Hatch Architects Design Center

Operating as a 501c3 in Ohio since 2020, we are primarily focused on the City of Dayton and Dayton Public School students.

Our nonprofit aims to increase the diversity in the architecture profession and inspire young people to explore the profession and pursue it themselves! Through hands-on workshops with guest architects and designers as mentors, we hope to hatch more community-minded architects.

The field of architecture lacks the diversity and representation that fosters creative and equitable solutions to community issues in the built environment.

the problem

Many students (and adults) don’t know about architecture and related fields as an option, so it would be impossible to enter a career field that you have never heard of–-we want to change that. As part of our vision, we aim to encourage Black and other underrepresented students to become architects and designers, diversifying the profession and bringing their own perspectives to the design world.

Racial representation in the field of Architecture, NCARB data :

Only 2% of licensed architects are Black and only 15-20% are female—fewer than 0.2% are Black females. (NCARB data) Underrepresentation in the field perpetuates inequities in the profession and discourages broader participation in architecture careers.

Career exploration at a young age increases racial and economic mobility.

Our programming primarily serves Northwest Dayton where the population is 80% Black and the median household income is $25,000. This demographic is poorly represented in the architecture field.

workshops

We have created architecture and design focused workshops for age groups from kindergarten through high school. We also expand enrichment opportunities by offering our workshops embedded within established programming.

Both artistic and technical, our workshops are project-based and include activities such as drawing, painting, model building, and using tools to build.

Exposure to the field of architecture and other related fields is a key component to achieving our goals of diversifying the profession. Hatch workshops host guest architects and designers as mentors, and invite professionals from related fields to present and share their careers with the students.

At Hatch, we are community-focused, partnering with public organizations to facilitate design-build projects for the community to use. The students' assess, design and build permanent useful structures, which become a valuable contribution to a shared public space. This builds relationships and community as members of the public engage with their work.

The Northwest Dayton Partnership and the Northwest Branch Library have been our strongest supporters and partners thus far.