FROM THE AIA PRESIDENT

by Marshall Purnell, FAIA
AIA President

Summary: Here in Washington, we’ve just had some of winter’s coldest days. Yet, there’s a distinct thaw in the air. I’m not talking about the weather. Something bigger, something more profound is heating up.

Look at the field of candidates in this election year. Who would have predicted even a few years ago that a woman, an African-American, and even a Baptist minister would be plausible contenders for this nation’s highest office?

And from China comes the news that the government is banning plastic bags. Beijing has decided the production and disposal of a product that has the lifespan of the Pyramids is wasteful. If plastic bags are headed for the endangered species list, surely business as usual is no longer viable. Change is in the air. In fact, in the campaign for a more sustainable world, industry is emerging as an ally. Hewlett-Packard, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and eight other global companies are assessing the emissions of their supply chains as part of efforts to lighten their carbon footprint. Building product manufacturers, such as Haworth and Autodesk, are likewise creatively advancing a commitment to sustainability because it’s the right and smart thing to do.

Walking the Walk
It hasn’t escaped the notice of this architect that industry’s new-found religion looks a lot like what the AIA has been advocating for at least three decades. A new AIA advertising campaign, “Walk the Walk,” updates our commitment by showing clients as well as the public the value of AIA architects in helping everyone leave a greener footprint.

In 1857, when Richard Upjohn and friends created a profession, sustainability was probably not on their minds. However, I’m just as certain they would be proud of the profession they created and the policies we advocate. We’ve grown from the original 13 founders to an organization that’s 83,000 strong—83,000!

That sounds like a lot. But, when you look at our size from the perspective of the needs of a population of over 300 million, and the enormous challenges that have design implications—urban sprawl, deteriorating schools, the increasing lack of affordable housing, crumbling infrastructure, decent health care, and, of course, designing it all sustainably—we are tiny, tiny! Architecture is often referred to as frozen music. If that’s so, then we as architects are the songwriters. But who will be writing tomorrow’s songs?

So, who are we?
If we want to audition for the future, we have to take a serious look at who we are. If we are truly to be agents of change, the composers of tomorrow’s songs, we must have access to all the instruments in the orchestra. We must be more representative of the society we seek to serve.

In April, the AIA will host a summit on diversity to tackle the serious issues that still seem to be holding back our profession. I expect a lot from this meeting and what follows. However, I’m not so naïve as to believe we’ll achieve our goal on my watch. What we have set out to do will require time; it will demand determination. And I hope to be watching a long time in anticipation of our ultimate success. My great grandfather, Fred Davis, was born in Mississippi in 1837. He died in 1949 at 112, one year before I was born. Imagine what changes he saw in his lifetime! Imagine what we, working together, are capable of in our own!

Change is in the air. It’s time to light some fires and get it on! Listen to the music: Let’s make every voice part of our song!