Written by: Tamara Emswiler, Senior Program Manager for Social Impact Design
Architecture shapes the way we experience community, and when everyone has a hand in that process, entire neighborhoods can thrive.
October 3–10 marked Pittsburgh’s annual Architecture Week, a time to celebrate design and reflect not only on how the built environment is shaped, but by whom.
At Neighborhood Allies, our Social Impact Design (SID) and Centralized Real Estate Accelerator (CREA) programs are built on the belief that communities thrive when residents have agency in shaping the places they live. Expanding pathways for minority architects and developers directly supports that vision—ensuring that the professionals leading design and development in historically underserved communities share lived experiences with the residents whose voices guide the process.
Nationally, just 2% of licensed architects are Black, and less than 0.5% are Black women, though Black Americans make up more than 14% of the U.S. population. To change this imbalance, architects and advocates across the country are working to make the field more inclusive and representative of diverse voices and experiences.
Here in Pittsburgh, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA PGH) is doing just that—and the nation has taken notice. At the 2025 NOMA National Conference, the chapter was honored with two of the organization’s highest distinctions: Five Star Chapter and Small Chapter of the Year. Through youth engagement, scholarships, partnerships, and national exposure, NOMA PGH is building pipelines for following generations and ensuring that the profession better reflects the communities it serves.
Investing in Youth through Project Pipeline
The heart of NOMA PGH’s mission is Project Pipeline, a summer camp designed to expose middle and high school students to architecture and design. This year, about 60 students participated in workshops, design charrettes, and mentorship activities led by local architects and designers.
For the first time ever, two Pittsburgh students—Victoria Macklin and Sidney Wooten—along with their parents, traveled to the NOMA National Conference. This experience is important to note, as it has shown young people that they belong in the profession not just locally, but nationally, and introduced them to mentors and role models shaping the field.
Breaking Barriers to Licensure
Becoming an architect requires more than passion — it requires time, money, and institutional support; and research shows that not everyone faces the same set of challenges or travels the same path to becoming an architect. According to NCARB’s By the Numbers report, nearly half of current licensure candidates identify as people of color, yet the number of minority candidates that go on to become licensed architects is significantly lower.
Against this backdrop, NOMA PGH’s scholarship and mentorship programs carry real weight. By offering Architect Registration Examination (ARE) scholarships and peer-led Study Buddy sessions, the chapter helps reduce barriers that often hold back minority candidates. Beyond these programs, the sense of community NOMA PGH cultivates plays an equally powerful role—creating belonging, confidence, and professional support systems that help members thrive. Events like the annual Conversations in Color panel invite emerging and established designers to share their unique career paths, offering inspiration and practical insight for those forging their own way in the field. Together, these efforts empower members to build networks, share knowledge, and step into leadership roles early in their careers—making licensure and long-term success more attainable for Pittsburgh’s minority architects.
Partnerships that expand opportunity
NOMA PGH is not working alone. By strengthening partnerships with AIA Pittsburgh and the Green Building Alliance, the chapter has created extended opportunities for minority architects to showcase their talents, participate in exhibitions, and connect with a broader network of industry leaders. These collaborations provide visibility, credibility, and mentorship that amplify the voices and visibility of underrepresented architects in Pittsburgh.
This spirit of collaboration extends beyond professional circles and into neighborhoods themselves. Most recently, NOMA PGH and NOMAS chapter members partnered with Neighborhood Allies’ Social Impact Design team at a community design charrette on October 18th, where volunteers led design sessions with more than twenty residents ranging in age from seven to seventy. The event reflected how shared expertise and lived experience can come together to design more inclusive public spaces.
Partnerships like these, model what inclusive and community-driven practice looks like in action: organizations breaking down silos, sharing expertise, and working side by side with residents to design a more inclusive and representative built environment.
Looking Ahead: Paying it Forward
As NOMA PGH looks to the future, the chapter is expanding scholarships, building mentorship pipelines, and deepening partnerships that unlock opportunity. At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful idea: pay it forward.
Each scholarship, mentorship, and partnership help shape a profession that values inclusion, fairness, and progress toward lasting opportunity.
“Being exposed to NOMA PGH and their team from an early point in my academic career allowed me to develop confidence in my work and achievements. The welcoming atmosphere at each meeting, and celebration of every milestone, no matter how small, has been integral in helping me persevere through challenges I face while in school, and has motivated me to do the same for the community at CMU.”
–Catalina John Melendez, CMU NOMAS Chapter President
Through partnerships like this, we’re helping shape a Pittsburgh where all residents have the opportunity – and the power – to design their own futures. Neighborhood Allies celebrates NOMA PGH’s national recognition and ongoing leadership in creating a more inclusive, representative, and inspiring future for Pittsburgh’s design community.
