Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As a small studio-based practice of 34 members, Snow Kreilich has been recognized for the diversity and background of its studio members. In 2018, when Snow Kreilich received the 2018 AIA Architecture Firm Award, it was noted that over 50% of the staff were women and people of color. Now that number is almost 60%. Diversity matters, but it is not enough. This past year, to increase the studio’s cultural self-awareness and its capacity to bridge across cultural differences, Snow Kreilich implemented equity training for all staff that included the Intercultural Development Inventory assessment and related workshops last winter, an Intercultural Conflict Styles workshop planned for early this summer, and ongoing conversations to discuss racial justice resources and current events.
Snow Kreilich studio members worked collaboratively to develop the following Equity & Inclusion goals:
BE INTENTIONALLY INCLUSIVE CITIZEN ARCHITECTS.
- Better understand oneself and one’s biases.
- Develop a studio culture where everyone feels valued & engaged.
- Build our capacity to engage and to manage conflict more effectively.
- Advocate for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in our profession, projects & communities.
- Integrate equity and inclusion into our design process.
- Invite difference in, value the differences and use it as a resource.
- Expand our networks.
To continually advance this work, Snow Kreilich is a corporate member of the International Living Future Institute and has registered for a Just Label – a means to document and publicly demonstrate our commitment to equity. Snow Kreilich expects to achieve Level 4, the highest level possible, in the Gender Diversity, Ethnic Diversity, Pay-scale Equity, and Gender Pay Equity indicators when the submission is finalized this summer.
Karen Lu, AIA, NOMA leads Snow Kreilich’s Equity Focus Group and actively oversees all of its initiatives.
In addition to the Equity Focus Group’s work mentioned above, Snow Kreilich supports the Minnesota Architectural Foundation’s Clarence Wigington Minority Architectural Scholarship, offers PTO for employees to volunteer their time and matches studio member donations to organizations working to eliminate racial inequity. We seek partnerships with BIPOC-owned firms and provide pro bono services to non-profit organizations that serve underrepresented populations.
We Condemn Racism. We Support Black Lives Matter.
Minneapolis is our home and we are sickened by the senseless killing of one of yet another Black man in our community. We mourn George Floyd, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and others who have been lost due to our inaction. Systemic oppression, racism and bias continue to lead to violence and injustice against our Black community and against the full range of diverse communities that make up our city and country. We—as individuals, but importantly, as part of larger systems—must address these racial and economic inequities in our industry and beyond. Change is due; it has been due for a long time.
Snow Kreilich Architects is committed to fighting for justice by supporting communities of color and challenging our own biases. We recognize that it is not enough to publicly state our support; we commit to creating and celebrating a more just and diverse world following the path of equity and bringing antiracist actions and standards to the forefront of our work.
For immediate action, our studio is making a donation to the Clarence Wigington Minority Architectural Scholarship Fund, offering PTO for employees to volunteer their time and will be matching studio member donations to organizations working to eliminate racial inequity. Going forward we are committed to sustained engagement that is specific and measurable – listening, learning and acting; we are committed to helping end racial and economic inequity in our city, our communities, our industry and our organization.
