A Day in Chicago with FIRST 500 and SOM's Tiara Hughes

A St. Louis native, now based in Chicago, Tiara Hughes is a Senior Urban Designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, a Commissioner with the City of Chicago Landmarks Commission, and a real estate professional. She is a devoted activist, educator and advocate for underrepresented communities and voices — her personal experiences in the industry along with her passion for advocacy led her to establish a global platform called FIRST 500 in 2018. With so many responsibilities and initiatives, Tiara’s day involves a morning meditation session, SOM’s Equity Committee meetings, social media night caps, and creative evening time.

6:00am: My husband wakes me up before he heads to work. Consumed by the blankets and bliss, I began my own transition to waking up. Hendricks, our giant 120lb puppy is the next stop, waking him up and letting him out. He usually sleeps the rest of the morning unless a package is delivered or someone rings the bell.

6:30am: I start my day with yoga, meditation and prayer. This is my moment to clear my head and be present before the chaos starts. I have learned over the years that my mental health needs care as much as the rest of me. Following the stillness of meditation I begin to sort my day in my head.

7:00am: I love a cup of hot tea, usually served in my Kamala Harris inspired mug that says “I’m Speaking.” I’m always channeling those powerful words from her debate stage as I upload FIRST 500 posts to all of the socials. FIRST 500 is a global platform I founded dedicated to elevating and celebrating Black Women Architects while raising awareness about their distinction. FIRST 500 inspires Black women and girls to infinitely increase our licensed representation in the industry to better reflect the environments we serve. World news, videos, and articles from my husband and any messages and emails from overnight fill the rest of my morning.

9:00am: My calendar usually reminds me of all of the meetings ahead which helps me plan the day out. To start, I meet with my Project Coordinators (PCs) to ensure work plans and projects are aligned. Additionally, we reaffirm project teams have the proper support they need for the week. Then, I’m usually in project meetings, making sure consultants are up to speed, minutes are properly documented and distributed, and clients and city governments have the proper support. I average about four projects at any given time because of my bifurcated role within the firm–I also serve as SOM’s Equity Action Committee Founding Co-Chair.

12:00pm: I reserve time for FIRST 500 Interviews and email responses over lunch. FIRST 500’s dedication to black women extends through three pillars. The first is raising awareness; we elevate the visibility of Black Women Architects and communicate their lasting impact on the built environment. The second is resourcing roadmaps; from youth to pre-licensed professionals, we provide tools and resources that allow Black Women Architects to enter the industry and build prosperous careers once there. Finally, the third is building a strong community; we establish a supportive network of individuals where they can connect, thrive and grow together.

The support for FIRST 500 has been incomprehensible and I am forever grateful. For instance, understanding how little representation is actually present is imperative to solving this issue and Catherine Baker made this crystal clear when she said, “More people have been in space than there are licensed African American Women Architects!” In the same token, just hearing the daily testimonies of the reach this platform has had to young women has been priceless. On the days that I feel overwhelmed, these moments give me my second wind and reassurance that this is all for a greater purpose. The industry will be a better place because of this work. Colorful salads are my absolute favorite and they keep me going for the rest of the day. Hendricks wakes up and gets snacks and some training before we go for a walk.

1:00pm: After founding the Equity Action Committee, we have spent a large part of our first year establishing ourselves and our role within the firm. Now we are executing strategic, longer term projects, starting with the publication of our first ever Annual DEI Report and an internal equity dialogue around Civic and Government Architecture. These dialogues take place quarterly in the firm. As the Chair, I am orchestrating a lot of the planning and the behind the scenes work for these monumental events and moments to come to fruition. As leaders in this space, we are oftentimes advocating for the voiceless and for leveling the playing field.

6:00pm: Check emails and inquiries from partners, clients and consultants. Any last minute changes or approvals are reviewed over dinner and sent out. I chat with my hubby as he begins his commute back home.

7:00pm: FIRST 500 website updates and social media inquiries are my night cap with some wine. We’re currently preparing for some future programming, which will include video interviews and reaching out to black women architects outside of the US. Shortly after, hubby arrives home. He and Hendricks bond as I continue to work.

9:30pm: I’m most creative in the evening, so around this time is when I switch to the more graphic heavy content, such as visuals for the FIRST 500 social media platforms and the website.

11:00pm: Time for bed. Usually, some conundrum I encountered during the day gets solved in my dreams and I wake up the next morning to an epiphany!