People matter more than buildings. This must always be so.
As the trials of former Minneapolis police officers begin and buildings across the Twin Cities are boarded up, the elected leaders and staff who serve the American Institute of Architects Minnesota recognize the acute anxiety that marks this time in history. We are particularly holding in our hearts the family of Mr. George Floyd, our Black partners and collaborators, and Black members of Minnesota’s architecture community — architects, designers, students, and members of the AIA Minnesota staff team.
Over the course of the next few months, we anticipate that these trials will reopen old wounds and inflict new pain. Black people in our architecture community are being invited and expected to do more than ever to help the people of the Twin Cities envision and design a better future. On top of this time of heightened effort, these trials will bring about new stresses and intense emotions that can’t fully be predicted.
We ask for your patience, grace and support as we work to be there for each other during the months ahead, while continuing to fulfill our mission and to serve the public interest.
As protectors of the public health, safety, and welfare through the buildings and streetscapes we create, the architecture community is anxious for justice, is committed to change, and yearns for the true and lasting peace that has been so elusive for so long.
Anna Pravinata, AIA, NOMA
AIA Minnesota President
Mary-Margaret Zindren
EVP/Executive Director, AIA Minnesota
