Author: Jon Bell

Victor Gonzalez, Assoc. AIA, NOMA
AIA Colorado J.E.D.I. Committee Member + Editorial Representative
Davis Partnership Architects

“Throughout my experience in the practice of architecture I have found myself holding back from bringing my full identity into my work. As a Mexican queer professional, I believe the first barrier encountered is the draining biased standard of “professionalism”. The culture that has resulted from this so-called “professionalism” is rooted in white supremacy or the systemic, institutionalized centering of whiteness. In the practice and culture of architecture this may be seen as the belief that traditional standards and values are objective and unbiased. As a result, it has affected the way I present myself in the context of white and Western standards of dress, hairstyle, and overall communication.

I have stopped myself mid-sentence from speaking Spanish to my Spanish-speaking colleagues because of the uneasiness I’ve noticed in the facial expressions of those who don’t speak Spanish. How is a diverse professional expected to bring their full identity if the environment they are in is not suited to embrace their cultural difference? Language is a form of expression and allows a greater connection with a person who has a similar cultural background. On the other hand, speaking a different language that is not understood by the majority of those around and may come off as disrespectful. This perception of “disrespect” circles back to how there is a constant enforcement of a biased standard of “professionalism” in the workforce.

Once there is a greater conversation hosted around the problematic elements of how professionalism is defined, there can be a shift that allows other minorities to bring their authentic and rich backgrounds into their work. If there is not a greater analysis of the practice and its norms, there will continue to be the same shared unfortunate experiences for minorities.”

Wells Squier, AIA
AIA Colorado President
Principal, Anderson Hallas Architects

“After much contemplation and introspection, I can’t recall any professional experience where I felt I could not bring my full identity to work. I recognize my alignment with the stereotypical image of what an architect might “look” like: a white male that wears eyeglasses. Also, as previously shared in the first article of the series, early exposure to the profession facilitated my career development path. Adding my ethnicity and gender to this equation, it is apparent to me how that greatly amplified my access to career advancing opportunities, while many had to navigate through roadblocks and prejudices.

This is a challenging profession, and like anyone who is passionate about our profession and the responsibility it demands, I have worked very hard to advance and shape the career that is most meaningful to me. That said, it is quite humbling to consider the additional challenges so many of our colleagues have had to endure to achieve similar advancement in their careers. The demands of the profession are challenging enough, even before considering what it would be like to also have to navigate through stereotypes, prejudices, and racial and gender inequality injustices.

I sincerely believe the work we do as architects is enhanced through greater diversity and perspectives of those in practice. To successfully address the current challenges we face in the realm of housing, justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and the environment, we need to embrace diversity more aggressively as a profession, and celebrate everyone’s sincere and full identity as humans and architects. It is our responsibility to mentor and help develop the next generation of leaders while being inclusive of all races, genders and identities. There is zero room in our profession for bias against diversity; we need to continue to rewrite the outdated and excluding stereotype that architecture is a white male profession. Wherever and however possible, those in our community with the ability to share knowledge, provide opportunities and open doors for those who have been historically underrepresented must do so. It is this diversity that will allow us as a profession to continue to be effective in leading the response to the many challenges we face as humans.”

“For this third question, I cannot help but think about the stories of my fellow NOMA Colorado Members. Since starting our chapter and being part of leadership, we have heard so much from our minority members about the vast experiences and difficulties they have faced. Most of those experiences underline that as minorities, we have been victims of micro-aggressions or discrimination due to our true selves being unacceptable at work. When the majority finds shock, confusion, or even outrage from the very evidence that our diversity presents, we recede, we mask, and we hide the parts that don’t make the cut.

We are not coming to work with our full selves. Almost daily and since the moment we start in architecture, we have given up some piece of our identity to survive in this industry. If you are caught between needing a job in architecture and not being a white male, you have given up some essence of yourself to feel secure in that position. Historically and even currently, surviving has come at the cost of leaving some part of us — some piece of our culture, race, gender, age, or identity — at home. We have been hiding our accents, our hair, our food, and anything else; to relieve the majority from having to accept what it truly means to be diverse and inclusive.

Other shared experiences include most minorities sacrificing the correct pronunciations of their names to be more agreeable and not face unwanted situations. We avoid saying certain words because our unique accents are too thick and we frequently code-switch during conversations. We avoid eating our favorite salmon dish because it is just a faux pas in America, and we politely tuck in our tight coiled hair for fear of someone asking to touch it.

So was there a time we had to hide our true identity from coming to work? Yes, many.

