[ONLINE] Ada Lovelace Day: Supporting Equity in Architecture Through the Regenerative Design Process

Discover how an AU architecture professor’s research project can provide an opportunity for women to become leaders in action against climate change!

This free online event, hosted by Athabasca University’s Faculty of Science and Technology for Ada Lovelace Day, will feature a presentation from assistant professor of architecture Veronica Madonna and her research assistant Salam Yousef about the project, Supporting Equity in Architecture (SEA) Through the Regenerative Design Process. This project aims to develop open educational resources, build training opportunities, and develop a robust mentoring program to support women as the design industry rapidly evolves.

Supporting Equity in Architecture (SEA) Through the Regenerative Design Process

Presenters: Veronica Madonna, assistant professor of architecture
Salam Yousef, research assistant/Bachelor of Science in Architecture graduate

The built environment works simultaneously in a cultural, social, economic, and environmental context. Issues of equity, diversity and inclusivity are linked to the well-being of communities. As architecture works to shape communities through the built environment, architects and architectural education have a vital role in developing equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments to promote the health and well-being of its inhabitants, both physically and mentally. In many ways, equity in the built environment directly results from equitable architectural practice.

Like many related fields in science and engineering, architecture faces inequitable experiences towards marginalized groups, including women. Pay gaps, training, and leadership opportunities are just some of the inequalities women often face in architectural practice.

With the industry shifting towards seeking innovative design practices to address the climate emergency, digitalization and building information modelling technologies are quickly developing as necessities in the design field. If not strategically planned for, these rapidly evolving technologies could negatively impact women’s ability to receive training and support to develop the skills and support their future in the field.

Developed as part of the WISE Planet program, this Leadership in Equity Action Plan (LEAP) project– Supporting Equity in Architecture (SEA) Through the Regenerative Design Process – seeks to provide an opportunity for women to become leaders in action against climate change. This project will work to build an open educational resource databank, build training opportunities, and form a robust mentoring network to support women as the industry rapidly evolves. The program will be developed focusing on a regenerative design methodology where its practices seek to move beyond sustainability to form a positive partnership between buildings, communities, and nature.