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Host a 1 X 1 Call

The 1×1 Initiative is a global acquisition and outreach program of the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA) Center. Through partnerships with universities, professional organizations, and local advisors around the world, the initiative seeks to document and preserve the contributions of women in architecture, design, landscape architecture, planning, and related fields.

Although women have played vital roles in shaping the built environment, many of their stories remain absent from publications, archives, and historical records. The 1×1 Initiative addresses this gap by inviting participants to contribute a single original artifact that represents a meaningful moment in their educational, professional, or creative journey. Together, these individual contributions form a collective record of women's experiences, ideas, and achievements across generations and geographies.

More than a collection campaign, 1×1 serves as a platform for exhibitions, public programming, institutional partnerships, and community building. Through a growing international network of chapters, the initiative creates new opportunities to expand the archive, foster dialogue, and increase the visibility of women whose work has too often remained undocumented.

Each artifact collected through 1×1 becomes part of the International Archive of Women in Architecture, ensuring that these histories are preserved, accessible, and available to future researchers, practitioners, and students.

Explore current chapters, learn how to host a chapter, discover past initiatives, and help us build a more inclusive architectural record—one artifact at a time.

Deed of gift
Deed of gift - Spanish

Typical Process for Preparing a 1x1 Call

1. IAWA Framework (Lead: IAWA)

  • Provide presentation and consultation
  • Coordinate exhibition at Virginia Tech
  • Ensure preservation in perpetuity through the Archive

2. Local Network (Lead: Local Advisor)

  • Build and activate a social network to reach participants and donors
  • Support follow-up communication with participants

3. Local Institution (Lead: Local Advisor / Institution Contact)

  • Engage a university and/or professional organization (e.g., AIA)
  • Validate and vet the call to local participants who may not know about IAWA
  • Support and provide exhibition space and opening reception
  • Assist with outreach, invitations, and communication to donors
  • In some cases, support shipping costs for the local exhibition

4. Exhibition Programming (Lead: Local Advisor and/or Local Network / Institution)

  • Organize periodic events depending on the duration of the exhibit
    (presentations, panels, etc.)
  • Draw public attention to the exhibit
  • Keep the mission in the foreground and foster conversation and exchange

5. Shipping to Blacksburg (Lead: Shared / Informal Coordination)

  • Coordinate shipping of 1x1 work through varied and often informal networks, including:
    • Faculty travel to the location (e.g., Chile, Chicago)
    • Advisor traveling to Blacksburg
    • Other informal methods 

We look forward to celebrating you and your work! For questions or comments, please contact: 

Paola Zellner-Bassett, Chair/Director IAWA Center and Associate Professor of Architecture

Elizabeth Keslacy, Director of Awards, IAWA Center and Assistant Professor of Architecture
Jessica Hernandez, Secretary IAWA Center and Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice
 
For additional information on the 1x1 VT Alumnae initiative and examples of submittals please visit the short video clips below.

Introduction to IAWA: 

 Special Collections IAWA: 

1x1 VT Alumnae General Call: 

  IAWA 1x1 VT Alumnae Requirements: 

  Examples of IAWA 1x1: 

1X1 VT ALUMNAE
1X1 CHICAGO
Red graphic that says 1 x 1 the time is now
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