Final Three Chapters of “Guides for Equitable Practice” are Available Online

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the University of Washington are releasing three final chapters of the “Guides for Equitable Practice”.

“Guides for Equitable Practice” were developed in partnership with the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota to improve firm culture and to build equity, diversity and inclusion in the architecture profession. Specifically, the guides are intended to be a resource for applying principles of inclusion and equity in attaining a professional work environment, building fluency in intercultural competency, improving cultural awareness, and for developing and retaining employees.

The final set of chapters released focus on developing employee career paths; building and involving authentic community engagement and measuring firm progress in developing equitable practices. Previously released chapters cover:

• Increasing intercultural competence and reducing bias
• Managing workplace culture
• Establishing parity in compensation
• Attracting and retaining talent using equitable recruitment and retention practices
• Adopting equitable and inclusive negotiation skills
• Mentoring and sponsoring employees to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive

Guides were developed using current research on gender, race and culture in the U.S. They include perspectives from architects on what equity, diversity and inclusion mean as well as moral, business, ethical and societal cases that can help individuals, architecture firms and others build equity in their organizations.

“Guides for Equitable Practice” are one component of the AIA’s commitment to work with members to overcome inequities and advance the profession. In 2015, AIA formed the Equity in Architecture Commission to address broader concerns about the equitable practice of architecture. The development of the guides was one of the Commission’s 11 recommendations adopted by the AIA Board of Directors.

In 2017, the work of the Equity in Architecture Commission was assumed by the AIA Equity and the Future of Architecture Committee. The committee is tasked with helping implement its recommendations and tackling other equity, diversity, inclusion and workforce issues.

Learn more about the Guides for Equitable Practice online.