Everyone will experience different stages of ability throughout their lives. Today, you might feel that everyday activities, like navigating spaces or processing information, are relatively straightforward, but for most of us, there will come a time where those same activities \u2014 become significant challenges. Some of us experience it through sickness, war, or through loved ones – for example our parents aging. Or we might have experienced it temporarily on our own body already, through something as common as pregnancy or an injury. And some of us carry disabilities with us throughout our lives – either visible or invisible – that sometimes put us at a disadvantage when we enter a society that is not designed to include us.<\/p>\n
We like to think of it this way: we\u2019re all shaped by different experiences and circumstances \u2014 and none of us fits neatly into just one identity. It\u2019s not just about being a woman or having a disability or being from a different cultural background. It\u2019s about how these aspects connect and create challenges that others might not see or fully understand.<\/p>\n
As a nonprofit organisation with more than 70 members from over 35 different countries, with for instance also different abilities and cultural backgrounds, our community brings together architects, sociologists, engineers, students, activists, researchers, and professionals from both public and private sectors from within the built environment. This enables an unique opportunity to work proactively across perspectives in order to find more inclusive ways to transform structural and cultural challenges.<\/p>\n
We constantly try to be curious about others’ experiences, to empathise with others’ realities. If we all do this, we might realise that what is necessary for some of us, can actually be beneficial for most of us.<\/p>\n
It started with an activistic initiative in 2020 where we gathered stories of discrimination in the architectural field, focusing on sexism. More than a hundred people shared their lived experiences on the @sexism.in.architecture<\/em> Instagram<\/em> account we had initiated.<\/p>\n These experiences primarily concerned sexual harassment and other types of discrimination. Our focus on sexism in the field for example made the Danish architecture union to do a survey. This survey showed that at least around 37% of women and 10% of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Based on the multiplicity of stories that we received; we engaged with different stakeholders to encourage change. With the authors\u2019 permission, we published their stories anonymously in their submitted language.<\/p>\n This became one of the cornerstones of our organisation: subverting the traditional power structures of architecture by sharing the untold stories of the built environment \u2013 and using collective action to press for change. As a heavily Western male-dominated ableist field, we saw that we needed to encourage educational institutions, organisations, and companies to engage in open dialogues about inclusive environments.<\/p>\n While we don’t offer tailormade solutions and policies, we have insights and the community to assist building them. Hence, why we in 2022 became Building Diversity<\/em>, an organisation on a mission to contribute to more inclusive and equitable environments.<\/p>\n Building Diversity<\/em> is based in Denmark; however, we always consider our activities in an international scope.<\/p>\n This is both because of our diverse group of members representing a large number of backgrounds and the fact that nothing can be isolated to one context – such as one country. Anyway, our collaborations and projects are grounded in the Danish context as this is from where we are based and practice.<\/p>\n A day in Building Diversity<\/em> is never the same. Since we are both working online and in-person, our activities are structured around who and with what we are working on. Often both our internal and external activities are a combination of online and in-person. This enables members to be part of the organisation despite not being physically in Denmark. Everyone within the organisation are volunteers, so our activities often take place in evenings and weekends. This can for instance be through hosting public events or having our monthly internal workshops.<\/p>\n Within our focus is building knowledge and gathering lived experiences – to understand how inequality shapes daily life. Especially how combining facts with narratives can create a different understanding of the challenges some people face. Knowledge is power, and with data-gaps and exclusion of marginalised groups, our built environment is discriminating and excluding.<\/p>\n We share these insights through various activities, such as dialogues, and talks, aiming to raise awareness and inspire more inclusive approaches. Our intention is to spark dialogues that can lead to improvements and diverse ways of thinking.<\/p>\n Beyond that, we advocate for policies that prioritise diversity and inclusion, working both at the community level as well as with policymakers. This multi-level approach is essential to creating systemic change.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t claim to have all the answers, but we\u2019re trying to shift the perspective of how we build and who we build for and with. Our work continuously aims to have both short- and long-term perspectives. However, our experience is that the long term is often not prioritized, for instance within the political realm, where decision making is sometimes not considering the knowledge from experts and essentially the people.<\/p>\n As bell hooks<\/em> wrote in 2017; “So I have had to practice being willing to leave the space of my study to be in community, to work in community, and to be changed by community”<\/em>. This encapsulates various aspects of how we in Building Diversity<\/em> perceive the importance of community. In order to challenge and change society we need to work together. Being a diverse group, we experience the importance of learning from and with each other.