The Wisconsin Chapter of The American Institute of Architects named Michael Ford, AIA, NOMA as a recipient of The 2022 Yong Architect of The Year. Congratulations to Michael Ford and the other two outstanding young architect award recipients, Matthew Clapper, AIA and Brandon Reinke, AIA.
Read the full story on Wisconsin State Journal
The Hip Hop Architecture Camp on The TODAY Show
On Saturday, November 25, 2017 The Hip Hop Architecture Camp was featured on The TODAY Show. The Today Show segment was filmed during a camp in Los Angeles hosted by The La Kretz Innovation Campus. Our camp participants were joined by Sheinelle Jones co-anchor of NBC News' “Weekend TODAY” and a mid-week correspondent for TODAY. Click the video below to view the entire segment and visit The Hip Hop Architecture website for to see the Hip Hop Architecture Camp Visual Album and Mixtape created by participants in variousc cities and to find out how to bring the camp to your city.
About The Camp
The Hip Hop Architecture Camp is a national initiative created by Michael Ford, The Hip Hop Architect, which uses Hip Hop Culture as a catalyst to introduce underrepresented youth to architecture, economic development and urban planning. The Hip Hop Architecture Camp is nationally sponsored by Autodesk and The Urban Arts Collective and made possible by local volunteers and local sponsors.
2015 NOMA Magazine Staff Volunteers
The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) announced its talented and diverse group of 2015 NOMA Magazine Volunteer Staff, a group I am honored to be a part of. Our editor in chief is Devanne Pena I'm excited to work with her as she brings new energy and direction to the bi-annual publication.
Read MoreGetty Works with Ice Cube To Celebrate Eames
I've blogged on several occasions about Ice Cube receiving a degree in architectural drafting prior to NWA's success. He has continued to show his love and affection for the profession in a variety of ways, including his involvement Getty, as they released a celebration of Charles and Ray Eames. Below is the recreation of the Classic Eames shot in the extremely rare DAT-1 chair created by Eames in 1953. See my previous post "Ice Cube Celebrates the Eames" for a video tour of South Central LA and Ice Cube's reflection on Eames in a style that only Cube can pull off!
Read MoreHow Architects and Urban Planners Played a Role In Trayvon Martin's Death
"Walk at Your Own Risk" published in Architect Magazine, is very interesting to me, because I constantly speak about architects and planners developing more than the simple physical environments people attribute to our profession. As a whole, we unintentionally shape the subconsciousness and cultural incubators of the inhibitors of our spaces. I challenge all designers, planners, architects etc to make conscious strides towards considering the social implications of their architectural designs and plans on the intended users.
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Nike "Hyperize" and the NBA Salutes 90's Hip Hop - HuffingtonPost
This commercial aired a few years ago, but with Kevin Durant quickly becoming one of the best scorers and developing an impeccable brand and The Mo Williams Academy becoming a basketball development brand to be reckoned with, I think the commercial needs to be revisited for a those reasons, plus the cross disciplinary effort which went into making it a success. DJ Quick was the composer and producer overall for the commercial and the beats, the NBA players created the lyrics and the commercial was directed by Andreas Nilsson.
Read MoreN.W.A.Straight Outta Compton 1988
Ice Cube - The Architect?
Imagine if N.W.A never took off resulting in Ice Cube became an architect after starting his architectural education in 1987 at Phoenix Institute of Technology. Would Cube be the same house hold name that he is today? Could he have applied that same drive and determination and rawness to the field of architecture? The world may never know. I'm glad N.W.A. reached its level of greatness because where would hip hop be without N.W.A.? Another question that will go unanswered.
Ice Cube has the unique opportunity of employing anyone he wants and can be instrumental with pushing the concept of hip hop inspired architecture to the next level, through his various media projects. I would love to work with Cube, rather its being a movie scene location scout or designing architectural elements needed for scenes. The power to advance many of today's minority architects to starchitects does exist in the hands of those doing constant work with a high level of visibility and success, the hip hop moguls. One mention in a hip hop song, one shot in a hip hop video, or any permanent link to the culture will propel the field of architecture.
I wonder if Cube still has the love for architecture he had back when he was in school? What about some of the other film makers with architectural educations? Click here for an article on ww.archdaily.com which reveals some of the most relevant film makers who studied architecture.
Take a look at my previous video blog: Ice Cube Celebrates Eames
N.W.A. and The Posse 1987
Courtesy of Erik Butka, Meagan Calnon & Kathryn Anthony
Kathryn H Anthony, PhD
Why Hollywood Needs to Change its Conception of “The Architect”
Writers, directors, producers, and actors in the Hollywood film industry play major roles in shaping how millions around the world perceive architects and the architectural profession. Television shows, too, create stereotypes of professions that are repeatedly drummed into the brain with each successive episode. Both make long-lasting impacts that may encourage or dissuade young people from pursuing architecture as a career
Read MoreThe Architectural Planning that Created Hip Hop
As architects, designers and urban planners we create the spaces and environments which hosts the day to day interactions of every living being which ultimately nurtures the development of culture. Through a series of my blog posts, you can see how architects and planners subconsciously contributed to the environments which unintentionally created the socially, economically, politically and physically restrictive spaces which resulted in the birth of the hip hop nation. A culture which rebels against social norms and social structure, a culture which results from economical, social and political deprivations.
In the portion of the video from a PBS documentary below, one of the first housing projects in New York city is displayed through the lens of utopia if you ask me. The commercial which promotes the high density housing units is laughable today, knowing what these "housing projects" became once this grand scheme disseminated across the inner cities of America. This was Robert Moses' attempt at solving housing issues in the Bronx as he shuffled residents while as he planned and built the Cross Bronx Expressway. A grand idea, that fizzled and resulted in becoming some of the toughest places to sustain life throughout the country, "The Projects". Fast forward to the 2:58 mark of the video for the commercial.
If you want to view the entire series "The World That Robert Moses Built" by PBS.org. Click Here
Take a look at a previous blog post to understand how LeCorbusier's vision was implemented by Robert Moses in the South Bronx.
