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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 : "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

A Tribute to Sandra I. Vivanco, AIA, SEED

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Sandra I. Vivanco - our dear friend and accomplished architect, dedicated professor and leading champion for equity, diversity and inclusion in academia as well as the built environment.

Sandra was an integral and frequent collaborator with AIA San Francisco’s Equity by Design Committee.  We will miss Sandra’s tenacity, passion, and endearing warmth. We are motivated to honor the values she lived by, in particular, giving voice to and creating opportunities for the communities of color, students, and collaborators in the broader architecture, engineering and construction space.

In the coming days and weeks, we will be collaborating with a larger community of friends and equity champions that Sandra inspired to synchronize a tribute befitting the energy and passion she invested into everything she touched. 

The EQxD Core Team

If you have memories that you would like to share in tribute, please send to: lia.sfcommittee@gmail.com

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Sandra I. Vivanco was the founding principal of A+D, Architecture + Design in San Francisco. Based on the premise that inclusiveness and design excellence can and should co-exist, the work of A+D is globally recognized and operates at multiple scales. As one of a handful of Latina-owned architecture firms in the country, A+D explored cultural identity representation as design inspiration for new and invigorated public spaces. Vivanco practiced architecture in Japan, Portugal, Peru, Italy, Mexico and Brazil. Most notably, she worked for Portuguese Pritzker prize winner Alvaro Siza in 1990.

Widely recognized as a rigorous modern architect with a deep commitment to public work, Vivanco was also well known as a LatinX cultural expert with profound knowledge of modern art and architecture in Latin America. She was the Architect of Record for The Mexican Museum in San Francisco, due to open in 2020. Vivanco was selected Architect of Community as one of 10 Architects to Watch featured in California Home & Design magazine in 2010. In 2017, she received the Education Award in the AIA San Francisco Community Alliance Awards program.

As a California College of the Arts Professor of Architecture and Diversity Studies and Co-Director of the CCA BuildLab; Vivanco skillfully synthesized theory and practice in her work. Sometimes design proposals start in the classroom and are deployed as design-build projects. Other times a professional commission might find a different life in an academic studio. Two successful examples include the permanent built interventions by her students at Plaza Adelante - a community service and art center for LatinX immigrants - and an urban design studio proposing a temporary global event on 38 acres of waterfront remediated land owned by PG&E. Vivanco was a San Francisco Mission neighborhood resident and activist, an avid dancer, loving wife/partner, and proud mother of two public school graduates.