The American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Diego Chapter has announced a significant change to its committee dedicated to promoting inclusivity, equity, and diversity within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professions. The Women in Architecture (WIA) committee has been renamed to the WE-in-Architecture (WE-A) committee to encourage more diverse participation and representation. By creating a more inclusive space, WE-A hopes to encourage progress and collaboration towards a more equitable future for all.

The decision to rebrand was made by BNIM Pacific Studio Director and AIA San Diego Vice President, Jamie Intervalo, who has been involved with the WIA committee for over a decade and is serving as this years Chair. She realized that the previous name did not reflect the goals of the committee and that it had unintentionally excluded many people who could benefit from its programs and events. WIA has always been dedicated to empowering, cultivating, and celebrating the contributions of women and minorities in the design community; WE-A aims to bring more leaders to the table to make measurable progress towards representation in the profession.

“The AEC process where architects sit across from contractors and owners providing information instead of collaboration is outdated. As architects, engineers, and contractors our worlds are more integrated and diverse than ever before. The rebranded WE-A committee represents a new brand for a knowledge community that discusses thought leadership issues that affect equity, diversity, and inclusion issues across all our disciplines in our built environment – an effort that will take all hands, voices, and faces at the table.” – Jamie Intervalo, AIA LEED AP BD+C, BNIM Pacific Studio Director

The rebranded committee will continue to focus on issues related to equity and inclusion in the AEC industry. However, it will now also invite participation from engineering and contractor partners to represent the diverse staff and leadership within these disciplines. The committee aims to create a space where everyone feels welcome and has a voice to discuss important topics that affect the entire AEC profession. Jamie’s goal for the group is to reintroduce the committee to the AEC community with an open invitation to everyone, starting with an open house event later this month to introduce the new committee goals and gather feedback on relevant topics to discuss this year. The committee will also create a leadership structure that includes two co-vice chairs to ensure diverse representation.

The WE-A committee will hold monthly meetings and quarterly thought leadership events to encourage continued discussion and progress towards creating a more inclusive AEC profession. The committee also plans to share its new concept with AIA California and AIA National to promote inclusivity on a larger scale. Their first Open House event will take place Thursday, March 30, and invites all from across disciplines to network, meet like-minded professionals, and hear from the community.

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Click here to register for the Open House event.