Event
From Houses to HotdogsThe Intersection Between Anti-Racism and Architecture
May 4, 2022
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online
"Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance." – Verna Myers
Diversity and inclusion are core themes for Wandile Mthiyane in serving his purpose as an architect as a result of his upbringing and life experiences. He was born during apartheid in South Africa, attended a high school in Zimbabwe, and went on to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture at the most ethnically diverse university in the United States: Andrews University in Michigan. These diverse experiences have shaped his understanding of different environments and the importance of inclusion, which embraces the cultural roots that different communities are drawn to. Mthiyane brings a refreshing and insightful perspective to the topic of diversity based on the power of listening to others. The principle of “listen to understand” empowers him to form decisions on the basis that everyone has a seat at the table. Everyone has an equally weighted voice that translates to a collective vision of a space that is guaranteed to be representative and attractive to different cultural and contextual values. By acknowledging, respecting, and appreciating different value systems, diversity can thrive, allowing everyone to be heard. This creates a space that represents a community of inclusion and mutual understanding. That is the true power of “listen to Understand” as it creates an atmosphere of physical and contextual sustainability.
Welcome, Introduction, and Moderation:
Alessandro Melis, RIBA ARB AOU
IDC Foundation Endowed Chair and Professor, NYIT School of Architecture and Design
Bio
In 2019, Alessandro was appointed by the Italian Minister of Culture as the curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 17th International La Biennale of Architecture in Venice 2021, and in 2020 Ambassador of Italian Design on behalf of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Previously, at the University of Auckland, he was the head of the technology area and director of postgraduate engagement at the School of Architecture and Planning. Between 2010-2013, he was the Director of Urban City Lab at the Institute of Architecture of the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Die Angewandte, Vienna) and visiting professor at the Foster Foundation, and in Germany (Anhalt University, Dessau).
In 1996, he founded Heliopolis 21, a multi-awarded architecture practice based in Italy, Germany, and the UK.
Julia Andor
Student, AIAS President, New York Tech-Long Island
Bio
Julia Andor is a fourth-year student in the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program and the president of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) at the Long Island campus. She is involved in the AIAS both at our school and on the national level as a national advocate for unhoused people and as a member of the non-profit organization’s governance committee. She has also recently been elected as the 2022-23 AIAS Northeast Quadrant Director and will serve the architecture schools in the Northeast while completing her architectural thesis next year.
Elise ParK
Student, NOMAS President and AIAS Secretary, New York Tech-Long Island
Bio
Elise Park is a second-year architecture student and president and founding member of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students on the Long Island campus as well as secretary and advocacy committee chair of the American Institute of Architecture Students, New York Tech-Long Island. She is also involved in the national AIAS as a member of the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion task force. Elise is interested in researching how people are affected by the built environment and how architects can learn to become more socially aware and equitable to serve the communities that they work with.
Vanessa Alvarez
Student, School of Architecture and Design’s Lectures & Events Marketing Team
Bio
Vanessa Alvarez is a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Architecture program. She is currently involved in the work-study program with the School of Architecture and Design’s marketing team for lectures and events. Vanessa is planning to apply for an internship with the New York City Department of City Planning this summer.
Presenter
Wandile Mthiyane
Obama Foundation Leader, Resolution Project Fellow, and Founder and CEO, Ubuntu Design Group
Bio
Wandile Mthiyane is an Obama Foundation leader, dynamic speaker, equity and inclusion thought leader, adjunct professor, and architect. He holds a master’s degree in Architecture from Andrews University in Michigan. Mthiyane is a Resolution Project fellow, a One Young World ambassador, and the CEO of social impact architecture firm Ubuntu Design Group, the Anti-Racist Hotdog, and Ubuntu Architecture Summer Abroad Design Justice School. Diversity and inclusion are core themes for Wandile in serving his purpose as an architect and a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guide.
Instagram and Twitter: @wandileubuntu