Sarah Broughton, FAIA
AIA Colorado President-Elect
Principal, Rowland+Broughton

“I understand that as a privileged, professional white woman, I have more opportunity to bring my full identity to my work. I feel fortunate and aim to create approachability and openness to all in our profession and beyond. My identity is rooted in curiosity, big-heartedness, and a sincerely positive forward-looking outlook. Through reflection, processing, and action, I have developed strategies to temper situations where everyone, including myself, can be more at ease and bring personal identities.

I have a big personality, which is interpreted by some as too assertive or intense. In those and other situations where it feels I can’t bring my full-self, I identify and align with common core values so it is possible to establish understanding and flow so good work can be completed in a fun, positive, and collaborative manner. I focus on the aspects of the project where my professional view and ethos will make the biggest impact and let other things become less of a priority. It is not apathy or quiet quitting, but rather preserving integrity and joy in the work.

My identity continues to evolve as I grow and gain experience. Recognizing when I am going through transition allows me to better share who I am with my teams and clients through my actions. My hope is this openness gives permission to others to share where they are in their journey, creating deeper respect for each other’s identity. We become and put forth our best selves and the work excels when we can all be our true selves.”

Kari Lawson, Assoc. AIA
AIA Colorado Associate Director
Designer, TreanorHL

“Bringing your “whole self” is now a major topic in the workplace and it’s an important part of bringing people together. I have witnessed that better synergies for collaborative work can be created by embracing authenticity and vulnerability. Fortunately, I’ve had many opportunities to express myself through my work in my professional career. I feel that it is one of my most valued assets and when my personal identity is supported it allows me to fully invoke my passions and strengths.

I’ve learnt several crucial insights when working on small project teams through the years. A particular lesson came from a project team based on personality types. As an INTP, I value information gathering and construction of a vision plan that moves from macro to micro and back again. The project was centered around a minority community with a desired solution that would be culturally sensitive, equitable, and engaging. If a cohesive vision is not established from the start, small project teams can be challenging. Almost immediately the team was split into factions and as the person with the least experience, my perspective was void. There was a breakdown in communication due to bruised egos and while the primary functions were addressed, there were three very different visual representations of the building. The result was a testament to brutalist architecture with an indifference to human scale, the complete opposite of the intended cultural hub.

Being a disruptor instead of being a wallflower would have saved us from a harsh critique. The teams were grouped in a way that an INTP should be invoking the spirit of “why?” and fostering that collaborative nature. By agreeing that my experience level was more important than my perspective and identity, I felt I failed in that task.

The lesson learnt was that my identity is a crucial distinctive component to creative problem solving. Ignoring my identity for the sake of others’ comfort will never result in an outcome that I am proud of. Growth occurs when you are learning to accomplish something you have never done before. Fully embracing my identity is part of that process of discovery, as is knowing that without that vital aspect, my work is just a job.”

Kari Lawson, Assoc. AIA
AIA Colorado Associate Director
Designer, TreanorHL

“We can always improve our ability to empathize with people from different backgrounds. A passion for architecture can begin at any time with any one person, and it is critical to value that perspective. It is also necessary to recognize that architecture is an important humanistic undertaking that affects the destiny of all.

Architecture often feels elitist whereas the quality of a designer is determined by their schooling and their professional network. Not every person has the resources and guidance to make it all the way to the finish line and often this disadvantage falls onto minorities. Meeting people where they are and fostering encouraging environments is hugely important. This country has a strong foothold in systematic segregation practices which has major impacts on access to education. Developing robust institutional partnerships within minority communities can help bridge this gap. We can improve the accessibility of our profession by tailoring support to include reducing inequalities of participation, bolstering scholarships, and establishing visibility of equal representation. Mentorship can be as simple as a conversation and there is a strong need for access/investment. Volunteering our time and knowledge to these communities can change the demographics of the architecture profession profoundly.

Recruitment incentives and bias practices have also had an overwhelming impact on architecture. The unpaid or non-livable wage internship can be a barrier of access for minority communities without the appropriate support systems. Poor advising has also affected who can and who cannot be a part of this occupation. A diverse profession requires professionals to become more aware of how attitudes and beliefs may stigmatize others and impact recruitment. Being intentional and conscious about the words and phrases used on the daily are also an important factor for fostering a diverse environment.

Another obstacle to overcome is avoiding the glass cliff, but first we must lay the groundwork for success. We are approaching a moment beyond the glass ceiling where more diverse and minority candidates are entering the field. The glass cliff is when these candidates are more likely to be pressed into leadership roles with high risks for failure without a secure support system or foundation. Strategic hiring of minorities during a firm’s crisis can be interpreted as exploitation. High expectations can induce an exaggeration of error which places significantly underrepresented minorities at a larger disadvantage compared to their peers. A lack of achievement may manifest into further bias in the future hiring of minorities and could create —or exacerbate— a toxic culture. It is important to build equitable relationships to promote an inclusive workplace from within so that the strategy for positioning is well thought out and genuine.

