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The standard yardstick for judging housing affordability is to look at the median level of rents or home prices. As we all remember from statistics, the median is the observation in the middle of the distribution. And while for many purposes, it’s a reliable indicator of typical prices, in some neighborhoods, particularly those with a mix of expensive and cheap housing, the median is actually a weak indicator of affordability. — City Observatory
"For an illustration of this problem, imagine two neighborhoods. In both places, the median home costs $300,000. But in the first neighborhood, every home costs exactly $300,000, while in the second, there are a range of homes from $100,000 to $500,000. Although both neighborhoods have the same... View full entry
Over the course of the last 14 months, the AIA’s Equity in Architecture Commission has grappled with how to improve and expand the organization’s commitment to increasing inclusion, equity and diversity in the discipline. Composed of architects, educators and diversity experts, the Commission... View full entry
Back in 2013, the AIA earmarked $1M for Diversity Advancement Scholarships, aimed at “improving equity, diversity and inclusion among people entering the profession”. Now, the Board of Directors has announced another million dollar donation being set towards the fund. The profession of... View full entry
Daniel Libeskind loves the multi-faceted nature of New York City's inhabitants; the rich, the poor, the successful, and perhaps most amusingly, the failures who think they're successful. Although the architect doesn't really break any new conceptual ground in this short video from the Louisiana... View full entry
Architecture is often criticized for its lack of diversity, and many feel that education is a key way to address the issue for the future. In that vein, Harvard's GSD announced yesterday the establishment of the Philip Freelon Fellowship Fund, designed to "provide expanded academic opportunities... View full entry
Architecture shapes our environment. But studying architecture shapes how we see, understand and interpret the world. A building, a neighborhood, a city — each is the result of particular priorities, circumstances and choices.It’s a startling realization, especially for young people, but also... View full entry
Industry data show that, while improving, women and people of color are underrepresented in the field of architecture. [...]
While there is agreement on the perceived underrepresentation of people of color in the industry, recognition of the underrepresentation of women is not as definitive.
— Diversity in the Profession of Architecture
Conducted in 2015, the AIA's Diversity in the Profession of Architecture survey collected data from more than 7,500 professionals in the field, to see not only how the profession breaks down by demographics, but how those demographics perceive various challenges facing the profession. The AIA's... View full entry
Based in London, Elsie Owusu OBE runs her own firm (Elsie Owusu Architects), is a national council member at the Royal Institute of British Architects, and is vice chair at the London School of Architecture. But it’s likely that many Archinectors hadn’t heard of Owusu until December of last... View full entry
Six months after the AIA voted in favor of the Equity in Architecture resolution, it looks like the organization is turning their words into actions. Most recently, they announced the establishment of the Equity in Architecture Commission, a 20-member panel of leading architects, educators, and... View full entry
We believe that renderings reflect our aspirations as architects, and that our decisions about representation matter. Renderings should reflect the people in and around the site, and should project a future that values diversity and acceptance of all people. The goal of NONSCANDINAVIA is to give young architects and students access to a database of free, high-res, PNG images that reflect diversity in all its forms. — Nonscandinavia
The world of architectural renders is a strange place. Here, the air is hazy yet skies are blue. Trees grow translucent and lawns are always green. Buildings are illuminated by perhaps two or three suns. Little girls roam cultural centers alone, clutching red balloons.And just about everyone is a... View full entry
Eight out of every 10 lawyers are white. Social scientists and architects are probably in need of some diversity too. — theatlantic.com
The Atlantic has put together an informative interactive chart detailing the racial compositions of some of America's least diverse professions. As expected, architecture still ranks high up with 77.7% Whites — a much discussed phenomenon here on Archinect.We want to hear from you: Have you... View full entry
A total of 4,117 AIA delegates largely voted in favor for the widely talked about Resolution 15-1, titled "Equity in Architecture", during the Election at the 2015 AIA National Convention in Atlanta last month. Sponsored by AIA San Francisco and the AIA California Council as a response to... View full entry
The latest edition of Working out of the Box: featured Hendo Hoverboard inventor and co-founder of Arx Pax, Greg Henderson. You can hear the full interview with Greg with his wife Jill, co-founder of Arx Pax, as part of episode 4 of Archinect Sessions here. Click here to subscribe. Meanwhile... View full entry
Monica Ponce de Leon, a leading American architect proud of being a Hispanic woman in a field long dominated by white men, wants to change the face of her profession.
[...] agreed to conduct a class earlier that day for juniors from John Hay High School - the vast majority of whom were black.
Ponce de Leon, dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Planning [...], wanted to inspire the students to enter a field in which the vast majority of practitioners don't look like them.
— cleveland.com
Let's start with the building itself, the actual architecture. Union Station is a neo-classical mix of styles — European styles. The symmetry, arched windows, ornate cornice and stacked, stone walls have their roots in the glory days of France, England, Greece and Rome, in empires that were nearly absent of ethnic minorities and who felt fully at ease invading, exploiting and actually enslaving the people of Africa, subcontinent Asia and South America. — denverpost.com
