With a focus on cultivating culturally aware thoughts and actions, learn strategies and practices that promote inclusion, reduce bias, improve equity, and create lasting culture change within firms, organizations, and communities. Explore how to foster inclusive leadership and improve cultural competence in architecture both internally within workplaces and externally within the built environment. This course is particularly beneficial for working to address the challenges faced by individuals with nondominant identities—including but not limited to women, immigrants, people with disabilities, single individuals, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and individuals from diverse age groups, educational backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and socioeconomic classes. Course expires 6/26/2027

Over the past half-century, our development policies and practices have led to segregated communities with starkly disparate realities. This trend is creating a society with vast inequalities and institutionalizing these inequalities into the very fabric of American society. Our cities today are struggling to recalibrate our approaches to growth and development so that everyone can participate and share in its benefits. This session will highlight perspectives from community leaders working on the frontlines of anti-displacement and equitable development efforts. It will feature initiatives to heal divides and repair the urban fabric to create more equitable communities. The session will share practical lessons learned from a range of diverse experiences in major American cities that can provide guidance to other community practitioners, designers and civic leaders.  This session was recorded live on May 17, 2023.

The AIA Guides for Equitable Practice make the moral, business, ethical, and societal cases for equitable practice in the profession of architecture. They provide key insights to hear insights on how the guides can change firm culture and create an environment that nurtures retention and inspires limitless thinking. In this course, participants will discover recommendations on how to achieve goals found within the Guides through utilization in practice and as a resource in connecting these goals with the work of their firm/organization. To learn more, check out the supplements on Justice in the Built Environment and Equity in Architectural Education.

Accessibility, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, often appears to be an unsightly afterthought to fulfill the letter of the law. However, when access is intentionally built in the plans, the design can be functional, accessible, and beautiful! Through this presentation, attendees will learn how the principles of accessible design can be attractive and at the same time beneficial in all design contexts. Creating beautiful design that everyone can enjoy changes lives, as it opens vast opportunities that were once closed to many.

Individuals with justice system involvement or individuals impacted by the justice system are among the most disadvantaged populations in the U.S. They often experience complex challenges and harmful stigmas that prevent them from successfully reentering society. These challenges include accessing education, employment, affordable housing, substance abuse treatment, health care, and family services.  Architects have a unique opportunity to help. Learn how the key principles of trauma informed care can inform trauma informed design and create environments that actively address these challenges. Trauma informed design has the potential to significantly improve the health, safety, and well-being of justice-impacted individuals—creating spaces, residences, and facilities that help them become contributing members of society.   This session was recorded live on April 8, 2025.

Join us for a thought-provoking session about improving equitable outcomes through disaster mitigation and preparedness. During this session, we will shine a light on the systemic inequities that hinder equitable preparedness and contribute to disparities in response and recovery outcomes.  Architects play a pivotal role in addressing the needs of communities through community engagement and thoughtful design. We will explore how architects can contribute to enhancing equitable outcomes by actively involving community members, considering their unique perspectives and needs, and designing resilient and inclusive spaces. Additionally, architects can serve as advocates for better policies that prioritize equity in disaster mitigation and preparedness efforts.  To inspire and inform, we will showcase compelling case studies of places that are making strides in providing better outcomes through community preparedness. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in a dynamic discussion on inequities in disaster preparedness and how we can work towards more equitable outcomes.  To explore more resources on how to helping communities before and after disasters, visit aia.org/disaster.

Women have historically been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, driving advancements in patient health, safety, and welfare. From Clara Barton improving healthcare processes to Marie Curie pioneering healthcare technology, Florence Nightingale championing infection control, and countless women advancing evidence-based design, women’s leadership has been transformative.   Join us for a dynamic panel discussion featuring influential women in healthcare design and construction. These trailblazing professionals will share their career journeys, leadership insights, and strategies for overcoming challenges. They will reveal their leadership philosophies, the key lessons they've learned throughout their careers, and their empowering approaches to uplifting others. Whether you’re an established professional or just starting out, this event offers inspiration and practical advice to help you navigate your path to leadership in healthcare design and construction.  This session was recorded live on May 13, 2025.

One of Seattle's newest buildings, the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB), first opened for the fall 2025 academic semester and was designed with a particular emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this session, members of the design team at KieranTimberlake will discuss how they approached the project through the lens of equity in design, the depth and rigor of research involved, and how they applied DEI principles to specific architectural decisions. The panel will also address challenges and solutions from the first phase of delivery, including compromises and adjustments that were made in response to client feedback. This session was recorded live on March 19, 2026.