Prominent Architects Group Prohibits Design of Death Chambers The American Institute of Architects has changed its stance on members who design spaces for executions or prolonged solitary confinement. A death-row jail cell in Huntsville, Tex. The design of such quarters has raised questions.Credit...Reuters Dec. 11, 2020 The American Institute of Architects said Friday that it had approved new ethics rules prohibiting members from knowingly designing spaces intended for execution or torture, including for prolonged periods of solitary confinement. Such a rule has been championed by architecture professionals for several years, but the organization had resisted making the declaration until now, saying that architects were not responsible for torture policies and procedures that took place in the spaces that they designed. In recent months, as the institute has responded to the calls for equality that followed George Floyd’s killing, the group has re-evaluated its stance.