work included in the collection of the Coo...

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...

The CBDX: Cities for All competition recognizes how architects and designers 'might address underrepresented and marginalized voices'

2021-02-15T13:38:00-05:00

A design competition hosted by the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape (SAPL) at the University of Calgary asked participants, "how might matters of equity and activism, ecology and environment, and health and wellness converge, and unfold, within our future cities?" Launched in October 2020, the CBDX: CITIES FOR ALL competition is an initiative led by the school to tackle larger issues within the design community and foster innovative changes for the future of city building.

Assistant professor Alberto de Salvatierra, inaugural faculty lead and jury chair explained, "Cities—which often ossify systemic inequities through the built environment — have become the fulcrum upon which movements for equity and justice have found increasing leverage. Solutions must come from, and be for, everyone. This competition provides a platform to highlight how architects and designers might address underrepresented and marginalized voices."

The result of the competition led to 145 design...

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...

Get Lectured: University of Waterloo, Fall '20

2020-10-28T15:50:00-04:00

University of Waterloo School of Architecture shares their Fall lecture series and its emphasis on solidarity. According to the school, their 2020-2021 Waterloo Architecture Arriscraft Speaker Series What is Solidarity? asks: how can architects participate in collective, long-term social movements for change and advocate within and beyond professional obligations?"

Archinect's ongoing Get Lectured series features each school's lecture series and their graphic design prowess with graphic lecture posters.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

The school's online lecture series goal is to bring three speakers for each set of conversations as they dive into topics of Land Back, Disability Justice, Abolition, Right to Remain, Anti-Extractivism, and Food Sovereignty. Unique to their series is discussions will be linked to student-led workshops to "facilitate deeper conversations about how solidarities might re...

Design Museum Everywhere launches new virtual exhibit addressing equity in design

2020-10-14T11:54:00-04:00

The Design Museum has launched a new virtual exhibition, We Design: People. Practice. Progress. to highlight the lack of racial and gender diversity in the design field. We Design tells stories about designers of different ages, genders, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and abilities through stories, oral histories, videos, and photos.

Featured designers. From left to right: Ade Hassan, Clint Ramos, Debra Latour, Elyse Ayoung, Fady Saad, Gabrielle Bullock, Janine Kwoh, Jeff Staple, Liz Ogbu, Nestor Castaneda, Phil Freelon, Phil Kongtcheu, Rica Elysse, Sabrina Dorsainvil, Taniya Nayak. Image courtesy of Design Museum Everywhere.

Examples of each subject's work will also be showcased accompanying insights to their unique personal lives and career paths. Moreover, data visualizations and cast studies will be used to creatively communicate the racial inequities in the design industry. Some stats include: 86% of graphic designers are White. 69% of interior designers ...

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...

Melissa Daniel, host of Architecture Is Political podcast, creates a new voice for architectural discourse

2020-09-22T08:55:00-04:00

As Black and minority voices continue to impact the industry's progress towards equity and inclusivity, one woman is sparking opportunities for Black and Brown voices and opinions to be heard.

Architectural designer Melissa Daniel is the creator and host of the growing podcast series Architecture is Political. Daniel specifically emphasizes the podcast is where "Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture," and the reasons for starting the podcast is to "rediscover why I went into architecture." It's this point that makes her mission towards amplifying the experiences of minority voices and their views on how the discipline impacts their lives a much-needed outlet for digestible discourse.

Having launched her first podcast episode earlier this year, topics include mapping segregation in D.C., Muslim Women in architecture, gentrification, and issues on "curated tolerance." After listening to a few of her podcasts, it's clear that her vocal presence, openness, and con...

Architects Foundation Launches Black Women in Architecture Scholarship

2020-09-06T16:03:00-04:00

Mobilizing the architecture industry to provide opportunities for women, specifically for Black and minority women, has been an ongoing effort in recent years. Not only that, but the discussions over the state of racial and social injustice in field, the continued mistreatment of Black communities taking place in the larger world, and the growing and disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have together sparked greater efforts to re-evaluate racial biases inherent to many industries.

However, if there's anything the events of 2020 have taught the architecture industry, it's that architects, design professionals, and students should not be complacent with the mere "discussions" of making changes, but should instead focus on instilling real solutions in institutions and practices.

The AIA's philanthropic partner, the Architects Foundation, recently launched a new scholarship specifically to raise funds for Black Women in architecture. The Desiree V. Cooper Memorial fund aim...

Sarah Whiting outlines six point plan for addressing structural racism at Harvard GSD

2020-06-15T17:59:00-04:00

Following advocacy efforts from the African American Student Union (AASU) and AfricaGSD at Harvard University, Harvard GSD Dean Sarah Whiting has unveiled a list of steps the school will take as it works to address institutional failures on issues of anti-racism and racial equality.

In the aftermath of the nationwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement that have prioritized a renewed focus on dismantling racist policies and practices across the country, student activists with AASU and AfricaGSD published a 13 point memo demanding that Harvard GSD "actively institutionalize anti-racism and acknowledge that pedagogy has a cultural obligation." The letter asks GSD to "restructure all courses at the GSD to include Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) voices," hire more Black faculty, staff, and administrators, reform how the school curates its guest critic panels and lecture series, and retrain its staff to understand racial dynamics in the United States, amo...