A Growing List of More Than 100 BIPOC Designers and Architects Just Started Circulating

A cast of design creatives—among them fashion mogul Virgil Abloh—have created a living spreadsheet to promote more diverse studios.

Last week, Dong-Ping Wong of design firm Food New York posted to Instagram with a timely imperative: "If you own, run, work at, or know of BIPOC-owned design, architecture, engineering, or planning studios please DM me with info." In just a short amount of time, the view-only list, titled BIPOC Studios, has surged to highlight more than 100 national and international businesses. 

About half are Black-owned and operated, and the spreadsheet’s no-frills layout shows which are run by women, where they’re based, and their Instagram handles. The list also acts as a job board, creating a direct channel for talent to apply for posted openings, or to just get in touch.

Dong-Ping Wong’s Instagram post from June 4 urges BIPOC creatives to add to the growing list. 

Dong-Ping Wong’s Instagram post from June 4 urges BIPOC creatives to add to the growing list. 

Hana Getachew takes her design drawings and sends them to her artisan partners in Ethiopia to help her bring vision to life. Her Brooklyn-based studio Bolé Road Textiles brings bold, traditional fabrics that are handwoven in Ethiopia to a broader market. 

Hana Getachew takes her design drawings and sends them to her artisan partners in Ethiopia to help her bring vision to life. Her Brooklyn-based studio Bolé Road Textiles brings bold, traditional fabrics that are handwoven in Ethiopia to a broader market. 

"For the young designers looking to apply to offices and seeing a ton on the list that aren't labelled as hiring, send them your portfolios anyway," says Wong. "It doesn't mean they aren't hiring, and trust me, you never know where an office is at week by week, including mine." 

+Pool, a 2014 design collaboration between BIPOC Studios founders Dong-Ping Wong and Oana Stănescu, imagines a floating pool in New York’s East River.

+Pool, a 2014 design collaboration between BIPOC Studios founders Dong-Ping Wong and Oana Stănescu, imagines a floating pool in New York’s East River.

A 1980s farmhouse in San Miguel, California, gets an update from New York–based Dash Marshall, a firm led by Amy Yang and Ritchie Yao. 

A 1980s farmhouse in San Miguel, California, gets an update from New York–based Dash Marshall, a firm led by Amy Yang and Ritchie Yao. 

Along with Wong and Virgil Abloh, the effort is backed by architects Tei Carpenter, Dominic Leong, Preeti Sriritana, Oana Stănescu, Joey Swerdlin, Naïla Opiangah, critic Esther Choi, artist Hassan Rahim, and designer Mahfuz Sultan. 

The call for submissions came about 10 days after the tragic death of George Floyd, and adds to the ongoing fight towards equity and inclusion. 

View the growing list. To submit your own business or others that should be on this list, send an email to bipocstudios@gmail.com.

Duncan Nielsen
News Editor
Duncan Nielsen is the News Editor at Dwell. Share story tips or ideas at duncan at dwell dot com.

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