Big thanks to my friend Emily Iremonger at Asif Khan, located in London, for sharing images of the "Beatbox" project ompleted for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Khan and his team created an tectonic representation of what KRS-One describes as the essence of hip hop, the ability to remix. Although Asif Khan made no attempt to directly connect this project to hip hop culture, and as it focused more on the creation of music in general, it's impossible for me not to see it as a precedent for hip hop inspired architecture both programmatically and aesthetically.
Read MoreDetroit native, Erik Howard, explains how The Alley Project (T.A.P.) came to be what it is today, in Southwest Detroit. Merging the artistry of graffiti and street arts with the practice of architecture and social justice, Howard and his organization, Young Nation, has provided more than just an artist outlet for Detroit youth, he has provided them with a structure which helps develop their craft and achieve their dreams.
Read MoreI'm sure you've heard people say you must always "cite" your sources, well, I'm taking it one step further as I "sight" my sources during this continuous series titled, "Hip Hop Book of the Week". This impromptu shot was taken with a group of daring, unknown skateboarders. The guy jumping overhead actually wanted to read the book as he made the jump, my conscious would not let him do it. Side note...I miss my high top fade!
Read MoreOn 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 MoreAfter each Hip Hop Inspired Architecture lecture, I'm always faced with the same question from attendees after they learn how the projects necessitated the creation of hip hop.
Read MoreCheck out some of Paris' graffiti legend, Legz's latest work during Art Aux Gant 2014. This video below shows the piece from start to finish.
Read MoreDr. Craig WIlkins' "The Aesthetics of Equity - Notes on Race, Space, Architecture and Music"
"Architecture is often thought to be a diary of a society, filled with symbolic representations of specific cultural moments. However, as Craig L. Wilkins observes, that diary includes far too few narratives of the diverse cultures in U.S. society. Wilkins states that the discipline of architecture has a resistance to African Americans at every level, from the startlingly small number of architecture students to the paltry number of registered architects in the United States today.
Read MoreThe mayor of my hometown was there! The City of Highland Park's Mayor DeAndre Windom attending my Hip Hop Architecture lecture at the University of Detroit Mercy during the 2014 Detroit Design Festival. I appreciate the time that Mayor Windom has taken from his busy schedule to show me support over the years. He has a vested interest in hip hop, as he is married to one of the dopest female MCs to ever touch a mic, Yolanda Whitaker (YO-YO).
Read MoreArchitect, Rainy Hamilton Jr. attended my Hip Hop Inspired Architect lecture at University of Detroit this past week. Mr Hamilton is the first African American architect I ever met and he gave me my start in architecture at Hamilton Anderson Associates following my completion of graduate school at UDM. He also pushed me to evolve my concepts and lecture style by sponsoring various trips to present at NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) Conferences around the country.
Read MoreHere is an essential criticism of LeCorbusier's visionary plan for the center of Paris which further links LeCorbuser to the origin of hip hop culture. In 1935 as The City of Detroit built the first federally funded housing development specifically for African Americans which was based on Le Corbusier's "Towers in The Park" scheme, a French architectural critic took to the magazine, L’Architecte to warn the world of the sociological impact the towers and its programming would have on it's inhabitants. In my opinion, this criticism of LeCorbusier's urban renewal schemes, serve as a prediction to the birth of hip hop culture.
Read MoreToday, Tiffany Brown, a former resident of Detroit's public housing who received her master’s degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University is the new leading lady at the Brewsters nearly 80 years after the ribbon cutting by former first lady Elanor Roosevelt.. She represents Hamilton Anderson Associates as the construction administrator during demolition. How ironic is it that one who transcended the limitations of being born and raised in the public housing systems of Detroit is now the architectural representative coordinating the demolition process,
Read MoreDuring the preparations for my Hip Hop Inspired Architecture exhibit at the AIA Convention, I worked with professionals including hip hop artist, architects and photographers from all around the country to put on a successful show. The commonality amongst these professionals is the love of hip hop. I must say that their love for hip hop is deeper than the superficial infatuation with pop culture, these professionals, just as I, can easily profess "I AM HIP HOP"! Check out my post about GB Cortez.
Read MoreMy "Hip Hop Inspired Architecture" exhibit at the 2014 AIA Convention in Chicago, Illinois was dedicated to the memory of my son, Michael Ford III, affectionately known as MJ3. The pain of losing my son has fueled my passion for reading and connecting dots which few individuals before me have ventured to connect. The dark hours spent mourning MJ3's death, created a craving for tranquility that only a book can provide. Since my son's passing, my research has gotten deeper and some even describe it as dark at times, as I reveal little known truths about the history of architecture, art and black culture all of which provide a basis for why society needs and subconsciously yearns for a hip hop inspired architecture
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