Tag: Rosa Sheng

Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C will deliver the opening keynote address at the 2016 Architecture Exchange East convention this November in Richmond. Sheng will be speaking on “Why Equity (in Practice) Matters – Elevating Architecture’s Impact”

Equitable practice has the potential to foster success on multiple levels – equity in the workplace, and socially just access to basic resources, healthier communities and resilient public space in our urban centers. The value proposition of equity at all these levels is rooted in empathy, transparency, education, collaboration and trust.

The lack of equity in Architectural practice and allied professions has made Architects prone to lose talent to other more lucrative career paths due to factors that challenge retention; long hours, low pay, work that is misaligned with professional goals, and lack of transparency for promotion and compensation.

In order to achieve equity in the built environment, the design workforce needs to diversify to reflect the rapidly changing demographic of people that we are charged to serve. Architecture is also prone to the public not fully understanding the value or potential of what Architects can bring to the table. In terms of social impact, design has the power to inform more equitable, resilient, sustainable and relevant built environments for the increasingly multicultural population of our nation.

Join us in Richmond this November! Registration for ArchEx opens August 30, 2016.

About Sheng

Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C is a Senior Associate at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Founder and Chairperson for Equity by Design an AIA San Francisco committee. As a licensed architect with 21 years experience in Architecture and design, Rosa has led a variety of award-winning and internationally acclaimed projects, from the aesthetically minimal, highly technical development of the glass structures for Apple’s original high-profile retail stores, to the innovative and sustainable LEED NC Gold–certified Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College in Oakland, California. She is currently working on innovative and sustainable projects including a lecture hall at the University of California, Davis.

As the Founding Chair of the AIASF Committee Equity by Design, Rosa led the pivotal 2014 and 2016 Equity in Architecture Survey projects, authored AIA National Resolution 15-1, and served on the Equity in Architecture Commission. These efforts have launched a national conversation for achieving equitable practice in the architecture profession. Since the group started, Rosa has been presenting nationally and abroad – including Boston, New York, Lisbon, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Orleans. The group’s outreach for equity in architecture has been featured in Architect Magazine, Architectural Record, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TEDxPhiladelphia and KQED/NPR.

Rosa currently serves on AIA San Francisco’s Board of Directors as Treasurer,  the AIA National Equity in Architecture Commission, AIA National Diversity & Inclusion Council, is a member of SCUP, USGBC, and NCARB Supervisor.

About the Equity by Design

Fueled by the persistent and striking gender inequity within architectural practice, where women compose only 12–18 percent of AIA members, licensed architects, and senior firm leadership, Equity by Design, a committee of AIASF, was developed as a call to action for both women and men to help realize the goal of equitable practice to retain talent, advance the profession and communicate the value of design to society. The 2014 Equity in Architecture Survey with nearly 2300 respondents has sparked a much-needed dialogue that has resulted in a sold-out 250 person symposium, wide-spread media coverage and requests for EQxD presentations nationally and beyond. In 2016, the group conducted its 2^nd survey with over 8,000 respondents and the 4^th symposium planned on 10/29 at the San Francisco Art Institute.