Impact Report 2022

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EXCELLENCE

A GLOBAL NETWORK, A CLOUD CANOPY

A FULL-SPECTRUM EDUCATION PARTNER

A CUTTING-EDGE INTELLECTUAL LEADER

DESIGN LITERACY AND RESILIENCE

A ROBUST INSTITUTION

Dear Friend,

For more than a century, The Boston Architectural College has been a force for social transformation through design. Strengthened by our 133-year-old legacy, we have been dedicated to serving the underserved communities and delivering on our educational vision of diversity and inclusion.

Our innovative educational models have consistently been at the forefront of integrating technology to expand access to excellent education. From our humble beginnings as a Bostonian club, we have evolved into a robust institution with a global presence, becoming a model for others to emulate.

At the BAC, we envision a world where design literacy is an essential quality of global citizens, and design thinking becomes a basic skill for all to build a sustainable, thriving, and resilient society. Through our global network and virtual initiatives, we aim to facilitate the learning of traditional and non-traditional students, irrespective of social identities and geographic location.

Our students and alumni are the living embodiment of our mission, as seen in their extraordinary achievements. Yasmine Badawi's journey from designing a retail kiosk in Cairo to studying architecture at the BAC highlights her passion for combining technical and creative skills. By participating in the Gateway Initiative and working on projects like Contested Territory, Yasmine is honing her skills in architectural psychology and making lasting connections with instructors and classmates.

Generous scholarship investments from organizations like HMFH Architects, further our goal of diversifying the design professions and making design education accessible to all. By providing vital financial support and work opportunities, these scholarships empower the next generation of architects and designers to give back and make a positive impact on the world.

I have often likened the BAC to a great banyan tree, with its inclusivity and resilience. Our branches and the cloud canopy reach out far and wide, thanks to hundreds of our partners providing a nurturing environment for our students to thrive.

Thanks to your contributions and philanthropic support, we have been able to create immense, far-reaching, and tangible change. Your investment in our future has made a real difference to our students, our alumni, and the design professions as a whole.

As we look to the future, we are excited about the continued growth and evolution of the BAC. With your ongoing support and advocacy, we will carry on our mission of becoming a beacon of social transformation and design excellence.

I invite you to become part of our movement, joining us as we continue to shape the future of design education and positively impact the lives of students from all walks of life. Together, we can build a more sustainable, thriving, and resilient society.

Dr. Mahesh Daas, DPACSA President and ACSA Distinguished Professor of Architecture

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EXCELLENCE

We envision delivering on our educational mission of diversity and inclusion to help our students fully actualize their potential.

Our Students at a Glance

44% students of color

43% white

13% other/unknown

57% female 40% male 3% X

We have the opportunity to work with our instructors to make sure that we're getting what we want and need out of our education, as opposed to just meeting certain criteria, and it makes me more passionate about architecture and design.

Badawi, B.Arch’23 student

A GLOBAL NETWORK, A CLOUD CANOPY

We envision the college as a global network, a cloud canopy with virtual aerial roots that capture social differences and facilitate the learning of the curious, the creative, the ambitious, the exemplary traditional and nontraditional students irrespective of social identities and geographic location.

« Read Ines’s full story here

“I told them that I need to be able to travel to Mexico and be present for my employees and clients.” The BAC Admissions team told her, “This is the place for you. We can make it work.” And they have.”

Location of Students

The BAC is International.

Students from 46 states and 52 countries

32% International Students

BAC's remote learning platform, Cloud Canopy, covers 85% of the globe

38% of students learning remote with our Cloud Canopy

A FULL-SPECTRUM EDUCATION PARTNER

We envision a network of seamless flows propelling students from preK-12 systems and across national and international postsecondary systems into design education.

Pre-College Programs

The BAC has been operating Summer Academy for almost 50 years and last year began offering a fellowship in urban design and planning. This summer Pre-College Fellowship provides students with a rigorous, in-depth introduction to these fields with leading professionals in the Boston area and beyond. Students examine how design and planning can contribute to addressing larger societal issues such as climate change, social justice, and human health through the Fellowship’s two components: the Summer Academy Program and the Urban Design & Planning Curriculum, including pre-professional and civic learning training.

7 Boston Area Schools

23

Student Fellows

32,000 Learning Hours

7 Field Trips

« Explore all of our Pre-College offerings

7 Boston Organization Collaborations

A CUTTING-EDGE INTELLECTUAL LEADER

We envision our institution becoming an epicenter for cutting-edge intellectual leadership and technological innovation to diversify and drive the architecture and design professions forward.

