It Takes a Village: A Guide to Parents and Caregivers in Architecture

About the live course

Balancing professional demands with caregiving responsibilities remains a significant challenge in the architecture industry, often impacting employee well-being, retention, and firm culture. This strain on employees threatens the consistency and quality of professional service required to uphold the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. This session explores how architecture firms can better support parents and caregivers through thoughtful policies and inclusive practices. Panelists will share key findings drawn from in-person workshops and conversations with professionals across the industry, revealing the lived experiences of caregivers and highlighting the gaps in current workplace support. Attendees will be introduced to the adaptive framework recommendations and practical tools aimed at fostering a more equitable and sustainable work environment—a necessary foundation for architecture professionals to focus adequately on design excellence and public safety.

• Identify key challenges faced by parents and caregivers in architecture firms by examining research findings, enabling participants to recognize gaps in their own workplace policies and culture that, if left unaddressed, can detract from the firm's overall capacity to prioritize the health, safety, and welfare considerations of projects.
• Evaluate current firm benefits and caregiving support structures using provided assessment tools, empowering participants to benchmark and advocate for internal improvements that enhance professional stability, thereby ensuring project teams remain sharp and focused on the safety and welfare of the building occupants.
• Integrate draft policy recommendations and inclusive frameworks into firm practices to create more equitable and sustainable workplace cultures that retain diverse talent and support the consistent delivery of high-quality designs that uphold the standards of public health, safety, and welfare.
• Practice effective communication techniques for discussing caregiving needs with employers and project teams, building confidence to initiate supportive conversations and drive cultural change that safeguards the professional rigor necessary to design environments that protect the long-term health and well-being of building occupants.

Presented in partnership with the Young Architects Forum (YAF).

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