The Illinois Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects creates a platform of inclusion and growth to support all minority designers; as defined by ethnicity, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Their programming stems from three initiatives: Project Pipeline, Minority Leadership, and Professional Development.
The Project Pipeline initiative was established to address the underrepresentation of minorities in Architecture. Project Pipeline identifies interest amongst diverse youth and provides programs where this interest can be fostered in hyper-engaging spaces. Starting with grade school, there are several programs set up to serve the student at distinct intervals of their journey.
Berglund's own Malcolm Joseph!
Malcolm was a part of the 4-person team that had a vision for a more construction focused program along the pipeline. The Design-Build program was designed to introduce young architects to the building process, something that Malcolm says he was not exposed to at the IIT College of Architecture. He laid out the framework of how the students should be taught the process and what a day in the shoes of a builder looks like. Malcolm also recommends and helps select the program partners for each year.
The Design-Build program is naturally the third stop along the Pipeline and caters to early high school students (grades 8-10). For the Design Build program, I-NOMA partners with a local, community-based organization that is interested in connecting youth to architecture and design and is in need of a small renovation. They inspire students to be active participants in uplifting their communities while using architecture as a tool to make those changes. Over the course of this 12-week program, I-NOMA leads 15-20 students through the design process and renovation of space for the partner organization.
Together with the students, Malcolm has taken through the process of design-aided building by doing the following:
Creating budgets, soliciting bids to different subcontractors, developing project schedules, completing safety briefs, escorting clients through construction spaces, conducting quality walkthroughs at the Millworker’s shop, and holding ping-pong tournaments.
Through I-NOMA efforts they were highlighted in the following manner:
Chicago Child Care Society 2018 Community Partner of the Year, featured on the April 2018 cover of Chicago Architect and featured on the CBS 2 Nightly News – August 4, 2018.