Education through Robotics

The BAC has collaborated with a world leader in robotics to offer an exciting workshop to our students that connected and introduced participants to robotic utilization and design thinking from all around the world. The pandemic opened new avenues of working with industrial robots in designing and making objects and environments. We are now able to bring this cutting-edge topic to the BAC.

DESIGN LITERACY AND RESILIENCE

We envision a world where design literacy is an essential quality of global citizens, and design thinking becomes a basic skill for all to build a sustainable, thriving, and resilient society.

Student Scholarships

A vehicle to empower students to attend the BAC.

79%

of students received financial aid

$442,020

from donor-funded scholarships were awarded to 689 students

100%

of funds raised for the BAC Student Scholarship Fund went directly to financially support our students

I am a first year BAC Bachelor of Architecture student. I wanted to say thank you and share my gratitude for the scholarship, without which I would not be able to attend school and afford Boston rent.

A ROBUST INSTITUTION

We envision a time when the BAC evolves into a robust and growing institution, and the BAC’s educational innovations become models emulated across the higher education spectrum.

Donors who contribute to endowed funds provide a steady, predictable, and perpetual source of income for the College.

$770,895

Donated to Restricted Funds

$12,422,715 Total Market Value

$496,909 Made Available for Scholarship & Operations

The BAC's Endowment

We knew as soon as the idea arose that partnering with the BAC was the ideal pathway to fulfill our aspiration for the HMFH scholarship’s impact.

-Lori Cowles, B.Arch’98, Principal, HMFH

83% of gifts were less than $250; Every gift makes a difference!

Donor Affiliation

37% Alumni

24% Faculty/Staff

296 Donors

7% Trustees

23% Friends

84 New Donors

9% Other

Dear Friend,

It is my privilege to write this message to you today—especially as I look back to my arrival last December—preparing to welcome a new fiscal year at The Boston Architectural College! I am grateful to be part of the BAC’s global community, and honored to partner with President Mahesh Daas to build on the tremendous legacy and positive impact from supporters like you as we work towards building a greater College together.

As I continue to learn more about the rich history of the BAC and get to know our remarkable community, it is clear that this is a diverse network of individuals who are committed to promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and excellence in practice-integrated design education. I will do all I can to serve and empower our institution so that we may realize our full potential through a culture of philanthropy, which is guided by our College’s mission and vision as detailed in the BAC to the Future strategic plan.

The efforts and partnerships represented in the stories highlighted in this report are the result of individuals collaborating and working together to advance the BAC’s vital mission.

Even though I am just months into my new role, what I initially believed has been confirmed—the BAC community is made up of talented, dedicated, and

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD*

Judy Nitsch | Chair

Marilyn Swartz-Lloyd | Vice Chair

Elizabeth Minnis, AIA B.Arch ‘89 | Secretary

Rick Strout, CPA | Treasurer

TRUSTEES*

James Barrett, AIA B.Arch ‘87

Kevin Costello

Valerie Fletcher

Jonathan Garland, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, B.Arch ‘09

Shauna Gillies-Smith, FASLA, MAUD, BARCH, Hon. BSA

Lee Michael Kennedy

Katia Lucic, AIA, LEED AP

Nancy Ludwig, FAIA, LEED AP

David Manfredi, FAIA, LEED AP

Richard Martini, AIA, B.Arch’84

Catherine Offenberg

Srinivas Reddy

Richard Snyder, Esq.

Kevin Sullivan

Kishore Varanasi

Bridgette Wallace

Cheryl Waterhouse

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Lisa Bonneville, FASID, NCIDQ, Hon'06

Marc Pelletier, Hon'16

Chad J. DaGraca

Jay Philomena

M. Russel Feldman, AIA, NCARB

Charles Redmon, FAIA, Hon'08

Maurice Finegold, FAIA, Hon'07

Dana Rowan

Urs Gauchat

Carole C. Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP, B.Arch'90, Hon'08

Frederick Noyes, FAIA, Hon'07

Peter Vanderwarker

Peter Papesch, AIA

*2023 Board of Trustees and Officers

Thank You!

Philanthropy impacts every facet of the BAC’s campus community and encourages faculty, staff, and students to continue being resilient, resourceful, and creative as we work to diversify the design professions.

If you have questions or would like to receive more information about giving opportunities, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 617-585-0107 or giving@the-bac.edu.