Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP is the Chief Executive Officer of Adjaye Associates’ New York Studio and a globally recognized architect, author, and advocate advancing equity in the built environment. With more than 18 years of experience leading and contributing to award-winning projects around the world, she brings visionary leadership grounded in design excellence and social impact.
Pascale is the 315th living African American woman registered architect in the United States—a distinction that fuels her mission to expand visibility, opportunity, and recognition for women and designers of color. An activist architect at heart, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Beyond the Built Environment, an organization dedicated to addressing inequities in architecture by amplifying diverse voices and elevating untold stories. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed book GREATNESS, a powerful call to action confronting systemic disparities within Architecture and Design.
Pascale’s thought leadership and advocacy have garnered national recognition. She has been featured in The New York Times, and Forbes described her as “the powerhouse woman…actively changing history with a simple mission: women and designers of color must claim and be credited for their contributions to the built environment.” She was also highlighted on Oprah’s Future Rising platform in the “Audacious” category, honoring Black trailblazers shaping the future.
A respected leader within the profession, Pascale currently serves on the 2025 International Union of Architects (UIA) Professional Practice Commission. She recently completed a historic two-year term (2023–2024) as President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), becoming only the fifth woman to lead the organization in its 52-year history. Her numerous honors include the 2025 NCARB Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service, the Architectural League’s 2021 Emerging Voices award, and the 2021 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award for her transformative advocacy. She was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows as the youngest African American ever admitted in the organization’s 167-year history and served as a 2022 member of the AIA National Secretary’s Advisory Committee.
An engaging and sought-after speaker, Pascale has delivered lectures at colleges and universities nationwide, as well as at esteemed institutions including the United Nations and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University.
