Tampa Think-In Forum

T-H-E
A-R-C-H-I-T-E-C-T-U-R-E
L-O-B-B-Y

The Architecture Lobby is having a one-day Think-In on June 25 in Tampa, Florida. A Think-In is a forum for thinking through difficult and contested ideas and this Think-In invites people to debate a reconceptualization of architectural practice. The Architecture Lobby (architecture-lobby.org) is an organization that devotes itself to fair labor, fair fees, and fair wages, recognizing that injustices in these areas are symptomatic of a larger, systemic problem. We are including a wide range of contributors to weigh in on Architecture: practitioners; those involved in official architectural organizations; architectural academics; art and architecture theorists and activists.

Panelists Include:

Phil Bernstein; Autodesk
Cathy Beveridge; Buchanan Ingersoll& Rooney PC
Peggy Deamer; Yale University, Architecture Lobby
Melissa Marsh; PlastArc
Jose Rodriguez; Daniels Kashtan Attorneys at Law
Michael Sorkin; Terreform
Cheikh Sylla; Sylla International Facilitator
Nancy Alexander; facilitator

As a group of concerned reformers, we believe that the issues facing architectural practice (and the discipline itself) – increased irrelevance and marginalization, unsustainable fees and wages, misperceptions of our labor and value – are practical, cultural, and conceptual, hence the wide range of thinkers invited. The day will be divided into 4 parts, each orchestrated as a debate of contested ideas about a certain topic. These 4 parts are:

ARCHITECTURE: Where in the AEC chain?
ARCHITECTURE: The Pros and Cons of Contemporary Professionalization
ARCHITECTURE: Labor, Fees, and Wages in the Contemporary Economy
ARCHITECTURE: Media and the Public Perception of Architecture.

We invite those within the architectural community both professional and those in academia to come speak up while thinking through what needs to change in our profession for it to be more effective and rewarding. Note: Seating is limited so please register.

UPDATE 10/24/2016: Another great conversation with our amazing panel. Thank you all who participated. Check out some photos of the event below.

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Our Manifesto

Build worker power and collective agency through unions and cooperatives.
A living wage, benefits, job security, and wage transparency across the discipline.
No more free labor; no unpaid internships, unpaid overtime, or unpaid competitions.
Center the importance of labor in our understanding of architecture. Architecture is work!
Stop peddling buildings as products. Demand compensation based on the value and impact our work creates.
End oppression based on gender within and enabled by the discipline.
Confront the complicity of architecture in racism. Confront racism in our workplaces.
Design for the full spectrum of human life. Universal design is not an afterthought.
Challenge the concept of licensure. Expand the right to practice.
Celebrate the collective process of producing architecture. Demystify architecture as the work of a solo creative genius.
Climate justice as the basis of all architectural work. There can be no sustainable future without sustainable labor practices.
Fight for democratic alternatives to the capitalist system of development.

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Contact

info@architecture-lobby.org

50 Woodward Ave
New Haven, CT 06512