Seher Hashmi, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate, CDT, is a proud first-generation Pakistani American who grew up in Columbus, Ohio. She completed her undergraduate Bachelor of Architecture at The Ohio State University with a minor in city and regional planning and shortly afterwards finished her Master of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati.
Seher is currently a Principal at a small firm, Creative Project Consultants in Orlando, Florida and working on a variety of different projects. She hopes to engage more in sustainable design projects and find more opportunities that lean towards more practical aspects of construction. And hopes to leave this world a livable place for our future generations.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking and drawing. Seher is very thankful to be selected for the 2023 Sho-Ping Chin WLS Grant and is looking forward to attending the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit.
Saakshi Terway, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate, is a licensed architect from India currently working as a Designer at Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners, Washington DC. As an emerging professional, she has contributed to many featured multi-family, senior living, and affordable housing projects where she has been fully engaged from conceptual design through construction administration. After working in India for 2 years, Saakshi graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a master’s degree in architecture and a certification in sustainable landscape design. Additionally, Ms. Terway is the recent recipient of the 2022 AIA|DC Emerging Architect’s Award.
Currently, she is a board member for AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community, serving as the Past Chair for AIA|DC Urban Design Committee, a Committee Advisor for the AIA|DC Emerging Architects’ Committee and an Educator at Architecture is Free Foundation. With her interest in responsible and sustainable architecture that has a social impact on local and global communities, and a passion for research and writing, she continuous to be the managing editor for the avenues journal, has served as a research team member for Mayor Bowser’s Resilient DC: A strategy to thrive in the face of change program+publication and has authored a chapter in the Immigrant Architects’ Collation Comprehensive Guide.
Raised in Columbus Ohio, Tianna spent her younger years participating in art, sports, reading and writing. Her passion for Architecture began through experiencing the disparities her paralyzed grandmother faced daily navigating throughout spaces. Paying attention to the lack of equitable design solutions as a child is what led her to pursuing architecture. That passion then led her to the University of Cincinnati for her B.Arch degree and later to pursuing her M.Arch degree at Washington University in St Louis. Over the past decade she has worked on several types of design projects such as residential, healthcare, workplace, higher education, community design, and lastly, but not least, several architectural mentorship programs for the inner-city youth.
In addition to her professional work experience, she has also traveled the world exploring various cultures, design, and diversity in Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Macau, Mexico, etc. Though traveling will always be a passion of hers, she recently relocated back to her hometown Columbus, Ohio as an architectural design specialist at WSA. As her career continues forward, she is excited to be a part of a design community that challenges and champions the culture of equity, diversity and inclusion through architecture, design, and mentorship.
DaMario is a currently a Designer at MASS Design Group. He is passionate about social justice and understanding architecture’s role when it comes to creative placemaking in marginalized communities and addressing homelessness. Prior to joining MASS, DaMario worked full time for a Lexington-based firm focusing on justice facilities. During graduate school, he held internships at firms based in Cincinnati, Boston, Philadelphia and Lexington.
DaMario received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2021. His thesis focused on examining the existing conditions of an all-black town founded by freed African-Americans during Post-Reconstruction. This project proposed a re-imagining of the town through a series of interventions and a main catalyst that would help revitalize and share the rich history of the town. He also received his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Sciences degree from Western Kentucky University.