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Read the latest updates on our programs and events.
Breaking Barriers: Black Architects Panel on Firm Ownership at The Octagon
Breaking Barriers: Black Architects Panel on Firm Ownership at The Octagon

MARCH 10, 2025

by Milan Jordan, Assoc. AIA, Architects Foundation Board Secretary The panel discussion “Breaking Barriers: Black Architects on Firm Ownership,” hosted at The Octagon, was a powerful conversation that highlighted the triumphs and challenges of Black architects who have forged their own paths in the industry. Using its backdrop of The Octagon, the Architects Foundation actively […]

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2020 Architects Foundation Scholars Selected
2020 Architects Foundation Scholars Selected

JUNE 26, 2020

Scholarships recognize and support diverse future leaders of the profession in equity, practice management, sustainability, and global practice WASHINGTON – The Architects Foundation today announced the recipients for five of its scholarship programs that support future leaders of the profession in equity, diversity, global practice, and sustainability. The Architects Foundation is continuing to support the […]

Architects Foundation Board statement on The Octagon
Architects Foundation Board statement on The Octagon

JUNE 12, 2020

The staff and board of the Architects Foundation, owner of The Octagon, want to share the AIA Board statement on systemic racial injustice. As the philanthropic partner of AIA, we agree that systemic racial injustice in any form, whether it be police brutality, employment discrimination, or any other efforts to marginalize people of color, is […]

Architects Foundation Board statement on systemic racial injustice
Architects Foundation Board statement on systemic racial injustice

JUNE 12, 2020

We at the Architects Foundation echo the sentiments of the AIA Board regarding systemic racial injustice. We agree that systemic racial injustice in any form, whether it be police brutality, employment discrimination, or any other efforts to marginalize people of color is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue. Now more than ever, we are proud of […]

2020 Grad Series: Shannar O’Connor
2020 Grad Series: Shannar O’Connor

MAY 29, 2020

Congratulations to our 2020 graduates! Read the the third installment of our series from our 2016 Diversity Advancement Scholar, Shannar O’Connor. The past five years of architecture school have been the most transformative years of my life. I had many hardships, but also a plethora of rewarding experiences. From the beginning, the odds were never […]

2020 Grad Series: Michelle Badr
2020 Grad Series: Michelle Badr

MAY 21, 2020

Congratulations to our 2020 graduates! Read the second installment of our series from our 2019 Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholar, Michelle Badr.  My reasons for pursuing an M.Arch were not necessarily conventional—sure, I wanted to revisit conceptual design, immerse myself in research, and pursue licensure— but it was also a final test to determine […]

2020 Grad Series: Sophie Chien
2020 Grad Series: Sophie Chien

MAY 1, 2020

Congratulations to our 2020 graduates! Read the first part of our series from our 2015-2020 Diversity Advancement Scholar, Sophie Chien. In my five years at Rhode Island School of Design, the most important thing I’ve learned is to care. I look at care in a broad sense: to care is to be thoughtful, to build […]

Panel Recap: Placemaking at HBCUs
Panel Recap: Placemaking at HBCUs

MARCH 19, 2020

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) make up 3 percent of the country’s colleges and universities, enroll 10 percent of all African American students, and produce almost 20 percent of all African American graduates, making these institutions increasingly impactful and vital. While meeting admissions goals and improving retention rates are critical goals for any college, […]

In its 30th Year, the Richard Morris Hunt Prize Redoubles its Impact
In its 30th Year, the Richard Morris Hunt Prize Redoubles its Impact

JANUARY 1, 2020

PARIS- At a moment of global environmental concern, one organization is supporting greater scholarship in conserving the built environment — the Richard Morris Hunt Prize. Founded in 1990, the Richard Morris Hunt Prize awards two prizes each year to two laureates, a Fellow and a Scholar, practicing architects specializing in historic preservation. Grants are alternatively […]

The Architects Foundation’s 2019 Year in Review
The Architects Foundation’s 2019 Year in Review

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

This year, the Architects Foundation (AF) solidified its position as attracting, inspiring and investing in the next-generation design community. AF now runs eight different scholarship programs (attract/invest), is building out its museum programming at The Octagon through 2021 (attract/inspire), and has built a framework for a strategic planning process. Throughout 2019, the Foundation has interacted […]

Architects Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Scholarship Programs
Architects Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Scholarship Programs

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

WASHINGTON –The Architects Foundation, the philanthropic partner of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), is now accepting applications for five scholarships supporting students pursuing architecture degrees. Diversity Advancement Scholarship This multiyear scholarship supports high school and undergraduate minority students who are entering, enrolled in, or transferring into an undergraduate architecture program recognized by the National […]