‘Emotional/Identity Tax’ is used to describe the experience of many historically marginalized professionals in Canada who report being treated differently, subject to additional responsibilities, and constantly on guard to protect themselves against discrimination and bias.  Recent studies of Canadian workplaces report that Indigenous and racialized professionals are doubly burdened by exclusionary workplace practices and tokenistic diversity strategies (Catalyst, 2019; Henry et al., 2017). 

This session will include a brief presentation by Nicole Bernhardt, NSB Consulting, on the concept of identity/emotional tax, followed by a moderated discussion with panelists from within the profession on how equitable, accessible and restorative design can advance architectural practices and cultivate an expansive sense of belonging within the profession.  Further, this discussion will assist attendees in identifying exclusionary and racist structures, and will support them in advancing anti-racism in the workplace and the profession.

This event will be a virtually programmed presentation and panel discussion.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding emotional/identity tax and issues facing historically marginalized groups in the workplace and specifically in the Architecture and Design professions in Toronto (and across Canada).
   
   
2. Understanding and describing racism, and learning ways to address and prevent systemic racism in the workplace and the profession.
   
   
3. Providing an opportunity for participants to engage in dialogue regarding current anti-racist initiatives within the profession.
   
   
4. Understanding how to build accountable spaces and prioritize equity in office spaces.
   
   
5. Addressing implicit and complicit bias in design practices and workplace processes.

Presented and moderated by:

Nicole Bernhardt, Equity Policy Advisor and Anti-Racism Educator

Panelists:

Cheryll Case, Founder and Principal, CP Planning

Matthew Hickey, Partner, Two Row Architects

Reza Nik, Principal SHEEEP 

Speaker(s):

Nicole Bernhardt, Equity Policy Advisor and Anti-Racism Educator

Nicole Bernhardt has worked for over 15 years in the fields of equity, anti-racism, and human rights. Nicole has published and presented on structural exclusions throughout Canada and internationally.  She has worked as a senior policy advisor for the Anti-Racism Directorate and an investigator with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Nicole has led organizational change projects and prepared equity assessment reports and recommendations to various public and private institutions.  Nicole is the 2015 recipient of York University's Abella Scholarship for Studies in Equity for her doctoral research into the efficacy of systemic equity-driven change efforts within the framework of human rights.  

Cheryll Case, Founder and Principal, CP Planning

Cheryll Case practices a human rights approach to community planning. As founder and Principal Urban Planner of CP Planning, Cheryll coordinates with charities, private sector industries, and communities to resource the systems necessary to secure dignified living for all peoples. Through this role, she is exploring the development of innovative models for affordable housing construction - in partnership with community and various industry organizations. In addition to her work as a consultant, Cheryll also works within the City of Brampton Planning, Building, and Economic Development team to support inclusive engagement with the planning and design processes of the City's strategic growth areas. 

Matthew Hickey, Partner, Two Row Architects

Matthew is Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, receiving his Masters of Architecture from the University of Calgary and his Bachelor of Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design. His cultural background has a significant impact on his work. 

Matthew’s focus is on regenerative and restorative design - encompassing ecological, cultural, and economic principles based in Universal Inclusivity. His research includes Indigenous knowledge in architecture of Northern & Middle America and the adaptation of historic sustainable technologies to the contemporary North American climate and social circumstances. 

He has been practicing architecture at Two Row Architect for 14 years and currently oversees design and development for the firm.

Reza Nik, Principal SHEEEP 

Reza Nik is an Iranian-Canadian architect, artist and educator based in Toronto, Canada. He has a background in art history, and he is an assistant professor (teaching stream) at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture. He is also the founding principal of SHEEEP, an experimental architectural practice working through an equitable lens in a variety of disciplines. His research is focused on a deeper dialogue between the socio-political nuances of the urban context and playful experimentation. Disrupting the traditional architectural processes is at the forefront of his pedagogy and practice. Reza is also one of the founding members of the Toronto chapter of the Architecture Lobby, an organization advocating for labor rights for architectural workers and encouraging more critical discourse within the profession.