The office setting is a meeting place of people from diverse backgrounds, rich in culture and lived experiences. Employers and employees must find ways to continue to celebrate and uplift diverse voices while challenging xenophobia and unconscious bias head on. In this session, panelists from academia, AEC-affiliate industries, and architecture firms will discuss how to cultivate belonging in the workplace. Our panelists will pull from AIA’s most recent research study, “An Investigation into Bias in the Architecture Profession,” which reveals data on racial and gender-based bias in architecture.   

An architect’s journey, starting in school, through licensure, and into practice, can be rewarding and simultaneously challenging. The culture of work in architecture sets a high bar for performance standards. It is a creative industry that requires rigorous attention to detail while upholding the health, safety, and welfare of people in the built environment. For students, emerging professionals, women, and BIPOC individuals, there is mounting pressure to excel, resulting in dedicated action to prevent extreme burnout, exhaustion, and mental fatigue. Join this group of panelists who will have an open and honest dialogue on mental health and well-being and will talk about opportunities for improvement and examples of firm leaders leading within their firms.

Gender. Race. Identity. We all wear multiple hats and represent a mixed bag of roles: architect, mom, friend, sister, daughter. Stories give voice to the rich diversity of our world and honor our shared humanity. We invite you to hear powerful stories from women who have built design practices and nonprofits around the unique identity of their respective communities. Alicia Ponce, AIA, is the founder of her firm APMonarch and the nonprofit Arquitina, and she is the author of Latinas in Architecture. April De Simone is a principal at Trahan Architects and founder of designing the WE, a for-benefit social design studio. Tamarah Begay, AIA, is the founder of Indigenous Design Studio + Architecture, a Navajo woman-owned architectural firm. And our moderator, Tiara Hughes, is the founder of The First 500, a community of Black women architects. Let us honor the women who are bravely breaking stereotypes and glass ceilings. 

There are more women in leadership positions across all industries than at any point in history. In the architecture, engineering, construction, and planning network, project teams are taking on a different look—more women are in meeting rooms and in the construction trailer. While there is still a long way to go to close the wage gap and reduce biases in the workplace, we would like to honor some of the women pioneers who’ve paved a path for the next generation. Our panelists will talk about their personal and professional journeys, share lessons learned, and offer their perspectives on the future of women in the workplace.