By Huma Husain, Assoc. AIA and Lucia M. Aguirre, AIA
The Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects – AIA Pittsburgh – turned 125 years old this year, an important milestone to celebrate the great work and advocacy that its members and architectural community have cultivated over more than a century. This vibrant community is also more diverse than ever, however, this was not the case in its humble beginnings or for many decades after. It is important to look back and understand the challenges and lessons of a profession and a chapter that is still becoming a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable organization.
While membership at the AIA has grown steadily over the years at the local, state, and national level, women and minorities were rare in the architecture profession until the mid-1960s. A catalyst was Whitney M. Young, a civil rights leader who was invited by then AIA President, Robert Durham, to deliver a keynote speech at AIA’s 1968 National Convention in Portland, Oregon. Young had a reputation for being an inspirational and forthright speaker. In his speech, Young said:
“.…One need only take a casual look at this audience to see that we have a long way to go in this field of integration of the architects. I almost feel like Mr. Stanley is looking for Dr. Livingston—in reverse—in Africa. I think I did see one and wanted to rush up and say: Dr. Livingston, I presume….”
In a matter of weeks, AIA officials rose to Young’s challenge to make the architectural field more diverse by launching a task force on equal opportunity to open the profession to minority groups and develop architecture programs to improve lives in impoverished urban neighborhoods.This group would partner with VISTA, a precursor to AmeriCorps, to create dozens of community design centers in American cities and also work with the Urban League to increase professional opportunities for minority architects.
At that same 1968 AIA convention, two key resolutions were passed: Resolution 10 established a national scholarship program for disadvantaged minority groups studying architecture (over two thousand scholarships have been awarded since). While Resolution 13 urged architects to become personally involved in current issues. In addition, a new AIA diversity scholarship was established in 1969-1970, with a grant from the Ford Foundation. It aimed to support talented young architects who had been previously excluded from the field. The program also helped accredited architecture schools serving minority populations.
Later in 1971, 12 African American architects formed NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) after recognizing the desperate need for an organization dedicated to the development and advancement of minority architects. NOMA now has 26 chapters and 500 members globally. Its strength lies in unity and their advocacy against apathy, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance; against abuse of the natural environment; and for the un-empowered, the marginalized and the disenfranchised.
Calls for inclusivity in the 70s, 80s and 90s
After the seeds were planted by Whitney M. Young in 1968, the “Pittsburgh Architect’s Workshop” was created in our region, which evolved into Pittsburgh’s Community Design Center where many chapter members served and did pro bono design in underserved neighborhoods along with VISTA volunteers. However, as similar design centers started to grow across the country, it would take a decade for other efforts to take effect. Nationally it wasn’t until 1975 that the AIA recommended a commitment to integrate women and minorities into the architectural profession and hired Robert Coles, a black architect that was to lead the AIA as deputy vice president for minority affairs. And then it wasn’t until some years later that this call trickled down to local Chapters, mainly because the organization first needed to understand the current minority demographics in order to serve them better. For this, a four-year affirmative action plan was issued to develop a master plan for minority awareness. In Pittsburgh it wasn’t until October 1980, after the AIA National Convention in Cincinnati, that it was shared how a network of women architects would be established for such a purpose: The Women in Architecture Task Force. Henceforth the number of women and minorities, as well as identification of other equity representation in society, began to take shape.
For example:
- Local Chapters started to elevate women and people of color into Board and leadership positions and began offering development opportunities, career resources, and a peer network.
- Membership updates showed more consistently new Minority Associates and full AIA Members joining Chapters.
- Chapters began engaging with K-12 and higher education to expand inclusiveness and diversity.
- 1981 was declared the “International Year of Disabled Persons”, an observance that is now celebrated yearly on December 3rd.
By 1988 the AIA celebrated a century of women achievements, and our Pittsburgh Chapter marked the milestone by dedicating their whole May issue of COLUMNS to local women and their accomplishments – 7% of the total local membership were women at that time (compared to 23% today). Sixty female architects showed up that year at the first gathering of Pittsburgh area women in architecture, held at the offices of Poli and Madigan. Two years later one of those women became the first female President of AIA Pittsburgh, Marsha Berger, who went on to also be the first female President of AIA Pennsylvania. AIA Pittsburgh had a strong showing of women breaking the gender barrier to be AIA PA President, as Maureen Guttman and Gwen (Williams) Dakis soon followed Marsha.
While getting more women involved was underway, people of color still lagged behind. Even with the formation of NOMA in 1971 (National Organization of Minority Architects), and BWA in 1991 (Black Women in Architecture), only about 2% of total registered architects in the 1990s was Black, much less other demographics like Latino or Asian – something that remains endemic to this day. AIA Pittsburgh’s first (and only to date) Black President was Bill Bates, FAIA, in 1987. Bill went on to be AIA PA President in 1990 and again in 2010, and AIA National President in 2019.
Advocacy Organizations in the 2000s
The 2000s brought new energy to the diversity movement by ushering updated and new committees and programs to its advocacy mix. For example:
- WIA: The Women in Architecture (WIA) Committee, which promotes female leaders in the architecture profession, focusing on mentorship, licensure, and networking in allied design and building industries.
- WID: Women in Design, a diverse community focused on networking, professional development, education, mentorship, and recognition.
- NOMA’s local Pittsburgh Chapter was established in 2014.
Separately, Carnegie Mellon University ran the “UDream” program from 2009 to 2018, which increased racial diversity in Pittsburgh’s architecture and urban design fields by over 400%. This career pipeline program provided mentorship and opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) participants while bringing top talent to the region. Recently in June 2023, UDream welcomed 15 graduates of architecture, design, and urban planning programs for a 22-week post-graduate program at the CMU School of Architecture, focusing on candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
EDI Today and Tomorrow
AIA Pittsburgh created the EDI Community (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) in 2019 with a focus on engaging with local constituents to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into the professional field of Architecture and Design. This includes efforts to dismantle barriers to entry into the field, improve retention rates, increase diversity of professional representation, and support inclusive policies for underrepresented groups.
Over the past few years, this group has partnered with AIA Pennsylvania, the Small Firm Exchange, NOMA, and many local practitioners and organizations to keep the conversation going and provide assistance to community members. While there are still many things the group wants to achieve, it is inspiring to hear that local and community efforts are helping create the change we seek.
Earlier last month AIA National released its 2023 Demographics Report, which noted that for the first time women account for more than a quarter (26.8%) of its membership, while underrepresented racial and ethnic groups grew to almost 20% (17.9%). This shows that having initiatives matter, that inviting folks to the table and elevating them to leadership roles matter, and that visibility will invite others to join the cause. While EDI efforts still have a ways to go, we should celebrate these measures of success as we reflect on AIA Pittsburgh’s quasquicentennial anniversary. If we all continue doing our part to support these efforts, it will be for the benefit of our field, practice, and community at large.
AIA Pittsburgh was founded with five members in 1891 and received official State recognition and its Pennsylvania Charter in 1899. Today, it serves an 11-county area in southwestern Pennsylvania and has approximately 600 members.
We know many other people added to the diversity and advancement of our community. Do you have information to add to this article? Send it to info@aiapgh.org.