Pascale Sablan is the Chief Executive Officer of the New York Studio at Adjaye Associates. With over 18 years of experience, she has contributed to numerous projects around the world. Pascale is the 315th living African-American woman registered architect in the United States.

A passionate advocate for equity in design, she founded Beyond the Built Environment to amplify the voices of women and BIPOC designers. In 2023, she began a two-year term as President of the National Organization of Minority Architects, becoming the fifth woman to hold this role in the organization’s 52-year history.

Her advocacy has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2021 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award and the Architectural League’s Emerging Voices award. She was also inducted into the AIA College of Fellows as the youngest African American in the organization’s 165-year legacy.

Pascale’s influence extends to media as well—she was recently featured as a design expert on Room to Inspire, a TV pilot that aired on MAX and Discovery+. In her interview, she speaks about the power of using her platform to challenge exclusion. Reflecting on the theme of resonance, she finds ways to uplift underrepresented communities in her practice.

What does it mean to you to not only find your voice but to amplify your unique voice in this profession?

For me, finding my voice was never just about speaking—it was about standing up. When I was told I didn’t belong in architecture because of my identity, I realized that silence was not an option. Amplifying my voice means using every platform—lectures, exhibitions, books, and buildings—to challenge exclusion and rewrite the narrative. My voice isn’t just mine. It carries the stories of the women and BIPOC designers who came before me and those rising beside me. Saying it loud is not for volume’s sake—it’s for visibility, validation, and victory.

How do you ensure that your work or your voice resonates with the client or the community?

Resonance is about relationship—between space and story, between community and care. I ensure my work resonates by listening first and designing second. I center lived experience and cultural context, so architecture doesn’t impose—it uplifts. Whether I’m curating a SAY IT LOUD exhibition or guiding a built project, I ask: will this reflect the people it serves long after I’ve left? That’s resonance. That’s legacy.

Has your leadership role as CEO of Adjaye Associates NY impacted your ability to stay engaged in design work?

Leading the studio has deepened—not distanced—my connection to design. My role as CEO means I’m constantly negotiating between vision and impact. I may not be drawing every line, but I’m shaping the strategy, the team, and the values that guide the work. I stay close to the process by remaining rooted in purpose: ensuring that every project we touch embodies excellence and equity.