AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture, founded in 2010, is a grassroots initiative that this year was awarded by the American Institute of Architects with the 2012 Diversity Recognition Program.
As part of our mission that targets education, LiA has been collecting books and magazines for its annual book drive: From an Architect’s Bookshelf. The intent of this program is to be able to start or expand an architectural library at local schools in Dallas that have a high percentage of minorities enrollment.
More than 20 Architecture and Engineering firms participate and send their books to the Dallas Center for Architecture, where they are sorted, labeled and packaged. So far, LiA has been able to donate more than 1,500 books and over 500 magazines to local middle schools and high schools, some of which have an Architecture career pathway program.
This year, and after going through our selection process, our beneficiary school for 2012 is Longfellow Career Academy. On Tuesday November 20th, they received more than 200 books and over 400 magazines! As part of our distribution event at the school, LiA members had a presentation on Being an Architect, and shared their personal stories with the students with the ultimate goal of acting as mentors and role models, for these students to be inspired to stay in school and go to college. Thank you to our volunteers: Gus Hinojosa, AIA; Jimmy Castellanos, AIA; Mike Reyes, AIA; Yesenia Blandon, Assoc. AIA; Celi Sims, Assoc. AIA; Leslie Rios, Assoc. IIDA, David Munoz,


“This year’s book drive was special to me in many ways. The school benefiting from the book drive was the middle school I attended. Not only am I an alumni from there, but that’s where architecture was introduced to me as a possible career. As I gave my speech on my personal story on how I chose architecture, I saw myself in all those kids listening to us. Though I was terrified to be speaking to a crowd of young teens, it was all worth it when I saw the kids fascinated as they glanced through all the architecture magazines and books. I’d like to give a special thank you to my 8th grade art teacher Ms. Read at Longfellow Academy who introduced me to the world of Architecture”

Leslie Rios, Associate IIDA
HOK