Diversity by Design – Design Excellence Conference 2021

Diversity by Design – Design Excellence Conference Recording August 18th 2021
Of the 1,166 AIA Austin members, only 14 are black and of those only two are women. There is a clear lack of equity and diversity in our community although we believe that design is for everyone. “As makers of place and transforming of environments that really means engaging all communities and not just the select” Maija Kreishman, Managing Partner Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. The AIA Austin Women in Architecture committee created the “Profiles” interview series to ask firm leaders in Austin and across Texas why diversity matters and what are firms doing to address it through their firm culture? WIA will present the full compilation of interviews, followed by a live panel discussion with the firm leaders featured in the film. We will discuss what action firms can take to make more equitable work environments and how we can begin to design for a more equitable city by approaching diversity as best practice. “Design has the power to inform more equitable, resilient, sustainable, and relevant built environments for the increasingly multicultural population of our nation” Rosa Sheng.