NOMAS 2018 Conference

The National Organization of Minority Architecture Students is an organization that is dedicated to increasing diversity and nurturing a community of students from marginalized backgrounds in the field of architecture. This community serves as a resource for professional development, guidance, and opportunities for students. Our Chapter will not only be attending the 2018 NOMA conference, but also be participating in the annual student competition. In order to send our group, we are in need of raising the funds necessary for travel and accomodations.This fundraiser aims to send at least eight students to the conference; covering air travel, hotel, and food costs. We hope we get to participate in this amazing opportunity of skill building and mentorship.

The Cornell University Chapter of NOMAS serves as an organization that creates a supportive space for  young creatives and innovators that is free of bias. We are dedicated to building unity among individuals within the profession of architecture, regardless of race, ethnicity, or creed. We serve as a resource to students for mentorship, scholarship, and much more.

The Conference

The National Organization of Minority Architects will be holding their 46th annual conference in Chicago, Illinois, this fall; this conference provides students with access to lectures, graduate schools and internship fairs, and networking opportunities. These conferences bring together “600+ minority architects, urban designers, community activists and design students from across the country”.

The challenge for this year’s competition is to create a “...carbon neutral mixed-used transit oriented development to be located at the 63rd Street Metro Commuter Rail Station.”. This competition project goes through an iterative process of research, design solutions, and critique before we attend the competition. The hard work we put in to this project is then showcased at the student design competition, where we then present to a panel of judges ranging from professionals within the field of architecture to community leaders.

Through NOMAS and the conference we are able discuss and explore issues and topics such as cultural and socioeconomic integration, sustainability, and economic vitality and opportunity. There are many communities that have been denied the resources to succeed and through discourse and action this organization and its members have begun to take steps towards implementing the necessary change within these communities through architecture.

(2017 group with competition board)

Impact

With your help, our group of students will be given the amazing opportunity to attend this conference in Chicago. We will reap an unimaginable amount of benefits from being exposed to this national network of professionals. From the competition to the lectures and mentorship, the knowledge we will get will help us to navigate not only our education, but also careers in the field of architecture. NOMAS also extends beyond the conference and into the daily lives of students in the Cornell Community. That is why each and every donation is important; by donating to our cause you are helping secure a foundation of knowledge and resources in the lives of young architects and designers who may not have had these opportunities otherwise.

(Cornell students with alumni at 2018 conference)