Pascale Sablan Wins AIA 2021 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award

This morning, The American Institute of Architect named Pascale Sablan, FAIA, as the recipient of the 2021 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. Established in 1972 and named after the civil rights leader and architectural leader Whitney M. Young Jr., the award recognizes an architect who “embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access,” according to AIA’s website. Recipients of the award are automatically elevated to the AIA College of Fellows.

A past recipient of the AIA Young Architects Award, Sablan has worked tirelessly to champion women in architecture and to elevate diversity and inclusion in the design profession. A senior associate at S9 Architecture, in New York, Sablan is also the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment, a platform “to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline” through engagement, elevation, education, and collaboration, according to its website. She has created and curated a number of in-person and virtual Say it Loud exhibitions, which highlight the work, voices, and experiences of 345 diverse architects through images, quotes, and videos.

“Pascale’s ambitious leadership as an architect, advocate and activist has already raised awareness about women and minority architects in a meaningful way,” wrote AIA New York Center for Architecture executive director Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, in a letter supporting Sablan’s nomination. “Her drive and generosity are inspiring to those around her.”

Sablan, the 315th Black woman to attain licensure in the U.S., earned a B.Arch. from Pratt University and an M.S. in advanced architectural design from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. After beginning her career at Aarris Architects, in New York, in 2003, she worked at FXFowle Architects for more than a decade before joining S9 Architecture in 2017. In addition to designing a number of commercial, cultural, and residential projects, Sablan, a member of the Haitian Diaspora, regularly travels to Haiti where she leads construction workshops and assists in rebuilding elementary schools that were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.

“Alongside her accomplished career as a talented architect, Pascale has managed to simultaneously follow a noble path of advocacy aimed at making visible both the identities and accomplishments of African American architects,” wrote 2016 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award recipient and RAW International co-founder R. Steven Lewis, FAIA, in a letter supporting Sablan’s nomination. “The various platforms created by Pascale to showcase the amazing accomplishments of architects-of-color, such as the SAY IT LOUD Exhibition, and the Great Diverse Designers Library continue to enlighten and inspire all who view the fine work she has documented, curated, and elevated. Her passion for this mission combined with her strength and effectiveness as a spokesperson are unique qualities that are helping to move us to a more diverse and inclusive profession—one in which all voices are respected, and merit is rewarded equally.”

In addition to holding a number of AIA and AIANY leadership positions and serving on the AIA National Strategic Planning Committee, Sablan serves as the Northeast regional vice president of the National Organization of Minority Architects. Sablan, named NOMA’s Member of the Year in 2015, was recently elected president-elect of the organization.

The advisory jury for the 2021 Whitney Young Award comprised chair Britt Lindberg, AIA, Gensler, San Jose, Calif.; Karen Braitmayer, FAIA, Studio Pacifica, Seattle; Antoine Bryant, Assoc. AIA, Moody Nolan, Houston; Damaris Hollingsworth, AIA, Design by Melo, Golden Valley, Minn.; and Paul Young, City of Memphis, Tenn.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.