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There has been much discussion raised about "Why are women leaving Architecture? and more broadly, Why is the profession losing key talent?"  Both women and men practitioners are disillusioned by the myth of work/life balance: Women are grappling with "have it all" expectations of juggling family time with the demands of full-time work.  Men are struggling to support their families solely on an architect's salary and fall back on asking spouses to maintain their jobs. The lack of affordable childcare and high cost of living only magnifies the challenges.  How did we end up in this modern family dilemma? What can we do to improve the situation?

#EQxD2020 – Architect Registration Examination (ARE) Challenge Scholarship Program

We are pleased to announce the launch of the #EQxD2020 ARE Challenge Scholarship Program. More scholarships will be available with commitments of co-sponsorship from Architects and Architecture Firms.

The ARE Challenge Scholarship Program recognizes that the effort and expense of the architectural licensing process as a barrier to achieving this professional milestone and that it disproportionately affects candidates of historically underrepresented identities in the profession. In light of the extremely challenging and economically unstable conditions that we are collectively facing, AIASF Equity by Design has established financial assistance scholarships for licensure candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds who are eligible to take the ARE exams.

Selected Recipients of the #EQxD2020 ARE Challenge Scholarship will be reimbursed for three (3) ARE Exams (Value $705 per recipient), regardless of pass or fail status.

We are also seeking AEC co-sponsorship of this program to fund additional ARE Challenge Scholarship recipients; contact Sponsorship@aiasf.org to learn more.

Eligibility:

Scholarship Co-Sponsors -

Thanks to our #EQxD2020 SERIES Champions!

  • Silver Sponsors -

    • HOK

    • SHERWIN WILLIAMS COIL COATINGS

    • OBR Architecture

  • Titanium Sponsors

    • SMARTci

    • AWV

    • PARKLEX USA

    • MORIN

  • Bronze Sponsors -

    • PYATOK

    • CAMERON MACALLISTER

    • SOM

    • SMITHGROUP

    • WRNS STUDIO

#EQxD2020 : "Chart Our Path" Symposium Planning Workshops

Join us for two virtual #EQxD2020 Symposium Planning Workshops to chart our path for 2020!

Monday, April 27th 12-1pm PST or Saturday, May 2nd 2-3pm PST

LAUNCH

The EQxD Core Team began this year excited to explore the evolving connection between just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive architectural practices and processes and an emergent paradigm in our industry that mandates we promote (or prioritize) the well-being of the communities we currently serve, those that have been often overlooked, and the longevity of life on our planet. 

In short, we hoped to expand our exploration of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels of architectural practice, which allow us to create better architecture and actively shape new systems for a better society and shared future in which we can all thrive . By coming together, we hoped to reconnect and learn from one another to find salient intersections between the ways in which we work and relate to one another and our abilities to make a lasting difference in the world. We looked forward to understanding your challenges while also being inspired by your stories, your work, and your commitment to making positive changes, large and small, in your communities. We still do. 

RECALIBRATE

With our daily routines on pause, and perhaps irrevocably altered, each of us have experienced the imperative to reflect on what’s most important, to let go of the things that aren’t, and to foster (virtual!) communities that will enable us to be more effective leaders in an evolving context. 

We also acknowledge that, while our values are unchanged, the current climate has likely caused shifts in what deserves our attention at this particular moment. With this in mind, we would like to come together somewhat sooner than expected to explore our shared agenda and key themes for the #EQxD2020 Symposium (scheduled for November 6-7, 2020). The goal is to work together to build an event that rejuvenates and inspires each of us to continue to have meaning and influence in our practice.

FOCUS

  • What makes us feel authentic? What makes us whole? 

  • What drives each of us personally and professionally in this extraordinary moment? What are our responsibilities to our families, our colleagues, and our communities? 

  • How will this renewed sense of purpose and urgency shape our collective agenda moving forward? 

  • What can we learn from one another and colleagues in allied industries now to ensure that we’re better prepared to champion justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion?

  • How might our time together at the symposium be leveraged to promote lasting, positive changes in ourselves, our families, our communities, our workplace, and our industry?

  • What topics are most critical and/or essential to this dialogue?

DIALOGUE

Please join us to collectively Chart Our Path for 2020. We will be holding two workshops that will explore what guides us as individuals and as a community, as well as to identify the most important issues to address and focus on when we come together later this year . Please use the form linked below to indicate your interest and availability. 

CHART OUR PATH: EQXD 2020

These are extraordinary times. We welcome your participation in planning the next phase of Equity by Design’s work to promote the J.E.D.I. agenda! 

We look forward to collaborating with you.

EQxD Core Team

Thanks to our Early Bird #EQxD2020 Symposium Sponsors

#EQxD2020 - Practice, Process, Paradigm for the J.E.D.I. Agenda

“We grapple with the paradox that tomorrow is not promised, but we make plans anyway.”
— Lin Manuel Miranda

These are extraordinary times. The conditions in which we find ourselves today, while unsettling to many of us, have the potential to severely harm those in our society who are most vulnerable, and often, invisible. In this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to rise to the occasion and become better leaders, champions and advocates to overcome not only the urgent situation of the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also to learn from this monumental challenge and design a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive future for everyone.

#EQxD2020 marks the beginning of a new decade to tackle current and urgent challenges with renewed perspective and a long horizon to advance a better future. We are expanding the agenda of Equity by Design to address the complex conditions and issues we face that will impact our collective well-being: climate uncertainty that affects access to environmental and spatial resources; compounding gaps in social and economic inequality that amplify health and wellness risks which can negatively impact our communities, especially for those among us who are most at risk and under-served. Architecture is a political, social, and economic act. At the intersection of all these drivers is our commitment to champion these issues in the built environment, which are critical to improving the human condition and quality of life for everyone.  

Equity by Design was founded to address and minimize barriers in order to maximize our collective potential for success. We have made great strides to collect and disseminate data, while also creating platforms to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in professions that shape the built environment. In the spirit of expanding our advocacy to sustain the next generation, we must rapidly and effectively shift our thinking. The world is a vital ecosystem that requires us to adopt an intersectional approach to advance the change that is imperative for our success in the future. 


We hope you will join us at #EQxD2020 Symposium on November 7th, 2020. Whether in-person or virtual, we will collaboratively engage in critical discourse about the most urgent and relevant issues of our time. Together, we will develop the J.E.D.I. Agenda: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion frameworks that will be integrated and applied to Resiliency/Sustainability, Health/Wellness and Social/Economic Stability. Organized as three synergistic tracks, Practice, Process, and Paradigm, we will gather in partnership to define solutions within the built environment that advance how the broadest range of constituents can live, practice and thrive.


What is Equity by Design?

#EQxDV 2018 Symposium Video

Get Involved! - Sponsorship Opportunities

We are grateful for the Equity by Design Champions since we started in 2013. In this time of challenge, we look to AEC leaders to support the work head for mobilizing the J.E.D.I. Agenda. Please consider sponsorship to ensure our future success.

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Thanks to our #EQxD2020 Early Bird Champions!

  • Silver Sponsors - HOK

  • Bronze Sponsors - PYATOK

  • Luncheon Sponsor - SHERWIN WILLIAMS COIL COATINGS

  • Lanyards Sponsor - SMARTci

  • Water Bottles Sponsor - AWV

  • Tote Bags Sponsor - PARKLEX USA

  • Reflection Note Pads Sponsor - MORIN