FROM THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

by Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA
AIA President

Summary: While I was preparing for the AIA’s Diversity Conference in St. Louis, I gave a lot of thought to a subject that’s occupied me for many years—diversity. And I expect I’ll be thinking a lot about diversity for many, many years to come.

Let’s be candid: We’ve analyzed the challenge of diversity within the AIA and the profession pretty near to death. In the process, we’ve conclusivel . . . irrevocably . . . and without a doubt proved we aren’t as representative as we should be. Certainly we don’t reflect the increasing diversity of our society.

I’m reminded that one definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Clearly, a change of tactics is called for.

It’s not simply a matter of fairness and equity. Diversity is also about the future. It’s about our future if not the very sustainability of the AIA and our profession.

We say that architects are key to achieving sustainability. Thanks to the AIA’s leadership, we’re getting that message across.

Growing the talent
But will we have the talent to meet the growing demand? Like the dog that’s finally got his teeth around the tire, now what? Will we have enough AIA architects to lead the sustainable evolution?

The talent shortage is serious. We need more recruits—young men and women drawn from the diverse constituencies that make up today’s America. Barriers have to be torn down. The cry has to be “All are welcome!”

Meeting that challenge will be difficult. We’ve inherited ingrained attitudes about race, gender, and social standing that have hardened over many generations. But the time to get over it is now.

During a talk to students at the University of Pennsylvania, I learned it wasn’t until the past few years that people heard about one of Philadelphia’s most prominent architects—Julian Abele, AIA.

The first African American to graduate from Penn’s architecture school, Abele designed not only the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but many of the most prominent buildings at Duke, such as Cameron Arena, a site he never visited because of segregation.

Yes, there’s been progress.

Yet, how many other stories are waiting to be told? And how many stories will never be told, because the voices that might have told them were not part of our profession?

Gateway to a garden to hope
In St. Louis we began the development of a long-range plan that has specific metrics against which we can measure progress. I don’t expect success during my year as president. If the challenge were that simple, it would have been met long, long ago.

But address the challenge we must.

The signature landmark of St. Louis is Saarinen’s Gateway Arch. To my mind that arch represents a gateway of a different sort.

I see it as a gateway to a garden of hope. Let’s enter together.

Thank you!