RIBA's equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) blogs and knowledge features
RIBA's equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) blogs aim to amplify and support diverse voices from across the profession. If you'd like to contribute to the blog, please do get in touch at inclusionanddiversity@riba.org.
General
RIBA EDI Leaders Action Group
Robbie Turner, RIBA's Director of Inclusion and Diversity, writes that the launch of RIBA’s EDI Leaders Action Group signals a step change towards a more diverse and inclusive architecture culture.
Creating an inclusive organisation and profession: Inclusion Transparency Report
In this blog, RIBA Chief Executive Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE reflects on RIBA’s Inclusion Transparency Report, which outlines our progress in creating a more inclusive organisation and profession between January and December 2023.
RIBA’s commitment to role model inclusion
RIBA is taking action to ensure a positive and inclusive working culture, says Chief Executive Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE.
Access to education
National Apprenticeship Week: why is the Level 7 pathway so important to architects?
Learn about a Level 7 architecture apprentice from a historic cohort of students and how both practice and university worked together during the process. Read more about the importance of apprenticeship mentoring and RIBA’s recent statement on the government’s funding reforms.
Creating an accessible built environment
MacEwen Award 2025 winner: Severn View Park Care Home
View the winner - Severn View Park, a dementia care home that avoids an institutional feel in favour of providing a sense of familiarity and self-determination. (RIBA Journal - January 2025)
What does 30 years of inclusive design look like in architectural practice?
In this blog, we look at how the architectural profession has developed since the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 came into effect. Marking the upcoming anniversary of this legislative change, David Bonnett Associates highlight how their practice has evolved and how they are helping to create an environment that is accessible and inclusive for everyone.
RIBA celebrates Disability History Month 2024
For UK Disability History Month 2024 (14 November to 20 December), we’re highlighting what individuals and the wider built environment are doing to adapt and create more inclusive spaces to live and work. View our round-up for 2023.
Becoming an Inclusion Champion and creating accessible architecture
We're highlighting individuals who are creating more inclusive working environments. In this blog, architect and access consultant, Jane Simpson discusses her role as Inclusion Champion for House of Architecture and shares what architects can do to design a more accessible built environment.
How to use inclusive design principles to create accessible design projects
Transforming five derelict barns into holiday homes for guests with accessibility needs called on key principles of inclusive design as well as her own judgement calls, says the architect who designed them.
How architects can help when an occupant’s accessibility needs change
Producing personalised, accessible and well-designed spaces is crucial when a person’s circumstances change dramatically.
Where to start in addressing neurodiversity in your designs
Learn mind-friendly design approaches. Access and inclusion consultants Stephanie Kyle and Steven Maslin explain the impacts of colours, acoustics, and other factors on neurodiverse building users.
What are the key principles for architects when designing for autism?
As part of Autism Awareness Month, learn more about an exemplar project and the architectural considerations that shaped it.
A shift in perspective is needed to see the barriers to access all around us
In this blog to mark Disability History Month, Lienkie Diedericks reflects on her experience of socially created barriers that disable.
From Penarth to Fairwater - lessons learned on inclusive learning communities
Architect Gina Callaghan discusses creating learning environments that cater for students with a variety of learning needs.
Breaking barriers and empowering young people through inclusive architecture
Architect Craig Mewse discusses designing educational spaces that empower young people with disabilities.
Magical, functional and enabling – reflecting on House for Theo and Oskar
Architect David Tigg reflects on his practice’s project House for Theo and Oskar, whose soaring diagrid canopy frees up space for the complex needs of a young family.
Introducing the Neurodiversity Architecture Network
In this blog to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024, Luísa Pires, founder of the Neurodiversity Architecture Network, reflects on its progress and outlines tips for supporting neurodivergent colleagues. View our round-up for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2022.
Epilepsy and the built environment: how architects can design inclusively for neurological conditions
Learn more about the range of steps that can help those who suffer from the second most common neurological condition in the world.
Exploring creative new ways to engage with disability, access and design
DisOrdinary Architecture Project Co-Director Jos Boys outlines a new publication aimed at helping architects go beyond building compliance when it comes to disabled people.
Recognising race, ethnicity, religion and beliefs
How to be a better ally
Practical steps on how we can all be better allies to those from underrepresented racialised groups – supporting our shared goal to create a fairer and more inclusive society.
The race to equity in architecture
Lienkie Diedericks shares insight from the Architecture Race Forum’s recent panel event, which focused on education and industry representation.
RIBA celebrates Black History Month 2024
We're shining a brighter light on the stories and histories that underscore our commitment to correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold successes of Black architects and the wider community. View our Black History Month round-ups for 2023 and 2022.
How principles of improved communication can lead to a more inclusive workplace
Learn how one London-based consultant uses innovative techniques to get people talking about inclusivity and diversity.
Reflecting on Stephen Lawrence's legacy
On what would have been his 50th birthday, RIBA President Muyiwa Oki reflects on Stephen’s legacy, its impact on his own life and career, and how the architectural profession can improve for Black architects.
RIBA celebrates South Asian Heritage Month 2024
Read personal reflections on this year's theme, free to be me, learn about South Asian architects who have inspired their peers, and discover South Asian architectural heritage in the RIBA Collections.
Remembering Minnette de Silva: the architect in a sari
Sumita Singha OBE explores the contributions made by Sri Lankan architect, Minnette de Silva, to the built environment and gender equality.
Community architecture as an emerging role for design professionals
Community architect in Bangladesh, Suhailey Farzana, discusses her process of ‘co-creation’ with local communities, and what architects can learn from Bangladesh’s recent protest movement.
Only when you become comfortable with uncertainty can you innovate and evolve
In this blog to mark South Asian Heritage Month, Director of DesignAware, Takbir Fatima reflects on her creative and entrepreneurial journey.
