I Am AIA:

Becca Book

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As an urban planner and architect, Becca seeks to apply her design expertise and research and analytical skills to create resilient, equitable places. Her background in architecture and urban planning advises her passion for integrating active transportation and green infrastructure to create connected communities and local ecosystems that improve wellbeing. Her commitment to culturally sensitive, community-based design has informed multiple affordable housing projects in the Puget Sound region, a 1300-acre land plan in Hawaii, and a heritage-based urban development plan in Karnataka, India.

WHY DID YOU JOIN AIA SEATTLE?

AIA Seattle allows me to meet with and learn from members with a shared interest in design and sustainability. It provides a venue to grow these relationships through engaging conversations around the challenges facing the profession, and the opportunities to improve access to and the quality of our neighborhoods and cities. It also provides an institutional framework for members to help develop and promote policies that create more resilient and sustainable communities.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

I help communities realize their values in the built environment.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TODAY?

Walking to a grocery store across a new multi modal street under construction along a bustling sidewalk filled with people from all walks of life.

HAS YOUR CAREER TAKEN YOU ANYWHERE YOU DIDN’T EXPECT?

I got my M.S. Urban Planning at the same time as my Masters of Architecture because I wanted to better understand the infrastructure network and systems of power that influence what we do as a designers. After seven years of architecture school and five years at a design firm, I realized my skills and interests were better suited to developing planning initiatives and communicating the benefits of community investments to elected officials and the public.

WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE AIA SEATTLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

AIA Seattle has provided me with a venue to explore how local policies shape the built environment, and to advocate for changes that will promote more equitable and sustainable designs. As a member of the board, I would work to help other members understand how policy decisions impact our profession and the daily lives of everyone who lives, works, or plays in our region.

Our contributions to the design of our community will have long-lasting impacts on the health of residents, the climate, and who is able to access the wealth of opportunities our region has to offer. We have a responsibility not only to design architecture that strengthens our communities, but also to help policymakers and the public visualize how changes in their community could help facilitate a more sustainable future that is accessible to people from all walks of life. I look forward to lending my voice to AIA’s advocacy efforts, and to inviting input from diverse perspectives across industries and identities to better inform how we can work towards realizing our shared values.

CAN DESIGN SAVE THE WORLD?

Design can’t save the world. But as designers, we can help illustrate a vision for a sustainable, equitable future, and organize and advocate for policies that ensure we have sufficient resources to invest in the infrastructure and programs we need to get there.