Pride Talks: Queer identity, housing, and rethinking the home with Quan Thai
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Chin, Communications Director
Email: [email protected]
Peggy Theodore, Principal
Email: [email protected]
At Diamond Schmitt, we believe inclusive design empowers organizations, communities, and people to drive meaningful change for the greater good. As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across our studios, design work, and partnerships, we embrace diverse perspectives and inspire new and better ways of living for our clients and the communities they serve.
This commitment extends beyond the studio. As leaders in the field, we recognize that design industries improve only when we listen to, learn from, and amplify a full range of voices.
In celebration of Pride Month, and as part of the firm’s ongoing learning initiatives, Diamond Schmitt hosted its third annual Pride Talk Speaker Series organized by Framework Leadership, an initiative promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in architecture, engineering, and design workplaces.
In the talk, “Queer Identity, Housing, and Rethinking the Home,” guest speaker Quan Thai (he/him)—a licensed architect, educator, and Associate in Architecture at SvN Architects + Planners—presented how societal norms have shaped domestic spaces, perpetuating a “one-size-fits-all” approach aligned with traditional heteronormative family models.
Domestic space can be understood as the space that differentiates the public from
private, facilitating familial and personal relationships—that is, the home. As housing needs have evolved with metropolitan cities, a spectrum of housing typologies have emerged to serve various communities. However, these models often adhere to cis-heteronormative frameworks, reinforcing the nuclear family as the default structure of domestic life.
For many queer individuals, the concept of home is fluid and often transient. While the home can function as a space for affirmation and safety, it can also be an oppressive environment that compels individuals to seek alternative spaces that cater to their understanding of belonging and kinship.
Using case studies designed for the queer community along the housing spectrum, the talk highlighted how alternative housing models can challenge normative design strategies to reveal opportunities and possibilities for more inclusive and adaptive domestic spaces.
Read more about Diamond Schmitt’s DEI approach: https://dsai.ca/studio/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/