I first met Devanna Pena in Detroit, during the National Organization of Minority Architect's conference hosted by The Detroit chapter of NOMA. We shared a brief conversation about our top five MC's during a shuttle ride to the Bros Art Ball. That short conversation has blossomed into a friendship which has led to us supporting each other in various initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in the field of architecture. When Devanne was announced as the editor of The NOMA Magazine, I was eager to join the team of volunteers to support her in having her visions for the publication come to life. Devanne's design thinking is out of the box. She is a Hip Hop Architect. If you see her, ask her about her presentation with Perkins & Will, where she represents the stages of her career with Tupac tracks. Earlier this year, I called on Devanne to help me facilitate The Universal Hip Hop Museum Design Cypher in The Bronx, where we joined hip hop pioneers, community members, high school students and others to create the programming and conceptual vision of The Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Read MoreNOMA Rise - 2015 National Organization of Minority Architects Conference
The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is pleased to announce the 43rd Annual International Conference & Exposition, taking place October 15-17, 2015 at the Sheraton New Orleans in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. The Conference theme this year is RISE: Social Justice by Design.
Read MoreTowards a Hip Hop Architecture: Syracuse University
This symposium explores a wide range of questions. Does hip-hop architecture, however it is defined, exist? If so, who are its practitioners? Is there an architectural image or a style that reflects hip-hop ideals? Is there a formal language or organizational structure that it should employ? Or is there a process and attitude towards design that will separate hip-hop from conventional architectural practice?
Read More2015 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 MoreTime-Lapse Video - Hip Hop Architecture Lecture
On September 24, 2014 I was invited to lecture at University of Detroit Mercy's School of Architecture as a part of the 2014 Detroit Design Festival. Here is a time-lapse video of attendees filling the lecture space.
Read MoreEminem at 2012 Architecture Conference in Detroit?
Ok, the title is a bit misleading. But, I just found this video online from a conference I attended in 2012. A few good friends of mine, Tiffany Brown, Saundra Little and a host of others worked pretty hard with NOMA-Detroit members planning for the 2012 National Organization of Minority Architects Conference in Detroit.
Mrs. Brown and NOMA-Detroit had the Selected of GOD Choir sing their popular rendition of Eminems' "Lose Yourself" from the recent Chrysler Commercial Ads during the dinner prior to the key note address by University of Michigan's Monica Ponce de Leon.
This was one of the most exciting moments during any of the NOMA Conferences I attended. Great job Tiff!
Hip Hop Architecture - Call For Submissions - DEADLINE EXTENSION
Did you complete a graduate thesis investigation related to the merger of architecture and hip hop culture? Did you complete an undergraduate studio project related to the topic or even a lecture or developed a published article related to the topic? If so, this call is for you. This call is for architectural professionals, students and artists to submit previously completed works for review and inclusion in my upcoming exhibit. The exhibit is titled, “A Cultural Innovation: Hip Hop Inspired Architecture and Arts” and is scheduled for Thursday, June 26, 2014 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. The exhibit will highlight my research on this topic and will include the works of iconic entertainers, hip hop artists, academic institutions, students and architects from around the globe.
Read MoreWhere Are The Minority Architecture Students?
Staggering statistics I found about minorities in architecture while browsing The J. Max Bond Center on Design for the Just City's Facebook page.
"Did you know in 2012 only 924 Black and Latinos graduated from architecture schools? That is only 14.5% of all students graduating from architecture programs!! Is there something in the Academy that account for this low figure?? If they have decided to switch career paths, where have they gone and why? JMBC staff continues to explore and are in the process of creating surveys that will help us compile first-hand insights."
The J. Max Bond Center on Design for the Just City
Phil Freelon - www.freelon.com
Freelon Group Purchased by Perkins + Wil?
As I scrolled through my work emails today in an effort to find some contact information, I came across an email from a few weeks ago titled, "Did Perkins + Wil Just Freelon Group?" I remember reading this email from a friend and the flurry of emails which came immediately after from individuals included on the message. Some individuals collectively responding with a resounding NOOOOOOOOO! Just a few days later this official press release was posted to Phil Freelon's website by Sarah Sheehey, Perkins + Wil's public relations manager.
I have no idea what the ramifications of such an acquisition will be on other minority practitioners in the long term only time will tell. We should not view this as a bad thing, I am extremely happy that Phil Freelon was able to amass a practice so remarkable that a firm such as Perkins + Wil sought after a merger. That is an impressive feat. Hats off!
Read MoreGoogle Yourself - You'll Be Amazed
Have you ever heard people mention the guilty pleasures of Googling oneself? If not, you should try it, its fascinating what comes up in the searches. While Googling myself I found a ton of information about hip hop and architecture but did not expect to find this enthused blogger's response immediately following my Hip Hop Inspired Architecture presentation at the 2012 NOMA Conference in Detroit, Michigan. I feel honored to be used as a vessel to encourage people to increase their involvement in architecture! Hip Hop is so powerful!
Read MoreBall State University - Architectural Competition meets Hip Hop
Chris Baker, a student at Ball State University and fellow member of NOMA, National Organization of Minority Architects teamed with Kyle Edwards and received an honorable mention in the Queens Way Connection: Elevating the Public Realm Competition. His inspiration for the design concept and programming organizing principles was hip hop, more specifically Nas' song "One Mic". The program was organized based on the a sonic investigation of "One Mic", and the lyrical content, which preaches positive rebellion against suppressive systems, rather cultural, social or economical. In Chris' case the limiting system was the physical site for the architectural competition. He describes it as rigid, nauseatingly rhythmic, and linear.
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