Beyond the Built Environment has elevated and proclaimed the greatness of more than 1,140 diverse designers through 50+ SAY IT LOUD exhibitions around the world.

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When we began, our goal was to elevate 1,000 diverse designers within ten years. We surpassed that goal, but the urgency of this work has only grown.

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Representation is not simply about who is visible today. It is about who is documented, who is discoverable, who is included in the resources used to educate the next generation, and whose expertise can be found when opportunities arise.

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The Great Diverse Designers Library was created to ensure that the work and stories of diverse designers are not lost, overlooked, or excluded from the broader architectural record. The Library serves as both a living archive and a global resource, connecting designers to students, educators, media, institutions, collaborators, clients, and potential business opportunities.

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The Library also provides an important foundation for our publishing work, including GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture and future volumes documenting the contributions of diverse designers to our built environment.

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SAY IT LOUD – NOW is our ongoing call to action to continue expanding this global record.

We are seeking architects, designers, engineers, planners, landscape architects, interior designers, and other built-environment professionals whose voices, work, and stories should be documented and discovered.

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Our goals are to:

• • Expand representation across all 50 U.S. states.

  • Grow the Library's international representation across the Caribbean and every inhabited continent.

  • Create greater visibility and business opportunities for featured designers.

  • Provide students, educators, researchers, media, and institutions with direct access to contemporary diverse design professionals.

  • Build the source material necessary to continue documenting our collective legacy through future GREATNESS publications and other educational resources.

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Every profile expands the record.

Every designer added makes it harder for our profession to say, “We couldn't find them.”

And every story preserved creates another opportunity for someone to see what is possible.

If you are a diverse designeror know someone whose work belongs in this archive, we invite you to SAY IT LOUD.

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Deadline to Submit - Ongoing

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Submission: Ongoing

 

EVALUATION CRITERIA:​

• Applicants must be Black, Indigenous, Person of Color (BIPOC) (He, She, They) or Women of any ethnicity

• Applicants must have a significant role in the submitted project.

• Projects can be built or unbuilt

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At Beyond the Built Environment, we strongly encourage submissions that reflect a broad and inclusive definition of design excellence. Each entry is evaluated based on the success with which it meets its individual requirements.

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Submissions should exhibit design achievement demonstrating exemplary skill and creativity in the resolution and integration of formal, functional, and technical requirements, including ecological stewardship and social responsibility. Submissions should also reflect a strong sense of place, history, and purpose.

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In alignment with our commitment to promote social justice and uplift communities, we do not feature projects involving jails, prisons, or any form of detention facility. This includes spaces designed for the temporary or permanent incarceration of individuals. We seek to showcase work that contributes positively to the built environment and exemplifies the transformative power of inclusive design practices.

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Architecture and the built environment are inherently collaborative. As projects become more complex and design and construction processes extend over time, multiple individuals may have valid claims to credit for different aspects of the work.

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All applicants are therefore expected to accurately represent their role and contribution to submitted projects and comply with the AIA Code of Ethics regarding credit and attribution.

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Please comply with the AIA Code of Ethics for credit and attribution below.

https://www.aia.org/pages/3311-attribution-of-credit

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Entrants will:

• Become part of the international SAY IT LOUD movement.

• Add their profile to the Great Diverse Designers Library, joining more than 1,100 diverse designers from around the world.

• Gain exposure for themselves, their firms, and their featured work through Beyond the Built Environment's digital platforms.

• Become eligible for consideration in future SAY IT LOUD exhibitions, programs, panels, and other opportunities.

• Potentially be considered for inclusion in future volumes of GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture and other Beyond the Built Environment publications.

• Contribute to an expanding global resource connecting diverse design talent with students, educators, media, institutions, collaborators, clients, and communities.

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Entry Fee

$100 USD per entry
Includes biography, headshot, entry responses to several questions, one featured project (multiple images / drawings permitted), and a short video (optional, but highly encouraged).

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What Happens Next

• Accepted profiles will be included in the Great Diverse Designers Library and become part of the growing international SAY IT LOUD network.

• Your name, work, and story may also be amplified through Beyond the Built Environment's website, social media, publications, future exhibitions, and programming.

• All selected designers will be considered for future SAY IT LOUD exhibitions and opportunities as the platform continues to expand globally.

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SAY IT LOUD - NOW