SIAF: Outsider Architects - Immigrants in the Context of JEDI Initiatives
Given the current political and cultural climate in our country, matters of racial justice have taken on a new urgency. In response, many architecture firms in Seattle and the nation have taken a proactive approach to issues of justice, equality, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) within their firms and our profession.
This event will focus on the role of immigrant architects within the context of these discussions. We’ll look at this topic both through the lens of corporate policy, as well as from the perspective of the immigrant experience. Our panel consists of leaders who “walk the talk” incorporating principles of racial justice into their practice and business models, as well as activists advocating for change in their workplace and in organizations like NOMA and the AIA. The discussion will also be informed by the personal migration background of several of the panelists.
Click here to view a full recording of the program.
This program is presented by AIA Seattle’s Seattle International Architecture Forum. This virtual event is presented with closed captioning. Note in your registration if you would like to be contacted about specific accommodations to fully participate in this program. Contact Member Engagement Manager, Connor Descheemaker, for any other questions or concerns.
Panelists
Anne Torney AIA, LEED BD+C
Partner, Mithun
Anne serves on Mithun’s Board of Directors and leads the firm’s San Francisco office. She is a member of Mithun’s JEDI Working Group, joining colleagues that bring their experience from a wide variety of backgrounds, identities and roles to the task of advancing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion within the firm and the profession.
Anne is an architect who has made affordable multi-family housing and transit-oriented urban infill the focus of her work for more almost 30 years. She is Board Chair of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition. Through her work with organizations including AIA and SPUR, Anne advocates for social justice and expanded access to affordable housing.
Veronicah M. Munyao | AIA | AAK | NOMA | LEED AP-BD+C | BORAQS | KGBS
Architect/AIA SIAF Co-chair
Veronicah is a Kenyan born architect who recently immigrated to the US and has been in Seattle for the last two years. She has worked with Perkins and Will, Seattle Studio and she is the newest Co-Chair of the AIA Committee- Seattle International Architecture Forum (SIAF).
She is a green/sustainable architecture champion who is passionate about impacting change in the world of design through community development, leadership, and mentorship. Both here in the US and back in Kenya, she has continuously and actively been involved in growth and leadership in professional matters in the industry.
A former council member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), and a Board member of the Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS). She was teaching at the University of Nairobi before she relocated to the US. Veronicah has worked on design projects in 7 different countries across two continents –US, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Rwanda and Malawi bringing onboard a very diverse perspective.
She obtained her B. Arch and M. Arch from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Alex Rolluda AIA
President, Rolluda Architects, Inc.
Alex was born and raised in Seattle until the age of 11 when his family moved to their homeland—the Philippines. Alex studied Architecture at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Alex eventually returned to Seattle where he received his Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture from the University of Washington. Alex founded Rolluda Architects in 2002 and built the company on a foundation of diversity and respect. Its core values—Diversity, Integrity, Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Respect—have contributed to the company’s success.
Alex has served as the Commissioner for both the Pike Place Market Historic District and the International District Design Review Board. He currently serves as Chair on the Pioneer Square Preservation Board and is the Chair of the Capitol Campus Design Advisory Committee in Olympia. Alex has been a guest speaker at Universities and organizations on topics such as Diversity by Design-Design by Inclusion, Equity & Cultural Competency, and Racial & Social Inequity Awareness and Action.
Crystal Day AIA, LEED AP, NOMA
Associate, Project Architect at NBBJ
Crystal is passionate about diversifying the AEC community. She has been involved with NOMA for many years, previously serving as VP for the NOMA NW Chapter, and spoke at the National Conference in NYC in 2019. She is a board member for Sawhorse Revolution, a Seattle non-profit that teaches underrepresented youth carpentry skills. Crystal has been part of the AIA Diversity Roundtable since 2016, and is their newest co-chair. She has lived and studied in Costa Rica, USA, and France, and speaks three languages.
