Episode 016: Voices from the Future of the Profession (LGBTQIA+)

Future leaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on architecture and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Guests:

Ryan Gann, Designer at Ross Barney Architects

A.L. Hu, Design Initiatives Manager at Ascendant Neighborhood Development

Lora Teagarden, Architect at RATIO

Yiselle Santos Rivera, Firmwide Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at HKS

Amy Rosen, Sociospatial Designer at PLASTARC

Ryan Gann, Assoc. AIA

Ryan Gann has blazed a trail founded on service, leadership, and design. From his time as an engaged student leader to his expanding contributions to the built environment, Ryan has managed to stay ambitious while having fun along the way.

As a designer at Ross Barney Architects he has worked on some of the studio’s most ambitious civic projects. These architectural and urban design investigations have allowed him to collaborate with communities across Chicago and the world, expressing the role public space plays in everyday life.

Ryan is the recipient of the 2018 AIA Associates Award, Schiff Foundation Fellowship from the Art Institute of Chicago, and was the inaugural Architect-in-Residence at the Hyde Park Art Center. Ryan previously served on the national boards of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

A.L. Hu, Assoc. AIA

A.L. Hu is a queer, trans, nonbinary Taiwanese-American architect, organizer, and facilitator who lives and works in New York City. Their practice synthesizes organizing for racial, class, and gender justice with world-building and design; rethinks the architect’s role in facilitating accessible spaces; and manifests in design, visual media, and collaborative cultural work. They are a 2019-2021 Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow and Design Initiatives Manager at Ascendant Neighborhood Development in East Harlem. They shared their experiences on a panel of queer architects at the AIA National Conference on Architecture in 2019; was a Thought Leader at the AIASF Equity by Design Symposium in 2018; and received the 2018 AIANY Emerging New York Architects ARE Scholarship. They received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University GSAPP in 2017, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with a minor in Sustainable Design from UC Berkeley in 2012.

Lora Teagarden, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Lora is an Architect at RATIO, headquartered in Indianapolis, and the founder of 2-design.com/">L² Design, LLC. A published author and creator of #AREsketches, her passion for the profession drives her to mentor young professionals and volunteer in her community. She is a 2017 Young Architect Award winner, the 2019 Chair of the Young Architects Forum, 2020 AIA Indianapolis President, and was recently elected as an At-Large Representative on the AIA National Strategic Council. Her website and blog offer unique insights into professional practice, together with inspiration and tips for young architects.

Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, NOMA, LSSYB, WELL AP, LEED AP

Yiselle Santos Rivera is a medical planner and the Firmwide Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at HKS, Inc. With national and international experience on a broad range of healthcare, institutional, and commercial/mixed-use projects, she thrives on building belonging and designing for inclusion.

Seeking to empower the next generation of leaders, she co-founded the Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers, and Architects (LA.IDEA) DC Committee and founded the “Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design” (WIELD) event, recipient of the 2019 AIA Diversity Program Recognition Award.

Mrs. Santos currently serves on the AIA National Board, the AIA DC Chapter Board, and is Advisor to the DC NOMA Board. She is a member of the AIA Equity and the Future of Architecture Board Committee, the New Urban Agenda Taskforce, and the AIA COVID-19 Health Impact Taskforce.

Yiselle is an author, storyteller, and recipient of the 2018 AIA Associate Award.

Amy Rosen

Amelia ("Amy") Rosen recently served as the 2018-2019 National President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and the 2019 Student Director on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2019 National Board of Directors.

Amy is currently working as a Sociospatial Designer at PLASTARC in New York City and is a 2020-2021 At-Large Representative on the AIA Strategic Council, where they serve as a co-convener for the Mental Health and Architecture Incubator. They were born and raised in Los Angeles, and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2012, where they received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Science in Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Amy applies integrated design methodologies to everything they do - seeking opportunities to tie architecture into systematic and fluid urban networks. Amy is an advocate for the power of design - to inspire, to unify, and to heal - and is especially passionate about queer space theory, efficient urban water management strategies, and innovative ways to blur the boundaries between the private and public realms. Using their architectural education as a backbone, Amy incorporates equity and social sustainability into their design process. Amy further leverages a passion for data, research, difference, and experimentation in order to unveil innovative design strategies that empower users and ensure a more resilient future. 

Show Links:

barc.com/">http://www.r-barc.com/

https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/solutions-and-innovation/rose-fellowship

https://ascendant.nyc/ 

2-design.com/">https://www.l-2-design.com/

https://www.ratiodesign.com/

https://www.hksinc.com/

https://www.aiadc.com/committee/laidea

https://www.aiadc.com/event/wield-women-inspiring-emerging-leaders-design 

https://plastarc.com/