Over the course of the last 14 months, the AIA’s Equity in Architecture Commission has grappled with how to improve and expand the organization’s commitment to increasing inclusion, equity and diversity in the discipline. Composed of architects, educators and diversity experts, the Commission was formed in 2015 to address diversity issues in architecture—a field with a significant gender gap (in the profession, not in academia), and minority underrepresentation.
The recommendations made by the Committee include:
- Make equity, diversity, and inclusion a core value for the Board of Directors
- Measure and report how EDI (Equity, Diversion, Inclusion) permeates the AIA
- Launch EDI training for AIA volunteers and components
- Create guides for equitable, diverse, and inclusive practice
- Create a position paper on EDI and the profession
- Develop a firm self-assessment tool
- Require EDI data as part of AIA awards submissions
- Advocate for a more accessible path to higher education
- Engage children with K-12 architecture programs
- Tell our stories
- Ensure that AIA publications reflect EDI
Check out the full report here.