VMDO is proud to announce that we are a JUST organization! A program of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), JUST is “a nutrition label for socially just and equitable organizations” that seeks to achieve the following goals:

• Elevate the discussion around social justice in all organizations;
• Create a common language for social justice issues;
• Elevate the causes of those individuals who lead these issues;
• Change the policies and practices of thousands of organizations worldwide;
• Make life better for people from all walks of life.

Participating companies report on 22 social and equity indicators along six categories (Diversity, Equity, Safety, Worker Benefit, Local Benefit, Stewardship). ILFI publishes this information on their website and issues a scorecard that ranks a company’s performance against each indicator. VMDO is the first architecture firm in Virginia to achieve the label and only the third firm in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Our participation in JUST is an extension of our commitment to taking responsibility when it comes to sustainability – not just in our built work but also in how we operate as a firm. While we have always sought to create a fair and equitable practice, JUST gave us a transparent, internationally-recognized framework for assessing and improving who we are and how we operate through a social justice and equity lens.