I’m excited to share that on April 22, 2026, I had the honor of participating in the 2026 AIA + NOMA Congressional Meetings in Washington, D.C., joining architecture and advocacy leaders from across the country for critical conversations around the future of our cities, communities, and profession.

As part of the Blue Team delegation, I participated in meetings with Representative Ritchie Torres (NY), Representative Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Representative Maxine Waters (CA), staff from Senator Angela Alsobrooks’ (MD) office, and staff from Representative Joyce Beatty’s (OH) office. Together, we discussed issues connected to affordable housing, equitable development, sustainable infrastructure, procurement equity, workforce development, climate responsive design, and long-term investment in underserved communities. We also advocated strongly for students and emerging professionals, particularly around the harmful implications of the proposed declassification of architecture as a profession within the “Big Terrible Bill,” and the broader impact such decisions could have on education pathways, licensure, workforce development, and the long-term future of the architecture profession as a whole.

Blue Team with Representative Ritchie Torres (NY)

What made the experience especially meaningful was the reminder that architecture does not exist in isolation. The work we do intersects directly with policy, economic development, housing, education, sustainability, public health, and the lived realities of communities across this country.

As architects and designers, we are uniquely positioned to help shape conversations not only about buildings, but about systems, access, equity, resilience, and the future of how people live.

Representative Maxine Waters (CA)

As the daughter of immigrants and someone who once questioned whether spaces of leadership like this would ever fully make room for voices like mine, sitting in these conversations carried profound meaning.

I left Washington deeply inspired by the power of collective advocacy and even more convinced that design leadership belongs in these rooms and at these tables.

The NOMA Team

I am especially proud to be part of the leadership legacy of NOMA, an organization that has consistently pushed the profession forward by advocating for greater equity, representation, visibility, and access within architecture and beyond. To witness members of our community contributing to conversations at this level was both affirming and powerful.

Blue Team with Representative Emanuel Cleaver (MO)

This experience also reinforced something I have been thinking deeply about lately: the future of leadership will require interdisciplinary thinking. The challenges facing our cities cannot be solved by a single discipline alone. They require collaboration across design, policy, development, infrastructure, sustainability, business, and community engagement.

The future of our cities will depend on the people willing to work across those intersections with courage, intentionality, and purpose.

The work continues.

If you’re receiving this email, it’s because you are part of my journey. Your support sustains me. I carry you into every room I enter, and I hope to continue making you proud.

With Power and Purpose,

Pascale

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