Forced Labor in Supply Chains: Examples of a Humanely Built Environment

The three-part series on “Forced Labor in Supply Chains,” stemming from the Design for Freedom initiative, aims to shed light on the social inequalities caused by forced labor in our building material supply chain and actions that we can take in our own practice. The series examines our responsibility as planners and designers in choosing ethically sourced materials for our built environment.

In "Forced Labor in Supply Chains: Examples of a Humanely Built Environment," we will hear from architects who are in different phases of realizing Design for Freedom Pilot Projects. Both presenters are members of the 100-person Design for Freedom Working Group leading the movement to eradicate forced labor in the building materials supply chain. The goal is to gain valuable insights into the challenges and successes they encountered in the process of designing and building with ethically sourced materials, so that other practitioners on their own journey towards forced-labor free supply chains can learn from them.

See the first event in the series, "Forced Labor in Supply Chains: Its Prevalence & the Design for Freedom Movement," here.

Speakers:
Nina Cooke John, AIA, NOMA, Founding Principal, Studio Cooke John Architecture and Design
Diana Kellogg, AIA, Founding Principal, Diana Kellogg Architects

Moderator:
Nadine Berger, AIA LEED AP WELL AP, Senior Sustainability Manager & Global Associate, AECOM Innovation Laboratory

About the Speakers:
Nina Cooke John, AIA, NOMA, is the founding principal of Studio Cooke John Architecture and Design, a multidisciplinary design studio that values placemaking as a way to transform relationships between people and the built environment.

Studio Cooke John’s Shadow of A Face, the new Harriet Tubman Monument in Newark, NJ was unveiled in March 2023. The studio was awarded a 2021 AIANS Merit Award for the public art installation, Point of Action, commissioned for the Flatiron public plazas in 2020 and currently on view at the Wassaic Project. Nina was named a 2022 United States Artists Fellow. Her work has also been featured in Architectural Record, Madame Architect, The New York Times, Dwell, NBC’s Open House, the Center for Architecture’s 2018 exhibition, Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture and PBS NewsHour Weekend.

Cooke John earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. She now teaches at Columbia University.

Diana Kellogg, AIA, is a New York City-based architect and artist known for her commitment to sustainability and gender equality endeavors. Her firm, Diana Kellogg Architects, has received global attention for her most recent non-profit project, The GYAAN Center. Phase one of this multi-structure campus and women’s community space, The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, was completed in 2021 and now serves hundreds of local girls below the poverty line in the region with the intention of equipping these young women with the tools to further their education and independence, as well as raise awareness surrounding the issues faced by women in India on a global scale. The project has received recognition from lauded organizations including the Aga Khan Architecture Awards, AIA National and New York chapters, Architectural Digest Building of the Year and more. Diana Kellogg Architects is a registered Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise.

In addition to her design work, Kellogg is also the founder of TARA, a non-profit entity dedicated to enhancing the global cultural landscape by providing essential support to arts, cultural institutions, schools, and non-profit organizations through innovative architectural, design and capital improvement programs. TARA presents a strong focus on promoting women's empowerment, sustainability, underserved communities, indigenous design, cultural heritage, and above all, equity and inclusion. Through its programs, TARA aims to create environments that inspire, educate, and enrich communities worldwide while supporting local craftsmen, artists, designers and suppliers to ultimately build local economies.

Nadine Berger is a member of the AIA Social Science and Architecture Committee and New York City based Architect. With a focus on environmental and social responsibility, Nadine is determined with her work to be part of the solution towards a more inclusive, sustainable, healthy, and just built environment.

Currently, she holds the position of Senior Sustainability Manager and Global Associate at AECOM’s Innovation Laboratory. In this role, she focuses on global research & development and innovation initiatives to deliver High Performance & Net Zero Carbon projects, effectively accelerating climate solutions at scale. Additionally, Nadine leads the development and facilitation of training modules at AECOM's Global Technical Academy for Buildings + Places.