Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, a design firm specializing in the rehabilitation of building exteriors, contributed $25,000 to fund the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship, administered through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation. The fund provides scholarships for students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups who are seeking degrees in architecture or engineering.
CAF Giving Hoffmann ScholarshipThe Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship is open to applicants who are students entering or enrolled full-time in an NAAB-accredited architecture program or ABET-accredited civil or structural engineering program, and residents / full-time college or university students located in southern New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island) or the eastern Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland), regions that form the core of Hoffmann’s practice. Eligible applicants represent a minority racial or ethnic group, as defined by the State of New York.
Unique among Connecticut Architecture Foundation awards, the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship offers recipients the opportunity for a paid internship in one of the firm’s offices. As a practice specializing in a niche field of the architecture and engineering profession, the design and rehabilitation of the building enclosure, Hoffmann can provide students with practical experience in diagnosis and detailing of exterior envelope systems that they likely would not be exposed to in their architecture or engineering studies.
“I am excited about the opportunities this scholarship will offer, not only to promising students, but also to the design professions,” said Alison Hoffmann, Communications Manager at Hoffmann and chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “With architecture and engineering programs still enrolling a predominantly white student body, there is little room for the kind of innovations that come from bringing together diverse perspectives. This scholarship aims to take steps toward addressing that imbalance.”
The Hard Facts
According to a report by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the National Organization of Minority Architects, most people completing the Architectural Experience Program, a key step to earning an architecture license, were white: 63%. Just 3.4% were Black, 12.5% were Hispanic/Latinx, and 16.6% were Asian/Pacific Islander.
Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce released similar data for engineers, reporting that 5% are Black, 9% are Hispanic/Latinx, and 15% are Asian/Pacific Islander. Two-thirds of engineering jobs are held by white people.
A Legacy of Change
Hoffmann CAF Scholarship PosterHoffmann Architects + Engineers was founded by John J. Hoffmann, FAIA, who came to the United States in the 1950s as a Hungarian refugee. From its beginnings as the dream of an immigrant who arrived speaking little English, the firm has expanded to encompass dozens of employees and a diverse ownership. Today, Hoffmann is known for expertise in building enclosures and has contributed to the preservation of landmarks of national and cultural significance, including the U.S. Capitol, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, and the Smithsonian Institution. In homage to its origins, the firm is committed to advancing opportunities for underrepresented groups in the field of design.
“As someone who started off by working full-time and going to night school, I know what it’s like to struggle to build a career,” said John Hoffmann, an alumnus of The City College of New York. Mr. Hoffmann and his wife, Susan, contributed personally to help establish the scholarship fund. “I can’t pay back the people who helped me get to where I am, but I can pay it forward. I hope this scholarship gives promising students a leg up in meeting their goals.”
Scholarship Application and Donations
Contributions to the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund may be made through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation: https://cafct.org/hoffmann-diversity-advancement-scholarship/
Application forms and details on eligibility and submission requirements are available through CAF: https://cafct.org/2023-hoffmann-diversity-advancement-scholarship/
The deadline to submit application materials is April 28, 2023 at 11:50pm EST.
About Hoffmann Architects + Engineers
Founded in 1977, Hoffmann Architects + Engineers specializes in the rehabilitation of building enclosures. The firm’s work focuses on the exteriors of existing structures, diagnosing and resolving deterioration within facades, roofing systems, windows, waterproofing materials, plazas/terraces, parking garages, and historic and landmark structures. We provide consulting services for new construction, as well as litigation and claim support. Our technical professionals investigate and correct damage resulting from time and weather, substandard or improper construction, design defects, material failures, poor workmanship, structural movement, and stress. To learn more, visit www.hoffarch.com.
About the Connecticut Architecture Foundation
The Connecticut Architecture Foundation Inc. was established by the Connecticut Chapter of The American Institute of Architects in 1978. The organization’s mission is to raise the public awareness of, and expectations for, architecture and the built environment. CAF accomplishes these goals through the funding of programs in education, scholarship, mentorship and research. Administration of the Foundation’s Scholarship Program is an important part of that work. For more information, visit www.cafct.org.
Related Stories
| Jan 2, 2015
Illustrations of classic architecture bring in the new year with style
New York-based designer Xinran Ma has illustrated a New Year's greeting card that assembles pieces of various brutalist and modernist architecture.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 30, 2014
A simplified arena concept for NBA’s Warriors creates interest
The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena.
| Dec 30, 2014
The future of healthcare facilities: new products, changing delivery models, and strategic relationships
Healthcare continues to shift toward Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley as it revamps business practices to focus on consumerism and efficiency, writes CBRE Healthcare's Patrick Duke.
| Dec 29, 2014
High-strength aluminum footbridge designed to withstand deep-ocean movement, high wind speeds [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The metal’s flexibility makes the difference in an oil rig footbridge connecting platforms in the West Philippine Sea. The design solution was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
HDR and Hill International to turn three floors of a jail into a modern, secure healthcare center [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
By bringing healthcare services in house, Dallas County Jail will greatly minimize the security risk and added cost of transferring ill or injured prisoners to a nearby hospital. The project was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
New mobile unit takes the worry out of equipment sterilization during healthcare construction [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
Infection control, a constant worry for hospital administrators and clinical staffs, is heightened when the hospital is undergoing a major construction project. Mobile Sterilization Solutions, a mobile sterile-processing department, is designed to simplify the task. The technology was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
Startup Solarbox London turns phone booths into quick-charge stations [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
About 8,000 of London’s famous red telephone boxes sit unused in warehouses, orphans of the digital age. Two entrepreneurs plan to convert them into charging stations for mobile devices. Their invention was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
Spherical reflectors help spread daylight throughout a college library in Portland, Ore. [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The 40,000-sf library is equipped with four “cones of light,” spherical reflectors made from extruded aluminum that distribute daylight from the library’s third floor to illuminate the second. The innovation was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
Hard hat equipped with smartglass technology could enhance job site management [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
Smart Helmet is equipped with an array of cameras that provides 360-degree vision through its glass visor, even in low light. It was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
