APRELLIA STANLEY

Portrait courtesy of Aprellia Stanley

Aprellia Stanley is a 5th Year Undergraduate at The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. She showcases exemplary leadership skills, hard work, and dedication. For two years Aprellia kept the NOMAS chapter at City College of New York (CCNY) organized with her position as secretary. She is currently serving as President and has created beneficial opportunities and connections for NOMAS CCNY members. Her diligence extends pass the boundaries of the school walls and into the professional field by way of internships and volunteer work. Throughout all of her experiences her heart yearned to make a difference by designing for the benefit of the marginalized while promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Ensuring Inclusivity and Diversity Through Design but also Organizations

What inspired you to pursue a career architecture?

When I was younger, I always wanted to get my hands into something. I was a quiet child because I preferred to create the thoughts in my head rather than speak them. This itch to create most likely stemmed from the male influence I had as a child. My grandpa is a carpenter, my uncles are electrical engineers, and my cousins were construction workers. My family started taking me to work from the age of 10. When I was 11, I started sweeping the wood dust off the floor of my grandpa’s shop for 10 dollars. I absolutely loved going there, I would watch him cut any material you could think of into these amazing shapes. Additionally, I would help him put pieces together and I was so happy when I saw the finished product of a door or a cabinet. Nonetheless, I started going to my Uncles job hoping I can get the same experience. With him I noticed that they were always talking about the architect. One day I asked, “who is this person you call architect?” and they said, “that’s the boss, everything we do is based on the architect’s design”. I wanted to meet the person who told my uncles what to do and I eventually did. To my amazement it was a woman and she talked to me about the project every time she could. Those memories of talking to her inspired me to pursue a career in architecture.

An FXCollaborative site visit at One Willoughby Square. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

Four interns from FXCollaborative having fun at a construction site. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

As a black woman in architecture, what and how did different architecture organizations impact you in the field?

As a black woman in architecture at times I feel dismissed and undermined. However, the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) and the New York Coalition of Black Architects (NYCOBA) has played a big role in reassuring me that I am on the right path. It has provided me spaces of inclusivity and diversity that I do not see as often as I should. It has also connected me with amazing people and amazing firms. The spaces provided and the people I have met have helped me realize that I can make a difference with the tool of design. I can make a difference when it comes to injustices of race, gender, and the environment. This moved me to become president of NOMAS CCNY. I wanted to use my platform to let other minority students know that there are spaces built for them to succeed.

Site visit at The Forge. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

Amenities at The Forge. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

Congratulations on becoming president of the National Organization for Minority Architecture Students at the City College of New York! As president, how are you creating a safe, equal, and welcoming space to uplift all students?

The profession of architecture can be very competitive at times. As students we sometimes aim to better than the other. However, architecture also strives in collaboration and unity. During this time of online learning, it is important that I echo these elements of architecture as president of NOMAS CCNY. Therefore, my team and I create events that serve as a platform that our members can use to exercise freedom of speech. It is also my job to not just ensure that their voices are being heard but also create lines of connections that can allow for their voices to turn into actions. I try my best to do this with mentorship programs, and through NOMA (the parent organization of NOMAS) and nycoba. I also relay their concerns and comments to the school, with hopes that we can make a change.

First Day of Summer Internship ‘19 at FXCollaborative. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

During these very challenging times, there is a call to provide more opportunities for people from lower-income and diverse backgrounds in architecture. NOMAS CCNY initiated a mentorship program between members and professionals from many different firms. Why is it crucial that students, especially minorities, are given the opportunity to network and have mentors?

I feel as if minorities at times can feel as if they have no space in architecture. Therefore, the mentorship that we initiated this year is providing students affirmation that there is a space for them. In addition, it is hard to not only navigate through an academic career but also transition to a professional one. The mentorship gives our members someone that they can go to when facing difficulties. It also helps them get a foot in the door. I believe it is beneficial for the student to have this connection, but I also believe it is beneficial for architecture and the world as a whole.  For instance, minority students having more connections with people in the field allow for the minority experience to be heard more. Maybe in turn this will help the mentor/professional be better equipped to design for injustices that minorities face. Furthermore, the minority student having this connection can turn into a professional connection. I believe that this can help the profession of architecture become more diverse and in turn more inclusive.

An intern site visit at The Forge, led by Gustavo Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

In 2019, FxCollaborative manually deleted any information that may indicate a student’s ethnic background, gender, or school information. This process resulted in the most diverse set of summer interns. As one of those interns, how did the opportunity affect you as an aspiring architect? What was the importance of working with diverse colleagues?

I believe that this process exposed people of their unconscious biases. I am grateful that FXCollaborative did this because it leveled the playing field. Our portfolios were chosen by the amount of work we put in, not what school we come from or what gender/race we are. City College has one of the only public architecture programs in NYC. Therefore, sometimes I get worried if I would get hired because I am not from a private well-known school like Columbia or Cornell. However, this experience made me feel reassured that it does not matter the background of my education. What matters the most is my talent and passion for design. Seeing other minority interns and minority architects made me more excited for my future in architecture. 

When the stresses of life get to me, one of the best medicines is the outdoors. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

As an Architectural Intern at FxCollaborative, what was your favorite memory?

FXCollaborative is a very welcoming environment. Even though I was an intern and a third-year student at the time, they still held me to the same standards of the rest of the office. This made me feel important and I did everything with zeal. I loved producing drawings, but I loved the exposure I got even more. The team that I worked on projects with would invite me to client meetings and consulting meetings and treat me as if I was a valued member of the team. These meetings are nothing like the things I learned in school. I was exposed to not only the collaboration between architects but the collaboration between clients, the community, code consultants, MEP consultants, and structural engineers. Those were my favorite memories because it was a whole new side of architecture that I never saw before. Thus, I gained knowledge about specifications, punch lists, RFPs, building codes and much more.

Being in nature helps recenter me and bring back joy. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.

With your experience and dedication as the president of NOMAS CCNY, what do you hope to do post-graduation for minority individuals in Architecture?

I hope to use my experiences to help other minority individuals. Whether this be through sharing my life experiences and/or using the resources and knowledge I have to make them succeed. I would do this post-graduation by still being involved in NOMA and possibly becoming a mentor as well.

Another great medicine is exercise. I like riding on bike tracks with beautiful landscapes to help me clear my mind and inspire me. Photo courtesy of Aprellia Stanley.