Heather Wilson
AIAO EVP/CEO
In the spirit of Whitney Young
There are no words for the tragedy that occurred in Texas, just as there were no words in Sandy Hook or in any of the other 27 shootings that have occurred at American schools in 2022. I am fighting the conflicting emotions involved with talking this over with my children, while secretly admiring their ability to still get up and go to class knowing what they know about their full safety: it isn’t guaranteed.
I shouldn’t be, but I have been caught off guard when faced with the emotional responses from people like Coach Steve Kerr, whose disappointment and anger reflected (I hope) the hearts of many. There is a weariness here, and, at least on my part, a strong desire to figure out what we can do – both “we” as an organization and “we” as individuals working in our homes and communities.
I would like to propose that, to the extent you can find your personal intersection between your practice as an architect, the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public and how you feel about designing buildings for enhanced safety, you at least educate your clients. And while every solution we see in legislation isn’t the right one (code-mandated automatic door locks have been floated, for example, but present real obstacles to accessibility design) perhaps we can work proactively to create design solutions to the realities we ask teachers and students to face as we open our increasingly state-of-the-art institutions.
ODC 22 will be a place to reconnect with your colleagues from around the state, and not only see each other for the first time in a couple of years, but engage these conversations with intention, fulfilling the request made of AIA in 1968 by Whitney Young, in Portland Oregon, where we were admonished to replace our “thunderous silence” on the issues of that time with action.
I suggest we consider educating ourselves and clients to a way of seeing resilience as three-layered, considering physical, social, and psychological impacts when considering design elements, and incorporating all the best practices we know how. Seizing this moment to gather and discuss these issues as they are happening (and even perhaps come up with some solutions together) would go a long way toward honoring Mr. Young, those who have already been victims and those we hope to protect from ever seeing that fate. I believe that if we gather with that intention, we will have at least made a move in the right direction, and that’s better than thoughts and prayers alone.
If you have already signed up, thank you. If you cannot attend, but would like to get the recordings digitally, please consider registering for the digital package. We have much to accomplish together, and it won’t be the same without you – so I hope to meet you there.