by Tracy Ostroff
Contributing Editor

Summary: AIArchitect asked members who attended the AIA national convention in Boston last month to weigh in on the convention diversity programs, what they learned about AIA efforts to make the profession look more like the society it serves, and their personal experiences at the sessions or away from the meetings. Many of the professionals we contacted were unfamiliar with the Diversity Plenary that took place in April to jump start efforts to align the diversity agenda with the Institute’s strategic planning and budget processes. They were however, enthusiastic about the prospects for seeing a more diverse profession and even more eager about how they and their colleagues could contribute to that goal.

Sergio Arteaga Gaddar, AIA
Associate principal, JSA, Portsmouth, N.H.
The primary reason I stepped into the Diversity Lounge at the AIA national convention was to find out more about the group and the organization, and perhaps join the new efforts or to associate with the diversity activities. I am committed to being a part of this effort. One thing that I did find out was that this was the first time that there was such a streamlined approach to making the profession look more like the society it serves. It did, though, create a lot of questions for me. This is just the first step to gather information and understand the process a little more. As a member of AIA Maine for 20 years and a chair or board member of many professional and community-related groups in New England, I found personal and professional joy and enrichment to my passion for architecture. It’s something that I’ve previously enjoyed doing as an immigrant professional, and most recently— about six years now—as an American citizen. I’m very proud to be an American architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects, and I look forward to assisting the AIA Diversity Team in any way I can.

Robin S. Miller
Lighting designer, Grenald Waldron Associates, Philadelphia
I attended the Women in Architecture Dinner and Riding the Vortex: African-American Women Architects in Practice program, along with other seminars and presentations, at the convention. I was pleasantly surprised, actually, that woman architects are represented so strongly in the AIA, not as strongly as it could be, of course, but the programs really showcased the high level and quality of work of women in the profession. I was not aware of the full official programs that the AIA has implemented, but the programs did make me more interested in taking part. During the convention, when I told people I was a lighting designer, people were very open and happy to have another professional at the table. It’s not just about representation from all kinds of diverse levels. However, in the last few months, I’ve seen more associate architects of all different racial backgrounds in the field. It’s still a small percentage, but it seems to be improving.

Kelly Burris, AIA
Facilities manager, State Farm
My perspective is from contract administration, and I was particularly interested in the convention program for 2009, which is going to focus on diversity. [The theme is “The Power of Diversity: Practice in a Complex World.”] As an architect and facility manager for a large corporation, I get involved in procuring goods and professional services we need to design, build, and operate our facilities. Corporations want the suppliers of goods and services to be as diverse as the customers they serve because it makes good business sense. A corporate supplier diversity program is not about social justice—it is part of a key business initiative, because people like to do business with people who like to do business with them. Architects that understand this can bring added value to a project. By developing project teams that include consultants and contractors who represent minorities, women, and people with disabilities and who can meet the standards of quality, service, and budget, the architect becomes a valuable strategic partner.

Dawn M. Phillips, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Staff architect, Hickok Cole Architects, Washington, D.C.
I joined the AIA in February to expand my knowledge base and become active in the community. Because the issue of diversity is important to me, I stopped by the Diversity Lounge. As an African-American woman in architecture, it is important to understand that the profession is changing and that the definition of diversity is constantly shifting. Although gender and race remain one of the major challenges within the diversity discussion, other subcategories need to be addressed as well, like the economically disadvantaged and young students who may have only one understanding of the architecture profession. It is up to us to present the profession of architecture as a challenging yet dynamic discipline. We discussed how these issues could begin to be addressed at the grassroots level in our schools of architecture. Overall, from the talks at the Diversity Lounge to sessions on BIM and sustainability to the general session with Andrew Young, I left very encouraged! The issues involving diversity reinforced an overriding idea that a one-size-fits-all solution may not always work. We should, however, begin to understand this issue just as we approach our projects: on a one-to-one basis. I am not saying that we reinvent the wheel, but as a start we first have to acknowledge and address the differences before we can we celebrate and grow from them.