Celebration is impossible…

I just got the news that 90% of my 2021/2022 award candidates received the honors they sought. The percentage of individuals gaining national level AIA awards is contracting annually, but right now, with all that is happening in the world, it is pretty darn difficult to celebrate any achievement that beats the averages. 

Many of you know that my family ties extend into Europe and Russia, so these are tragic and nail-biting times at home. Many in my family and beyond say that what is happening in Ukraine these weeks will change the world forever. I believe it is so.  

With all the good focus on increasing diversity in the profession—another thing to celebrate—especially in the AIA and the many media channels devoted to architecture and design, I was glad to see Architectural Record’s article, “Architects Around the World Protest Ukraine Invasion.” Included are statements from Zaha Hadid Architects, Herzog & de Meuron, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and more. All are worth reading, pondering and reinforcing, even if you only practice locally.

Every day we must get up and do better both at home with making America live up to its ideals and in our understanding of the world beyond our borders—all of it. So, while we celebrate the achievements of AIA architects and our quest for diversity, let’s all take a moment to see ourselves and our ambitions in the context of the diverse world community.