Creating Change, By Design
Minority Owned since 1986
What began as a one-man environmental engineering consulting firm in 1986 has purposefully grown over four decades into a leading, award-winning, design services firm. This has been thanks in part to New York State's Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise program.
Our Minority Business & Disadvantaged Business Certifications include:
- New York State Certified Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE)
- New York State Unified Certification Program Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
- Port Authority of New York New Jersey Certified MBE & Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
- NYC School Construction Authority Pre-Qualified Vendor & Certified MBE
- NYC Small Business Services Certified MBE
- Erie County MBE
- Monroe County MBE
- City of Syracuse MBE
Watts' Diversity Initiatives
Minorities and women are underrepresented in the A/E/C industry. The Watts team is committed to changing the course of that path through financial support, mentoring, and vocal advocacy when and where able. The initiatives and organizations we’re working with to change this equation through both financial and professional time include the following activities:
Buffalo-Area Engineering Awareness for Minorities
Introducing Engineering to Minority Middle & High School Students
Buffalo-Area Engineering Awareness for Minorities—known as BEAM for short—introduces engineering to minority middle and high school students in Buffalo through after-school programs. By reaching future professionals early, BEAM has proven successful in helping students see futures for themselves in engineering—and putting them on a path toward reaching that goal. Our team at Watts has been involved with BEAM for several years and contributes by volunteering and sponsoring events and programs.
Some of our favorite events are the Annual BEAM Bowling fundraiser, their annual Golf Outing, and the Saturday Academy program. In Saturday Academy, team members create a STEM related project and lesson plan. They walk students through the science behind it all along with a hands-on experiment to see it in action.
Watts Scholarship Program
Proactively Increasing Diversity Locally
Watts established two undergraduate scholarships to assist aspiring minority students with tuition at the University at Buffalo; one at the School of Engineering that began in the fall of 2010 and the other at the School of Architecture and Planning that began in the fall of 2011.
The Watts scholarships allow our firm to help identify, support and mentor minority students in the program interested in pursuing careers in the A/E industry. This program exemplifies our firm’s commitment to helping rebuild our community by being engaged in the education and development of the future of the architecture and engineering professions.
“The Watts Award is the first milestone of my career. It sets the tone for my study and practice of just and meaningful design for all. ” - Pouya Pakkhesal, 2022-23 Watts Scholarship Award winner
Architecture + Education
Building an Understanding of the World Around Us
Architecture + Education (A+E) uses architecture to build an understanding of the world around us. The program was successfully piloted in 2007 with the support of former Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. James Williams. The 2008/2009 year built upon that success for another exciting project. Conceived as a way to utilize the Buffalo Joint Schools Construction Projects, at the time, as a learning and outreach tool for the Buffalo community. The program was woven into the curriculum at the time for students and teachers at the schools undergoing these significant renovations. Teacher-Architect teams develop curriculums that use architecture and design to link their studies to the broader architectural world and the City of Buffalo. Over the years, twelve of Watts' architects participated in the in-school workshops and symposiums, and the firm continues providing support. Our on-going involvement with A+E is another way that our firm works to increase diversity in the architecture profession.