202: Designing with Purpose: Pascale Sablan on Advocacy, Joy, and Justice

Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

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9d ago 55:03

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What does it look like when advocacy is embedded into the DNA of how one practices?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee is joined by Pascale Sablan, architect, activist, and the 2023-2024 President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). As the founder and Executive Director of Beyond the Built Environment, Pascale has spent her career not only designing spaces, but designing platforms for visibility, equity, and justice in architecture.

Together, they explore Pascale’s path into the profession, from being one of the few Black women in her architecture school cohort to becoming a nationally recognized leader in advocacy-driven practice. She shares the origin story behind Beyond the Built, her reflections on the labor of representation, and the importance of documenting and uplifting the voices of BIPOC designers across time and space.

The conversation also delves into the systems that uphold exclusion in architecture, and how Pascale works to dismantle them through action: challenging AIA policies, creating traveling exhibitions, and supporting youth pipeline initiatives. Her message is clear: architecture must move beyond statements and toward systems of accountability.

"To advocate is not just to speak! It’s to act, It’s to move, to challenge, to build. Advocacy is a verb." - Pascale Sablan

This episode concludes with a reflection on legacy, lineage, and the responsibility of naming, and remembering those who have been historically erased. It’s a call to not just imagine a more equitable profession, but to build it.

Guest:

Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP is the 2023–2024 President of the National Organization of Minority Architects and the Founder & Executive Director of Beyond the Built Environment. A Principal at Adjaye Associates, Pascale is an award-winning architect, advocate, and historian whose work challenges systemic injustice and promotes visibility for marginalized designers. She is the 315th living Black woman licensed to practice architecture in the United States.

Is This Episode for You?

This episode is for you if:

✅ You want to integrate advocacy into your design practice

✅ You’re looking for models of leadership grounded in justice

✅ You’re committed to making the profession more inclusive

✅ You believe in honoring history while building a more equitable future

What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.

📍 Show Links:

Connect with Pascale on LinkedIn
Visit Pascale’s Website
Visit NOMA’s Website
Learn more about Beyond The Built

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