I understand that there is no one solution to the complicated problem of integration within our profession. We can approach diversity improvement by examining the tiers of education, recruitment, and professional advancement. Improving representation in the industry will ultimately yield better access to design with a rise in innovative and unique perspectives.”

Victor Gonzalez, Assoc. AIA, NOMA
AIA Colorado J.E.D.I. Committee Member + Editorial Representative
Davis Partnership Architects

“I believe that in order to start breaking down barriers for minorities in architecture we need to focus on education.

The first step in breaking down barriers for minorities in architecture is the acknowledgment and conversation of how systemic racism is present in the built environment and the profession. This step should be taken in the early phases of education and must be acknowledged throughout our architectural post-secondary education. Acknowledging how this issue is apparent in our industry helps provide some clarity on how systemic racism throughout architecture has affected minorities in the past and present. What this approach also accomplishes is a step towards combating the unconscious bias that transpires throughout professional practice towards minorities.

The issue of systemic racism and how it is apparent throughout architecture is not analyzed enough to make any progress towards a more inclusive profession. For that same reason it is the primary cause for why minorities in this profession continue to face the same barriers generation after generation. Having these difficult and uncomfortable conversations should not be looked over but be conducted in order to make any significant progress for minorities.”

Wells Squier, AIA
AIA Colorado President
Principal, Anderson Hallas Architects

“It is my opinion that diversity of experiences and perspectives contributes to better design. As a profession we must encourage and support more diversity to help us all address and respond in meaningful and effective ways to the unique challenges we are facing with regard to climate action and societal inequities that persist. I believe for all of us who care about our profession and its ongoing legacy, the future we will continue to define must consciously think about how to break down barriers wherever and however possible. We need a movement of change, where we all recognize the problem, commit to actions we can control, and affect measurable improvement. I also recognize the challenges and ambiguity of this statement. I believe this will need to happen on many different levels and scales.

We need to continue to recognize and celebrate the achievements of minority architects and expose minority youth to these achievements. We need to tell the stories of minority architects like Paul Revere Williams, Loise Harris Brown, Philip Freelon, and many others who persevered to achieve success in our profession, despite the many obstacles and challenges they faced. We must inspire more youth to follow in these footsteps, while seeking out ways to instill from a young age that the pursuit of architecture is an achievable path for them. For me, along with many others in the Denver architecture community, this has included volunteer work with elementary school aged kids where we introduce them to the profession of architecture and help them realize that this is an achievable aspiration for them.

As I discussed in my response to last month’s question, I was inspired to pursue architecture from a young age due to exposure, and I never wavered in my own focus to achieve that goal. How can we collectively help inspire younger people who otherwise might not have the exposure to our profession from a young age? How do we create these opportunities for inspiration? I believe the answer (or at least a significant part of the answer) to this month’s question must include a broader discussion of how we as professionals can connect with minority youth to inspire, challenge, and support them from an early age. I also believe this is a responsibility of all of us who are passionate about our profession and who have the opportunity to open doors for others within our practices.”

“As a profession, we break down barriers for minorities in architecture when we all, individually, engage in doing so. We as designers of the built environment need to stand up for what we believe is right, especially in the workplace where it is easy to hide behind company decisions. It takes consistent, persistent change to break down the barriers that have defined our practice and have held back minorities for so long. Yes, many barriers still exist and are being created, from systemic to targeted levels, and the individual can make those types of barriers thrive. We all have a voice, whether it is for this mission or inadvertently for something else, and we should employ it for the sake of others. We need allies who can remain honest to their dedication to change and to practicing the change that will allow minorities to overcome. We cannot waiver when our commitment to making equitable spaces is tested. We cannot waiver when a new policy in our office only works for the majority, when a POC interviewing for a new position does not make “the culture fit,” or when we forget our colleague’s pronouns again. If we all follow through with the subtle, delicate parts of breaking these barriers down, we will change the profession of architecture for everyone.

On a firm level, there are many things we can do. We can commit to creating transparent promotion processes, sponsor minorities financially for career-building opportunities outside of our minority networks, and actually pay our employees for the time needed to participate in initiatives being put in place to change this profession. When it comes time to support your community through outreach, like NOMA’s Project Pipeline, play an active role in organizing, and be there to patch the holes in the pipeline. As a profession, we can be accountable to our organizations when we are following through or not, no matter what level of leadership or years of experience.

