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SAY IT LOUD South Dakota

The SAY IT LOUD exhibition, which focuses on elevating the contributions of diverse designers, is coming to Rapid City, South Dakota in December!

AIA South Dakota is one of many states participating in Beyond the Built Environment’s SAY IT LOUD exhibits, hosted by Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP. AIA South Dakota is committed to honoring the work of architects and other design professionals who contribute vitally to the built environment in this state and beyond. AIA SD has a long history of working across disciplines through our events, programming and other collaborations.

The SAY IT LOUD South Dakota project is organized by a committee representing a number of design professions.

To sponsor SAY IT LOUD South Dakota, click here.

SAY IT LOUD exhibits are hosted and curated by Pascale Sablan, and they have been viewed by an estimate total 55,000 visitors since January 2017. Multiple online publications incluiding Forbes, Curbed and The Architects Newspaper have helped promote the exhibitions, further expanding its impact.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit this page.


A message from AIA SD Immediate Past President Allison Dvorak, AIA, NCARB, CPHC

My first encounter with Beyond the Built Environment was through the SAY IT LOUD: NOW virtual exhibit in 2020. I was inspired by Pascale Sablan’s passion to provide a program focused on elevating diverse designers within the design industry in a time of isolation and social unrest. Since then, I have been dedicated to bringing this exhibit to South Dakota to celebrate the diversity of the design industry that impacts the built environment within our state.

Historically, our industry celebrates the singular design architect whose aesthetic design is beyond imagination, but not much attention goes to the block chain of teams dedicated to translating sketches into construction documents and field decisions.

Working at various firms throughout my career, I have seen the efforts of so many in the creation of our communities throughout South Dakota, and am excited to invite those to contribute to the exhibit!

Join Allison in submitting to be featured in the exhibit with link below:
SAY IT LOUD South Dakota Submissions Live

The concept of this exhibit is “To see our faces, hear our voices, feel our impact within the colorful tapestry of our heritage.” SAY IT LOUD is the activation of an international movement of sharing, protecting and celebrating the journey of the underrepresented to inspire the next generation.

The 2023 SAY IT LOUD: South Dakota exhibition will kick off September 24th at the Washington Pavilion.  During the exhibit, there will be continued lectures scheduled with design professionals to share their stories of leadership, advocacy and passion for the built environment to the future design professionals of our communities.

Pascale Sablan bio

Pascale Sablan is a visionary architect, activist, and leader who has dedicated her career to making the built environment more equitable and just. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Pascale is a trailblazer who is breaking barriers and inspiring the next generation of architects.

As an Associate Principal at Adjaye Associates, Pascale has been a key member of the team for numerous projects around the world. Her work is characterized by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability, and she has been recognized as one of the most influential architects of her generation.

In addition to her work as an architect, Pascale is the founder of Beyond the Built Environment, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower women and people of color in the architecture industry. Through a variety of initiatives, including an annual conference and a mentorship program, the organization provides opportunities for education, mentorship, and professional development./p>

Pascale is also a leader in the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), serving as the Global President of the organization. In this role, she is working to promote diversity and equity in the architecture profession and to ensure that the voices of underrepresented communities are heard and valued.

Pascale's ultimate goal is to realize a just world, where everyone has access to the benefits of good design. She believes that architecture has the power to shape our lives and that by promoting diversity and equity in the profession, we can create spaces that are more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming for all people.

Pascale's work has been recognized by some of the most influential people in the world, including Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. Oprah featured Pascale on her Future Rising platform for Black trailblazers, describing her as a "powerhouse woman" who is "actively changing history." Obama has also praised Pascale's advocacy work, saying that "she is making a real difference in the world by bringing visibility and voice to the issues concerning women and BIPOC designers."

Pascale has been featured in a variety of publications, including the New York Times, Forbes, and NPR. In a profile in Forbes, she was described as "the powerhouse woman...actively changing history with a simple mission: women and designers of color must claim and be credited for their contributions to the built environment." In an interview with NPR, Pascale emphasized the importance of the connection between the professionals conceiving and constructing our environments and the people they should serve.

Pascale's impressive career and advocacy work make her an inspiration to architects and activists around the world. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and justice is a powerful reminder of the potential of design to create a better world for all people.

Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP in the news


NPR, March 12, 2023

Very few architects are Black. This woman is pushing to change that

“Pascale Sablan was once told she'd never become an architect because she's Black and a woman. Now she works for one of the world's most prestigious firms and she wants more people who look like her to join the field.”

“There is a devastating story that Pascale Sablan sometimes tells when she talks about the experiences that have shaped who she's become. It starts in a place of joy. In her case, Sablan remembers feeling elated as a teenage freshman at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture back in 2001 — long before she became an architect and went to work for one of the world's most prominent architecture firms...”


House Beautiful, June 12, 2022

Why Pascale Sablan Thinks Activism Has to Be a Part of Design

“In a field where women and Black people are underrepresented and underrecognized, the Adjaye Associates architect and Beyond the Built Environment founder is determined to reshape the profession from the inside out.”

“To her, activism and architecture are inextricably entwined. ‘The profession is about society; it’s about thinking about collaborating with everyone who is impacted by our design, and considering how that, with their input, is manifested into design,’ she says. ‘And that becomes a version of justice… It's not that architecture suffers when there's a lack of diversity—society does,’ she says. ‘Because then we're not serving everyone, especially those who are in socio-economically disenfranchised areas where the built environment has been designed to perpetuate oppression.’”


Architect Magazine, December 9, 2020

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

“The Institute recognized the New York–based architect and activist for her work in promoting women and designers of color in architecture.”

“‘Pascale’s ambitious leadership as an architect, advocate and activist has already raised awareness about women and minority architects in a meaningful way’…

“Sablan, the 315th Black woman to attain licensure in the U.S….”



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