Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, on creating safe learning spaces, EDI, and more

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["em"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.arrowstreet.com\/","target","_blank"]],["b"],["sup"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],0,"Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, will be sworn-in as AIA\u0027s 99th President in 2023. Currently Senior Associate at "],[0,[1],1,"Arrowstreet Inc"],[0,[],1," in Boston, Massachusetts, Grandstaff-Rice has a broad range of experience with hospitality, institutional, and commercial projects. Recently, her focus has been on designing spaces in the public K-12 academic sphere. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"In the first part of a two-part interview with Grandstaff-Rice, we speak with her about diversity, equity, and inclusion, what brings her joy as an architect, creating safe places to learn, and much more. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"When\ndid you first know that you wanted to be an architect? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"You\ndon\u2019t always realize what you want to do in a single moment. For me, it\noccurred in waves. I had always been interested in making and creating things,\nbut I also had a sense of math and measurement. There were a couple small\nmoments thinking back on it: drawing on things I shouldn\u2019t have, excelling in 7"],[0,[3],1,"th"],[0,[],0,"\ngrade drafting class, and loving my high school sketching trips with a local\narchitect. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I had\nthe opportunity to attend a summer architecture pre-college program where high\nschool students can experience what studio is about. Once I had that experience and exposure, I knew architecture would\nalways be part of my future. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Tell\nus some of the ways you hope to move the needle on equity, diversity, and\ninclusion in the profession? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"There\u2019s\nan amazing advocate in Boston named Dr. Atyia Martin who reminds me every time\nwe collaborate that we will be intentional about staying in touch. I think the\nsame must be applied to any action toward increasing the profession\u2019s capacity\nfor equity, diversity, and inclusion: it takes intention. I am buoyed by the\nincreased awareness and excitement I see in AIA members and our clients. I also\nsee a desire for change. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I want\nto start with the composition of AIA member leadership. Are we including\ndiverse voices? How can we support and lift those not yet at the table? I want\nto understand if managing for different cultures in teams and diversity leads\nto better outcomes. I want to strengthen the pathways to become a licensed\narchitect and support emerging professional in that first place of employment.\nWhen I graduated from high school in 1994 and got my first job at an\narchitecture firm, only 11% of AIA architects were women. Upon my election as\nPresident-elect, it was 22%. In terms of gender parity, I have seen improvement\nthroughout my career, but I know gender parity will likely occur beyond my\nprofessional career. This is just one example of the many ways to measure diversity.\nMy career has been paved by those who came earlier, and I know that advancing\nequity in the profession can create greater opportunities for future\ngenerations of architects. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"I also\nwant to further the conversation on the intersectionality of climate action and\nequity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The impacts of climate change\ndisproportionately effect those who have the least resources. We don\u2019t talk\nenough about those connections. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I also\nwant to further the conversation on the intersectionality of climate action and\nequity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The impacts of climate change\ndisproportionately effect those who have the least resources. We don\u2019t talk\nenough about those connections. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Much\nof your professional career has centered in and around Boston. Can you explain\nthe role the city has had in shaping the way you view architecture and progress\nin the field? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I grew up\nin St. Louis, studied in New York, and came to Boston as an adult. Boston is\nunique in its history and opportunity. There are so many styles, layers of\nmeaning, educational promise, types of housing, and systemic inequities. This\nprovides a different conversation than in other cities\u2014our relationship with\nwater, transportation, sustainability, and sense of community. I would not be\nin a leadership position without the opportunities and energy of the Boston\nSociety of Architecture. With multiple schools of architecture, world-class\narchitecture firms, and a variety of work, the opportunities for practice here\nare endless. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"One thing I\nappreciate in Boston is the level of critical conversations about design\u2014and\nnot just aesthetics\u2014but also the role of climate action and equity embedded in\ndesign. Part of that conversation is local government and citizen action\nrecognizing that civic conversations about design and a sense of place involve\nmore than just an architect and their clients. Civic government can also lead\nthe way in assisting architects in pushing through energy-efficient, climate\nsensitive, and carbon conscious design that also benefits building occupants\nand the community-at-large. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"What brings\nyou joy as an architect? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"There is\nnot like the feeling of walking through a space that you had a hand in\ndesigning. That for me is one of the reasons I know the physical realm is important\nto me. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Because\nmost of my work is public K-12 academic work now, I make a point to design for\ndiscovery\u2014and that includes both adults and children. I once had a client who \nsaid he measured success by giggles. I think about creating environments where\nchildren can allow their minds to question, to make sense of patterns, and make\ntheir own meaning. I think back about my experiences in school, what spaces\nmade me feel comfortable, what spaces created meaning. I use that perspective\nto work with my clients to define the type of educational experience they want\nto provide. I see working it as a great journey that I can set out for\ngenerations to come. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architects\nhave a unique skill to realize and create experiences from our client\u2019s\nvisions. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"What\nrole should architects play in creating\/maintaining safe spaces to learn? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Sarah\nWilliams Goldhagen, architecture critic and author, says, \u201cthere\u2019s no such thing\nas a neutral space.\u201d Spaces can either uplift or deflate the spirit. As\narchitects, we always have a choice when we design even the most routine of\nspaces. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"There\nis a lot of talk these days about what schools should and should not be. As\narchitects, we have a choice to help our clients define what safety means to\nthem\u2014welcoming, promoting socio-emotional learning, healthy spaces, community\naccess, resiliency, and security. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Recently\nI was working with a client to think about the ways in which school buildings\ncan teach kindness, especially small moments. What does kindness look like in a\ncafeteria? Responsibility on the playground? Or cooperation in the corridors? I\ntalk with my clients about behaviors they want to see, and as experts in child\ndevelopment, they provide direction in how spaces can with educational\npedagogy. Every school culture is different. I honor that by ensuring that our\ndesigns reflect their vision. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"My\nperspective is diverse\u2014I have family that are educators, law enforcement, victims\nof gun violence, and affected by mental health issues. I hear many opinions\nabout what school safety should be. I believe there is no amount of building\nfortification that will stop the bigger picture of what is happening in our\nsociety. School safety is also about feelings and emotions with some of our\nmost vulnerable citizens. Schools need to be welcoming and create a sense of\nbelonging. School is where many children develop independence and skills.\nAgain, as architects we can uplift or deflate in the spaces we create. I chose\nto focus on creative positive spaces. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Can\nyou describe your involvement with the Young Architects Forum and why YAF is of\nparticular importance to AIA and the future of the profession? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The Young Architects Forum is a fantastic pathway to\nconnect with peers from across the country that only AIA can provide. It\nreinforces the value of emerging professional voices, but also creates\nleadership opportunities you don\u2019t always find in your day-to-day work as an\narchitect. It was critical in shaping my leadership both as a professional and\nas an advocate for the profession. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"When I was in YAF, we created a podcast project where young\narchitects interviewed Fellows on three questions: \u201cHow did you become you?\u201d,\n\u201cWho was your mentor?\u201d, and \u201cWhat was your greatest challenge?\u201d I look back on\nthat slice of oral history and realize how important the questions are to me,\nnow as a Fellow, and how our own unique experiences can help the future\ngenerations of architects who will follow us. At the time I remember being so\nnervous to ask to have the conversations, now I am beyond proud and honored to\nbe a part of continuing story of making the building environment stronger\nthrough design. "]]]]}