We will break down barriers when we stop putting them up. It is easy to be complacent and comfortable continuing the way we practice and accepting the current conditions challenging our minorities within the profession. We should continue to question the structure of this industry and the motivations around our traditional work cultures. The profession should not seek to forget the past; it should remain woke to what it has learned from listening to and believing our BIPOC community. To continue breaking down barriers, we should remember that everyone has a place in architecture. We must never forget architecture is for everyone; we all have a relationship with the built environment, and there are barriers architects should never design to build.”

Sarah Broughton, FAIA
AIA Colorado President-Elect
Principal, Rowland+Broughton

“Barriers for minorities in architecture can be broken down by increasing exposure to what architecture is starting very early. Our firm is involved with the CAL Program (Cleworth Architectural Legacy Project) in Denver that exposes diverse dual language and minority K-8 classrooms to architecture education, inspiring learners to think critically about our built environment. This early hands-on experience fosters possibilities and dreams. The exposure must continue and the curtain be pulled back, casting a wide net into our communities and populations. I remember as a senior in high school, I approached my calculus teacher with a list of professions. He took the time to listen to me and understand my aptitudes and suggested that architecture was a good fit. How can we partner with high schools to make architecture well known and a profession that is viable and meaningful to their students? How do we partner with community programs to embrace diversity and expose the greater population to architecture? One example is the work my firm does with the Aspen Art Museum on a series of workshops on architecture that are open to all community members and give visibility to our profession.

A huge barrier to our profession is the cost of education. We need to continue to hire and write our job descriptions to allow for bachelor’s degrees and on the job training as the prerequisite for advancement. Too often, I speak with emerging professionals who think that the path to licensing and a career in architecture is through more education (and often suffocating debt). We need to be open to various paths, openly discuss them, and provide multiple examples of how to achieve success as an architect.

We as a profession need to continue to be open and collaborative. Architecture is about people and problem solving. By increasing visibility of what we do and how we do it, it will inspire dreams and continue to encourage architects to remain in the profession. We need to give permission to participate and ask questions. We need to refrain from preaching what it was like when we started in the profession (times have changed, that is inevitable). We need to encourage multiple viewpoints and paths to a fulfilling architectural career. We need to be generous with our mentoring and telling our story, because our journeys are diverse and hopefully your journey inspires the next architect to jump in!”

Sarah Broughton, FAIA
AIA Colorado President-Elect
Principal, Rowland+Broughton

“Curiosity is the root of creativity. I have always been curious and ask a lot of questions. This allows me to listen to everyone around me and to seek out opinions. It also adds in lots of observations! College was a huge exposure to the world of design. Upon graduation, I won a design competition and was awarded an internship with EDAW (now AECOM) in their Sydney, Australia, office under the helm of a great female leader, Jacinta McCann. Jacinta took me to meetings and gave me responsibility. She showed me how to be an equal design partner. 

After Australia, I moved to New York City. I landed a job with Kliment Halsband Architects. I immediately started working with Frances Halsband, FAIA, who at the time, had already been New York’s first female AIA President and was continuing to trailblaze women in architecture. Frances taught me how to dig deep and be a comprehensive designer. Through more practice and understanding, my contributions became more valuable. My interest was met with openness and knowledge sharing.

I continue to draw on the lessons these great women leaders gave to me and am thankful for their mentorship and patience to train me. Through living in great, diverse metropolitan cities to being an avid traveler meeting new people and cultures, my career continues to be enhanced. I remain curious, ask a lot of questions, and seek multiple viewpoints and experiences—always with the intention of being more open and contributing.”

Kari Lawson, Assoc. AIA
AIA Colorado Associate Director
Designer, TreanorHL

“Diversity is not a matter of opinion for me—it is my entire life and my cultural outlook. My experience as a Black woman in this industry has exposed me to many different opportunities where I’ve needed to acclimate to foreign environments. I’ve always interpreted these instances as a positive in my growth and molding in my career. My studies at Auburn were the catalyst and most impactful to this exposure.

I recall participating in an interdisciplinary charrette with landscape designer Walter Hood for a Birmingham farmers market. This was the first time I had worked with designers who looked like me. I most remember the passion and explorative creative thought in the question: ‘What if?’ A light came on in my head, and the energy of the work was finally palpable. I had become accustomed to believing in my ideas or myself as the garnish or side dish to the main event. Yet in a single moment, I realized that there is validity in my thought process and how depriving sharing these expressions is only a detriment to the creative problem solving required. This is one example where my only wish was that I was more insightful, more involved, and more confident. I came away from it with the idea to ‘leave it all on the table.’

Currently, I don’t have as many opportunities to get that kind of exposure, but I realize I can be that experience or person for others. It brings me to a position as a contributor, which is incredibly important and necessary. My diverse experiences have empowered me in that while my place at the table revolves, the importance of contributing my thoughts remains just as important.”