LATINAS IN ARCHITECTURE & ALLIES
Stories of raising the 1% one Latina at a time
Gold medal recipient of the International Latino Book Awards (ILBA), Latinas in Architecture and Allies is an anthology of compelling highs and lows, and sometimes shocking, life stories of multicultural Latina women and their allies in the field of architecture.
ABOUT THE BOOK SERIES
As of 2023, there were approximately 121,603 registered architects in the United States. Women represent approximately 20% of licensed architects while Latinas represent 1.7%, a slight rise from less than 1% in 2021.
To create change, Alicia Ponce founded Arquitina.org; a first of its kind national 501(c)3 organization designed to go above and beyond the 1% of licensed Latina architects in the US while creating equitable and inclusive opportunities in the design and building industry.
The success of the award-winning Latinas in Architecture Volume I, beckoned the stories in Volume II. Latinas in Architecture and our allies offers another glimpse to the Latina and Latino experience in architecture. The stories have roots from the United States, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. Latinas and our allies have always worked hard, but we no longer put our heads down. While some immigrated to the US by free choice or by natural disaster or civil unrest, we hold our heads up high with relentless determination and spirit to succeed; to create architecture for everyone and by everyone.
Alicia Ponce
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Architect, Entrepreneur, Author
A registered architect in Illinois and Wisconsin, Alicia Ponce is the founder and principal of APMonarch, a Chicago-based female- and Latina-owned architecture firm. Her expertise and passion to design healthy buildings and equitable communities have supported many clients in designing radically better projects. Under Alicia’s direction, the firm provides architectural services, sustainability consulting, and community engagement for projects in the Midwest and Latin America. We are open for contracts.
Alicia refers to APMonarch as the pollinators of the built environment, designing healthy environments that look good, feel good, and perform great. She believes that everyone should have a right to a space that brings them comfort and joy. Her reputation for resilient and nature-inspired architecture provides her clients with architecture that is ambitious, thoughtful, and healthy. Notable projects include Exelon, The Field Museum, the University of Chicago Keller Center, Midway International Airport Concessions and Centro Amazing in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Alicia currently serves on the Chicago Landmarks Commission, is on the board of United Way Metro Chicago, and is the founder of Arquitina, a national non-profit with a mission to raise the fewer than 1% of licensed Latina architects in the United States.