For Pride Month, Schemata recognizes architects and designers in the LGBTQI+ community who are using their platforms to advocate for LGBTQI+ professionals within industry. In sharing their stories and opinions, these individuals increase visibility of the LGBTQI+ community in the design field and also provide words of encouragement for young LGBTQI+ professionals looking to enter the field.
Horatio Law
Horatio Law is a Portland-based artist who was one of five artists commissioned to create art for the AIDS Memorial Pathway in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. . His work Ribbon of Light is a series of three laminated glass sculptures inspired by poets impacted by the HIV/ AIDS pandemic. The piece debuted this month and can be viewed in the northeast corner of Cal Anderson Park adjacent to the Capitol Hill TOD Plaza.
“Much of my work stems from my identity and experience as a gay US citizen of Asian heritage,” Law shares in an interview with Art Beat Blog.
“Social interaction and community participation are important aspects in my installation work and public art projects. I create work for regular people that examines issues of identity, memory, history and the meaning of community. As a public artist who is interested in socially engaged work, I value collaboration and partnership with community members through collecting ideas, cultural materials, and engaging residents in planning and production of public art.”
Jane Greenwood
Jane Greenwood is Principal at Kostow Greenwood Architects In New York City. In 2017, Greenwood was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the LGBTQI+ community in the New York Business Journal - a result of her continuous efforts to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights within the architecture and design industry. As founder of The Organization of Lesbian + Gay Architects and Designers, she encourages rising architects and designers to feel secure in the idea that who they love is irrelevant to their profession. Through this organization, she has also formed the New York City LGBT Historic Sites Projects which identifies and documents historic places in New York Coty connected to those in the LGBTQI+ community and tells the story of their influence on American culture.
A.L. Hu
A.L. Hu is and an architectural designer, writer and activist dedicated to challenging others to rethink what it means to be inclusive in the design industry. Through the Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation, they work to provide sustainable and equitable housing for residents East Harlem. As one of the voices for Architect Magazine, Hu also calls out injustices against those who identify as non-binary in the professional space. In an interview published on The Bluebeam Blog, Hu shares pivotal moments in their career that ultimately inspired their desire to become an activist for LGBTQI+ rights.
“I was realizing that I didn’t identify as a woman, and I think realizing that also had a lot to do with the way I approached design,” Hu said. “It really got me to think outside the box to understand that there is not a single right way to be an architect.”
To read the full article, click here.
We hope you all are enjoying Pride Month, and that these perspectives have inspired and sparked thoughts around how we in the industry can be more inclusive of those who identify with the LGBTQI+ movement. While the voices presented show how much progress has been made over the years, they also highlight the work that still needs to be done in support of LGBTQI+ professionals. If you are a member of the LGBTQI+ community or a corporation looking to integrate LGBTQI+ perspectives into your practice, consider looking at these resources provided by Metropolis Magazine.
Sources Cited
A.L. Hu. Architect. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.architectmagazine.com/author/a-l-hu
Group, S. B. (n.d.). Mover & Shakers: Julia Nagele is an architectural icon in a male-dominated industry. Seattle Refined. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://seattlerefined.com/lifestyle/movers-shakers/movers-shakers-julia-nagele-the-emerald-hewitt-tallest-tower-designed-by-a-woman
Lindsay, E. (2018, July 17). Seattle AIDS Memorial Selects Lead Artist. Art Beat. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://artbeat.seattle.gov/2018/07/17/seattle-aids-memorial-selects-lead-artist/
Making an invisible history visible. NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/
Queer Spaces: LGBTQ voices and resources for architects and designers. Metropolis. (2022, June 2). Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/pride-voices-resources/
Surabhi, P., & Patil, A. S. (2021, June 23). 10 architects or designers advocating for LGBTQA+ community - RTF: Rethinking the future. RTF | Rethinking The Future. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/know-your-architects/a4323-10-architects-or-designers-advocating-for-lgbtqa-community/