The pedagogy of architecture in western institutions has been characterized by a lack of diversity and resistance to change in recognizing and promoting the work of individuals beyond the “white able male” and the Eurocentric canon.

In addition to a lack of representation within faculty, architectural pedagogy still mainly relies on examples, methods, and intellectual references that perpetuates this systemic problem. can we begin addressing this problem effectively in the classroom? How can we incorporate these discussions in our core curricula in meaningful ways? How can we expose students early on in their development to other ways of thinking of the field to disrupt the reproduction of the system? What are the obstacles for translating these discussions into practice? What’s the role of institution on the stewardship of architecture and knowledge?

The Conservation and Urbanism core undergraduate studio courses this year, lead by Natalia Escobar Castrillón and Ozayr Saloojee respectively, became testing grounds for these questions. The courses introduced third-year students to the complex discussions of racial and social inequality by presenting them with the works of BIPOC and women architects and scholars, through guest lectures, readings, and design exercise focuses on social and spatial justice.

Departing from these experiences, this colloquium will ask guests Mario Gooden (Columbia GSAPP) Elgin Cleckley (UVA), Kristen Laise (Belle Grove Plantation), Marc Swackhamer (University of Colorado – Denver) and Janette Kim (California College of the Arts), to address questions of inclusive pedagogy, its translation into practice, and stewardship of architecture and knowledge.