Boston Society for Architecture Interviews Scott Mandeville, AIA

BSA sits down with Scott Mandeville, Director of Moody Nolan’s Boston Office, to discuss his thoughts on Sustainability, Resiliency, Equity, and Urban Design.

BSA poses numerous questions to Scott, one being:

“What do you see as the largest barrier to equity in your profession?

Access and representation. Young children need to see themselves in the profession, be mentored, and taught about architecture and design. They need to have role models that they can identify with. We have a lot of really talented people in the field, but they are still underrepresented. In my role with Moody Nolan, I have an opportunity make a direct impact on that representation. We are diverse by design and intentional about creating opportunities for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups. We also need to work on access. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for a small firm to break into the profession, and gain the experience needed to grow. Although many speak about encouraging better participation by MBE/WBE and small firms, we all need to work on building capacity in the industry and pushing the boundaries. Meeting minimum diversity goals and standards aren’t enough. Many are told they don’t have the experience to do a job, but aren’t given an opportunity because there is a perception that it’s a risk, or they are included but not allowed to participate as an equal partner.”