On May 29, 2025, AIANY Women in Architecture Committee proudly hosted Celebrating AANHPI Design & Leadership with Mimi Hoang, Co-Founding Partner, nARCHITECTS , as part of our ongoing series highlighting diverse voices shaping the built environment. A deeply thoughtful and inspiring evening, Hoang invited attendees to reconsider how architecture can cultivate civic life, environmental stewardship, and inclusive urban futures—what she terms Civic Natures. Trained at MIT & Harvard, Hoang brought a grounded and provocative perspective to design as a social act.

She challenged the audience to rethink representation in architecture—not just through identity, but through place, context, and public use. From embedding greenery into, onto, and underneath buildings, to advocating for urban woodlands and protective landscapes, her work elevates nature as both a design element and a civic responsibility. “We know the ground is solid,” she said, “because we benefit from spaces like the AIA.” Yet, she pushed us to recognize the “illegality” of existing foundations that exclude, ignore, or marginalize. Her projects advocate for users’ needs in public spaces—spaces that go beyond benches and bathrooms—to actively support equity, environmental resilience, STEM learning, and community wellbeing.

The event concluded with a moderated conversation by Ming Thompson, Principal, Atelier Cho Thompson and Co-Founder, A Rising Tide, focused on design leadership, social connection, and building community reliance. Hoang emphasized that architecture is physical, tangible, and deeply personal—rooted in the rooms we choose to be in and the energy we dedicate to our work. She reminded us that leadership isn’t always loud or dominant; sometimes it’s quiet, grounded, and guided by the work itself. “Ask for design leadership,” she urged. “It’s your work.” Her reflections encouraged all of us to stay agile, build for the communities we serve—especially New York—and keep bending our big ideas into tangible realities.