NYC’s black architects honored with new AIA exhibition

Black architects make up only 2 percent of licensed architects in the U.S.

A design by Tonja Adair, a founding principal at Splice Design.
A design by Tonja Adair, a founding principal at Splice Design.

The American Institute of Architects’ New York Chapter is planning to celebrate a vastly underrepresented group in architecture with a new exhibit: “Say It Loud: Distinguished Black Designers of NYCOBA | NOMA.”

It turns out black architects make up only 2 percent of licensed architects working nationwide, and the new exhibit will highlight the work they have done across the city, according to Curbed.

Running through April at the Center for Architecture near NYU, the show will examine the work of 20 black designers. Some of those featured designer include Roberta Washington, Yolande Daniels and Mark Gardner.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

High school student winners of the Jumaane Omar Stewart Award and Diversity in the School of Architecture Award will also have their work exhibited.

“Black and minority architects have a prolific imprint on the built environment. One of my earliest realizations of this occurred while attending the J. Max Bond Jr. memorial in 2009 held here at the Center for Architecture,” Pascale Sablan, an associate at FXFOWLE and the curator of the event told Curbed. “I hope to help others realize this as well. This exhibit highlights and celebrates a few among many such contributions and can serve as a solid stride toward answering the urgent call for inclusive representation and diversity within our profession.” [Curbed]Christopher Cameron