Building community within the profession of architecture

Architecture is commonly seen as a profession that does not reflect the demographics of society as a whole.  We at Ellenzweig have always been committed to building a staff who bring talent and experience from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, enriching us as colleagues working together.

And for many years, we have been working to expand awareness of the profession by informing and working with students, youth groups, educators, and others to spark interest in designing and building things so that the field of architecture expands to more closely represent the makeup of our society.

We have partnered with a number of institutions in conducting events such as job shadow days, project presentations and tours, and science fairs including:  ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston (Assistance, Coaching, and Encouragement), Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Dearborn STEM Academy in Dorchester, Digital Ready, English High School (through the Private Industry Council), Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, and Margarita Muñiz Academy in Boston.

We are especially committed to sharing our passion for the profession with young students, both those who are already curious about the built environment and those who might find an introduction to building design unexpectedly fascinating.  The excitement can begin in any number of ways.  For example, the assembly of construction paper and stick models representing buildings in an urban neighborhood can help students learn about place-making, scale, form, and how design decisions can influence the places where people live, work, and play.

Learning how structural shapes support weight

At the STEM Fest held by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, young designers learned about constructing houses. During our collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, members built a Dream Town.

Members from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester built a Dream Town

Among the important things the students learn at these events is the fact that architecture and related building professions involve the study of a wide variety of subject matter. They come to understand that there are multiple avenues of interest that can draw them into the profession:  composition of form, social factors, psychology, environmental stewardship, history, physics, mathematics, material science…the list of subjects is long and exciting. Because the profession draws from all of them, students who are inspired by the synthesis of these fields can come to see the potential of a fulfilling and inspiring career in the field of architecture.

Students also learn that there are various paths to the profession. For instance, in our collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, we introduced the club members to unique career paths within our own office that range from a traditional degree path to ones involving working in a related field first, and then sometime later acquiring an architectural license.

At right, designer Bryan Roi demonstrates a design technique to students from Margarita Muñiz Academy in Boston.

We make the point that the profession accommodates a wide range of people, learning styles, and career paths.