The American Institute of Architects' New York Chapter (AIANY) recently welcomed its new leadership team for the year 2024 via a special ceremony that also saw the inauguration of architect Greg Switzer as the first-ever Black president in the organization’s 167-year history.

Switzer will be actively engaging with the organizational theme Belonging and Beyond, which encourages the development of a human-centric approach to designing for better social cohesion and physical health in the built environment.

The AIA shares: “The 2024 AIANY presidential theme, 'Belonging and Beyond,' centers on a crucial aspect of human well-being that improves physical and social-emotional health and resilience for individuals and communities. 'Belonging' refers to a deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences. This year’s theme calls for us to be intentional about inclusion by listening and workshopping ideas worth advocating for and amplifying. 'Belonging' asks for us to focus especially on the areas of affordability, exclusion, displacement, homelessness, climate change, and other patterns preventing people’s sustained connection to physical places and each other.”

“We at AIANY are just beginning to deeply understand why our profession must be open to diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to truly meet the needs of the community we serve and the greater good for all,” Switzer added, speaking to those assembled at a December 13th holiday gathering. “I stand before you not only as a symbol of progress, of change, and of hope but also as a reminder of the long road that we have traveled to get here, and the work that still lies ahead… As we unite under the banner of Belonging and Beyond, let us remember this: Every individual deserves to belong, and to flourish, in our great city. In 2024, we will embark on a journey of introspection and exploration, enriching our own understanding and initiating opportunities for visionary dialogues and the exchange of innovative solutions.”

The event also saw the naming of the AIANY’s longtime Housing Committee chair Peter Bafitis honored with the AIANY Citation for Design Excellence. He was joined by the Building Science Committee, which won the AIANY Citation for Professional Development; and the  Architecture for Justice Committee, which was given the AIANY Citation for Public Outreach.

Switzer, who for the past twenty years has helmed the New York-based studio SWITZER Architecture, replaces Matthew Bremer, who served as President for 2023.