What architecture can learn from South Asian culture
Learn about the concept of sevā (or sadaqa) and how it underpins some South Asian architects’ approaches to design.
Who was the first Black RIBA Member?
This is a question we’d like to be able to answer more definitively. In this article, our RIBA Collections team share their approach to answering it, signpost to RIBA Library and Collections sources that inform their research, and explore why some questions remain unanswered.
Architecture needs cultural cross-pollination
Charlotte Shields, Architectural Designer at Broadway Malyan, discusses the importance of cultural awareness for architects.
The lost heritage of Zimbabwean stone ruins - preserving the soul of African civilisation
Lechelle Ndlovu, Architectural Assistant at Donald Insall Associates, discusses Zimbabwe’s architectural heritage.
My architectural heroes - saluting our sisters
Naomi Shewa, architect at BDP, discusses her architectural heroes who happen to be Black and women.
RIBA Honorary Fellow LionHeart creates new film on race and architecture
An introduction on film on race and architecture by RIBA Honorary Fellow Rhael 'LionHeart' Cape.
RIBA signs Halo Code to protect against racial discrimination
The RIBA has signed the Halo Code – the UK’s first Black hair code – to protect the rights of staff who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities.
Gender equity
Staying for longer: Retaining women in architecture
Pulled from the pages of RIBA’s Inclusion Emergency book, Grace Choi shares how gender-biased culture in the built environment impacts women’s careers while offering direct actions that practices can take to be part of the change.
How can FAME architects overcome barriers in the profession?
The founder of FAME Collective (Female Architects of Minority Ethnic) argues that changes in education and the workplace are needed to better represent our diverse culture within the built environment.
What barriers are still in place for women in architecture?
Sumita Singha suggests ways for women to thrive in the built environment. In her book, Thrive: A Field Guide For Women In Architecture she takes a global look at women’s progress in the profession throughout history and is a practical guide to navigating the key stop-off points during a career.
Ten actions to address gender inequity in the built environment
RIBA's Inclusion and Diversity Team highlight key actions that emerged from their recent event on addressing gender inequity in the built environment, held at 66 Portland Place in London.
RIBA celebrates Women's History Month 2025
Explore some of our resources, from local and national events happening this week celebrating the role of women in architecture and spotlighting the influence of a female architect in the design of the British Library. View our Women's History Month round-ups for 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Women Writing Architecture: a communal bibliography
In this blog, founder and editor of Women Writing Architecture, Helen Thomas, introduces this communal bibliography of writing about architecture by women, and explains how to use it.
Reflecting on gender inequity in design
Marina Milosev, planning policy lead at the London Legacy Development Corporation, reflects on gender-informed urban design.
Empowering women architects: a celebration in the Middle East
RIBA Gulf Chapter's Women in Architecture programme celebrated the launch of the 100 Women Architects in Practice book with an event that allowed architects, irrespective of gender - across the Middle East, and internationally to participate and contribute to the crucial dialogue and debate.
Dr Jenny Russell on women in architecture: "Support and encouragement are so important in this profession"
RIBA Director of Education and Learning Dr Jenny Russell tells us which women in architecture inspire her.
Open mic: the Menopause
The first of a series of online conversations about the menopause, discussing the symptoms, available support, and stigma.
Take the lead on inclusivity by Angela Dapper, Grimshaw (article exclusive to RIBA Members)
Do not just ask questions but actively measure your practice’s progress on inclusivity, urges Grimshaw’s Angela Dapper as she explains steps she is taking to create a more inclusive environment.
Pioneers then and now
Jane Drew, Pat Tindale, Elaine Denby and Rosemary Stjernstedt reflect upon their careers as women architects.
LGBTQ+ communities and spaces
Why sharing personal pronouns matters and how you can integrate it into your architecture practice’s culture
For International Pronouns Day, we hear from members of the built environment about the importance of respecting and sharing pronouns. We also share tips on how you can make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace in your architecture practice.
How does code-switching affect members of the LGBTQ+ community in architecture practices?
Learn more about this social behaviour that is keenly felt by the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.
Nick Walker: Am I a gay architect?
In a chapter from RIBA’s Inclusion Emergency book, Nick Walker asks how personal identity can influence one’s career trajectory.
RIBA celebrates LGBT+ History Month 2025
This round-up brings to light underrepresented LGBTQ+ voices and stories from across the built environment as part of the 2025 theme: Activism and social change. View the LGBT+ History Month round-up for 2024. View the LGBT+ History Month round-up for 2023.
RIBA celebrates Pride
This round-up showcases highlights and celebrates the work of LGBTQ+ communities in the built environment. View the Pride round-up for 2022.
Parents and carers
The architect parent – juggling two lives
Lienkie Diedericks shares insight from a recent Women in Architecture x RIBA panel discussion, which heard first hand from architect parents about balancing demanding jobs and childcare.
How can architects redress their work-life balance?
Could architect and RIBA author Clare Nash’s approach to redressing her own work-life balance inspire you to do the same?
Age-inclusive design
Age-inclusive design: what do architects need to know for 2025?
Learn more about the Older People’s Housing Taskforce's new recommendations and how architects can think more about inclusive design in the new year. (Exclusive to RIBA Members)
Can age-inclusive architecture and design offer solutions for the high street?
Learn more about why architects should take a leading role in designing for later living communities.
Adaptable, accessible, affordable: housing for disabled and older people
Read about our recent contributions to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee inquiry on disabled people in the housing sector, and our roundtable discussion with the Older People’s Housing Taskforce. RIBA's Senior Policy Advisor, Charlotte Watson, offers a concise overview of our recent work on accessible housing provision.
