On March 20, 2025 the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee was honored to host an inspiring talk by Ivi Diamantopolou, AIA, Director of Syracuse University School of Architecture NYC and Co-Founder of New Affiliates, to celebrate Women’s History Month!

Ivi shared her unique perspective on navigating architecture through the lens of academia, adaptability, collaboration, and a deep engagement with materiality and context. She spoke about the cycle of critique, emphasizing the importance of revisiting questions over time with greater intelligence and experience. Drawing from her background—from Greece to New York—she reflected on how thinking in another language and adapting to new environments shape architectural discourse and practice.

Referencing her work and her engagement with clean soil as a teaching tool to explore byproducts and environmental impact, Ivi highlighted the significance of slowing down, paying attention, and understanding the built environment through conversation and participation.

Our conversation centered on architecture’s fundamentals, the interaction between academia and practice, and the evolving relationship between language and how we perceive the world. Ivi encouraged embracing a less formal, more flexible, and responsible approach to design across different scales and project types. A huge thank you to Ivi and all attendees for an engaging and thought-provoking evening. We are also grateful to Lutron, NYC for hosting us in their beautiful showroom! We look forward to continuing these conversations and seeing you at our next event!