Partnering to Elevate Diverse Design Voices Across Nebraska
RDG partners with AIA Nebraska and Pascale Sablan, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP to elevate the work and contributions of women and BIPOC individuals in the design industry.
RDG Planning & Design, in partnership with AIA Nebraska, announced that Pascale Sablan, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP will serve as the 2020 NE Annual Conference keynote presenter. Sablan, who holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University, has a career that spans more than a decade, with work encompassing commercial, cultural and residential projects across the U.S., Asia and the Middle East. She is the 315th living African American female registered architect in the United States and is also the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment, an organization that aims to address inequality by creating platforms and visibility for women and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) designers.
In addition to RDG’s sponsorship of Sablan as the conference keynote, the firm has committed to bringing the SAY IT LOUD exhibition to Omaha, Nebraska. SAY IT LOUD, which is an initiative of Beyond the Built Environment, showcases the portfolios of women and BIPOC designers from around the world. Curated by Sablan, the exhibitions feature projects by diverse design professionals as well as quotes and video interviews exploring each individual’s experience in the profession. To date, SAY IT LOUD exhibitions have been viewed by an estimated total of 35,000 visitors since January 2017.
“Pascale has become a voice for women and architects of color, creating platforms and visibility for diverse designers,” said RDG Managing Principal John Sova, AIA. “We are honored to support Pascale as this year’s AIA NE keynote speaker and to help bring SAY IT LOUD to Nebraska next year as our firm works to create positive change within our industry.”
A virtual SAY IT LOUD – Nebraska exhibition will be held in the fall of 2020, with a live event scheduled for spring 2021. Designers from across disciplines, experience, education level and age are encouraged to submit work now through August 30, 2020.
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About Beyond the Built Environment
Beyond the Built Environment uniquely address the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform aimed to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline. We engage diverse audiences through programming promoting intellectual discourse and exchange to better achieve a just and equitable built environment, elevating the identities and contributions of minority architects and designers through exhibitions, curated lectures and documentaries that testify to the provided value of their built work and its spatial impact. We educate the masses through formal and informal learning opportunities that introduce architecture as a bridge to fill the gaps of inequity.
About AIA Nebraska
AIA Nebraska is the state chapter of the American Institutes of Architects, the largest and most influential professional association for architects, interns and those directly involved in the practice of architecture. AIA NE strives to meet the needs and interests of Nebraska architects and the public they serve by developing public awareness of the value of architecture and the importance of good design. Our local sections, AIA Omaha, AIA Lincoln and AIA Western Nebraska work with AIA NE to provide service and support to help members be effective in practicing one of the most challenging professions in the world.