Equity, Diversity + Inclusion
equity, diversity + inclusion
We have an obligation to do more
At Bassetti, we are committed to applying a social justice lens to our daily practice and to every project. We challenge ourselves to reflect and do better, discover new ways to weave equity into our designs, improve our workplace culture, and engage with the communities we serve. Our goal is to foster a firmwide anti-racist culture that permeates our design practice and create an inclusive environment for our staff and the clients with whom we work.
Some of the activities in which we have engaged to work towards these goals:
Quarterly firm-wide facilitated training sessions focused on pertinent equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) topics. These trainings are led by an independent consultant and provide training about implicit bias and promote skills for participating in uncomfortable conversations on race.
Joining NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) and signing on to the NOMA NW Call to Action focused on self-evaluation and action toward uplifting BIPOC voices within our firm and the profession. The pledge provides Bassetti with a framework for working towards this goal.
Convening an in-house EDI Group that hosts monthly discussions of the NOMA NW Call to Action as well as critical issues and educational topics to help move the firm toward a more equitable practice.
Design Process
Community engagement and an equitable design process are at the center of our projects. We listen intently to each unique community to understand the needs and expectations of their spaces. We continually partner with and support local organizations to incorporate valuable community input in our designs and empower BIPOC voices.
Some of our design initiatives to encourage equity include:
Student engagement that empowers BIPOC voices, with organizations such as Your Street Your Voice and support of Camp Elso.
Implementation of Critical Race Theory practices into our design process.
The Place Initiative, a grant research project at our firm to provide tools for a better understanding of the land, site, and communities for which our projects occupy.
Working with MWESB partners/ consultants, with a target of 15% minimum on every project, including providing mentorship and resources to help uplift our MWESB partners.
Leadership on Trauma Informed Design (TID) research and practices, as well as incorporating a TID design lens into all our practices, and particularly to transform educational spaces.
Culture
As part of our firm-wide culture, we believe in transparency and equality among employees. To hold ourselves accountable, Bassetti earned a JUST label through the International Living Future Institute. This program allows us to uphold sustainable and equitable business practices by providing a yearly report of benchmarks such as pay equity, social corporate responsibility, employee benefits, and worker happiness.
We believe it’s important to foster empowerment among our local youth. Therefore, we employ high school interns regularly and participate in the following programs:
Techbridge Girls, an organization that advocates to increase girls’ STEM access, belonging, and persistence.
Road Map Project, a collective action for student success that addresses systemic barriers to racial equity. Bassetti hosts students from one of the seven King County school districts that are part of the Road Map Project and spends the day teaching them about architecture.
The NW Youth Careers Expo, an event that allows high school students to engage with 80+ employers and postsecondary partners for community-based career exploration.
ACE Mentor Program, a free after-school program for high school junior and seniors interesting in architecture, construction, and engineering.
Seattle Public Schools Launch 206 High School Intern Program
As we continue, we are committed to providing direct action to better ourselves as a firm. We believe in fostering healthy communities, and this cannot be done without a commitment to a diversity of voices among the leadership at our firm.