<\/p>\n In our organisation we continuously try to communicate the work of others and ourselves. Going back to the importance of community, these different streams of communication through diverse formats are central to being in constant dialogue with the world.<\/p>\n Thanks! The book “who is the architect?”<\/em> was published in June 2023 and explores how the image of the architect has evolved – and challenges traditional ideas of architects as primarily male, Western, and individualistic.<\/p>\n The publication highlights the need to incorporate care, diversity, and inclusion in architecture. It features voices from a wide range of countries, contributing to broader dialogues about progress in the field.<\/p>\n The book was supported by Dreyers Fond<\/em> and The Danish Arts Foundation<\/em> and has been well-received, with talks in for example Denmark, Sweden and Romania. The book is also available in all public libraries in Denmark and copies sold in multiple countries around the world. The first edition is now sold out, and we are now preparing a second edition.<\/p>\n Building Diversity<\/em> welcomes anyone interested in promoting diversity and equity in the built environment to collaborate or join the group. There are no strict requirements beyond sharing our core values and a willingness to contribute to meaningful change. We\u2019re open to ideas for projects, events, or other collaborations, and we value diverse approaches and practices. If you have an idea or proposal you\u2019d like to explore, feel free to reach out to us \u2013 we\u2019d love to start the conversation over a cup of tea!<\/p>\n Our achievements as an organisation are a multifarious combination of organically growing our community from a handful of people to now being more than 70 members working together. This further extends to our collaborators and external community of support and curiosity. This community growth has been possible because of the care between everyone involved and the sharing of experiences of being part of the work. Further, we have received increased recognition for our efforts and last year we received the Dreyers Prize<\/em>, which is a milestone for us and it enables us to continue to develop the organization.<\/p>\n Currently, we are working on our second book, “…but, who are we building for?”<\/em> to be published with Danish Architectural Press<\/em> this spring. This new book shifts the focus from the designers of the built environment to its inhabitants, by asking those questions of who we are truly designing for and with – especially addressing the discrimination and power structures embedded in architecture. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n One of the other projects we are very proud of, is our ongoing Art Beyond Barriers<\/em> series. This series focuses on the accessibility of art- and cultural spaces in Denmark. The first event, in collaboration with UKK Art Workers with Disabilities<\/em>, involved a walk and discussion exploring the challenges artists face in accessing art spaces. The second event launched the project Mapping Disability Access<\/em> to Danish Art Spaces<\/em> by UKK Art Workers with Disabilities<\/em> and was followed up by a panel conservation. These events have created a continuing dialogue between artists, architects, cultural institutions and the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces<\/em> on making cultural and heritage spaces more accessible.<\/p>\n How we design impacts lives \u2014 all of our lives. Design can make people feel considered, included, and valued \u2014 in society, in education, in workplaces. It is a privilege to design, but more than that, it is a responsibility. That\u2019s why we are committed to building for diversity, and we hope more will join on this journey.<\/p>\n In Building Diversity<\/em>, we hope for increased compassion in the world. Both between humans and in relation to the environments we are part of.<\/p>\n (*)<\/strong> Photos: Cover by Danish Architectural Press; Still Photo Slider by Brian Andersen; Large Photo Slider by Mishael Phillip Fapohunda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How do you like to define yourselves? And what is your main purpose? Everyone will experience different stages of ability throughout their lives. Today, you might feel that everyday activities, like navigating spaces or processing information, are relatively straightforward, but for most of us, there will come a time where those same activities \u2014 become […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":82716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5957,5918,5916,5900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design-en","category-inspiration-en-2","category-inspiration-en","category-art-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs your scope international?<\/h6>\n
What is a day like at Building Diversity?<\/h6>\n
What is the main challenge you are facing today?<\/h6>\n
\u201c<\/span>Our intention is to spark dialogues that can lead to improvements and diverse ways of thinking.\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n
You constantly talk about community. Is it true that unity is strength?<\/h6>\n
As you mentioned, your communication activities include talks, publications, workshops, and exhibitions that highlight the importance of diverse perspectives. What more can you tell us about that?<\/h6>\n
Last year, you launched an amazing book: “who is the architect?” Congratulations! What was the process like to achieve it?<\/h6>\n
By the way, who can be part of this project and collaborate? What are the requirements?<\/h6>\n
Since the launch of this platform, what have been the main achievements you have accomplished?<\/h6>\n
What are you working on right now?<\/h6>\n
How do you see the future?<\/h6>\n
A dream…<\/h6>\n
\u201cWe hope for increased compassion in the world<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n