Equity Now
Design for all
Every solution we create is a chance to affirm that everyone deserves to be seen and included. That takes questioning old assumptions, listening more carefully and making design decisions that actively uplift people and communities.
For us, that means a Living-Centered Design process that amplifies the voices of the communities we're designing for — so we can create systems, spaces and structures that dismantle barriers rather than preserve them.
A clinic improving health outcomes for Black mothers. A courtroom designed around dignity and social justice. A mobile museum empowering people to stand up against hate. A strategy for providing supportive care to vulnerable and unhoused people. We’re still early in our journey, but we’re unrelenting in our drive to design for equity now.
Explore the ideas, people and projects pushing equitable design forward across our firm.
Testimonials
-
If you're not designing with an inclusive process, then you're not intentionally and actively being inclusive. If the right people aren't in the room, if you don't know what you don't know, then you aren't giving the project every opportunity to succeed for all it serves. Inclusion and inclusive design are completely interdependent.
Marisa Nemcik, AIA, WELL AP Client Leader -
Advocating for equitable design is pivoting away from the notion that the way we design for the privileged few is fundamentally different than how we design for everyone else. Everyone should be entitled to good design. Everyone should be entitled to beautiful spaces — and we need to demonstrate that.
Allison Mendez, AIA Design Leader -
Designing for diverse communities starts with having teams that reflect that diversity — and we know we still have work to do. But we're doing the work by diversifying our workforce and building strong partnerships through our Inclusive Partner Program. This unique program helps us connect with minority-owned firms and build relationships that make our work — and our impact — stronger.
Sharla Toller, J.D. Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Equity matters
>50%
More than 50 percent of college students feel excluded based on some aspect of their identity according to Hanover Research.
We worked with York University to address this reality by designing its second student center—one of the most inclusive education buildings in the world.
2x
Black women experience more than 2x the infant mortality rate than white women. In parts of St. Louis, the mortality rate is higher than it is in some third world countries.
We partnered with Jamaa Birth Village to upend these statistics with its new Equal Access Midwifery Clinic.
1 in 44
The CDC reports that 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The CHOC Thompson Autism Center is one of only a few facilities in the country dedicated to diagnosing, managing and treating ASD.
Our actions
Our responsibility as a design firm is to create more equitable pathways to success for underrepresented groups. We do that with the equitable solutions we create, but also in the ways we champion an inclusive environment within our firm. We’ve made noteworthy progress on this long, complex journey, and we still have a long way to go.
