Archinect - News

As Historically Black Colleges and Universities shutter, America loses its history

2019-07-03T09:48:00-04:00

For nearly 200 years, since the opening of Pennsylvania’s Cheyney University in 1837, H.B.C.U.s have educated thousands of students, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Justice Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison, Representative Elijah Cummings and Senator Kamala Harris. But from a high of 120 such schools to about 101 in 2019, many have faced an uncertain future. In the last 20 years, six have closed, and several others remain open in name only after losing accreditation.

A recent New York Times report chronicles the increasing pace of financial woes and accreditation hurdles facing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the United States.

The report states that in the last 20 years, six HBCUs have shuttered, leaving only 101 of these culturally and historically significant institutions in operation.

At their height, at least 120 HBCUs were in operation across the United States, providing a vital source of educational opportunity for Black Americans, including in architecture.

According to The New York Times, a variety of leading political and cultural figures graduated from HBCUs, including Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, author Toni Morrison, Representative Elijah Cummings, and Senator Kamala Harris, among many others.

The remnants of Morristown College, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and shuttered in 1994. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user Bravidos.

At leas...

Can you guess how many architects there are in each state?

2017-04-28T12:22:00-04:00

The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) has tallied up the number of architects practicing in the United States, as well as each individual state. According to their 2016 survey, there are 109,748 architects in the U.S. It’s a drop from the previous year, although pretty minimal (0.4%).

The survey also shows that more and more architects are licensed in multiple states (a 3% increase since 2015). Another finding is that the rate of new architects appears steady, with more than 41,400 candidates taking the Architectural Registration Examination and/or reporting Architectural Experience Program hours.

“Our data confirms that the economy is generating strong demand for initial and reciprocal licensees,” states NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong. “We’re also seeing continued growth in the number of architects who hold an NCARB Certi cate, which facilitates reciprocal licensure across the United States and in several countries.”

So how many architects are there in each ...

New York State Man Faces Up to 15 Years for Practicing Architecture Without Being Licensed or Registered

2017-04-21T12:28:00-04:00

Paul J. Newman, 49, is the president of Cohesion Studios. He’s also facing charges in three counties for pretending to be an architect. According to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Newman worked on numerous housing projects in the Capital Region despite being neither licensed nor registered. He is accused of defrauding construction companies, business owners and municipalities.

Discovered through an investigation dubbed “Operation Vandelay Industries”, Newman allegedly drafted architectural renderings for over 100 properties, as well as foundation inspections, field reports, energy compliance certificates and engineer letters. On each, he signed as a registered and license architect, using a forged New York State Registered Architect Stamp or Professional Engineer Stamp. Among his alleged victims are municipal governments and senior living facilities.

These are serious charges: Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, nine counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, one ...

Frank Lloyd Wright's La Miniatura finally sells in Pasadena

2015-05-29T18:37:00-04:00

Recognized by Wright as the earliest 'Usonian' house, La Miniatura is also the first residence to utilize Wright's highly inventive textile block building system.

After hitting the market in 2013, La Miniatura (aka The Millard House, 1923) was originally listed at approximately $4.5MM. The final sold price hasn't been made public, but the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located in Pasadena's Prospect Historic District – neighbors include Greene & Greene's Bentz House (1906), and Arthur and Alfred Heineman's Hindry House (1909).

Wright had said of the house, "I would rather have built this little house than St. Peter's in Rome."

Los Angeles' historic places, made accessible and searchable for all

2015-02-27T21:17:00-05:00

It’s not uncommon to live in Los Angeles and still feel like a tourist. The author and seminal California-commentator Carey McWilliams remarked that it took seven years of living in Los Angeles before he no longer felt in exile, and the city has struggled with a history of atomization and segregation in the 60ish years since. There aren’t as many glaring shiny erections or obvious historical landmarks (maps to star homes don’t count) declaring themselves on the landscape, but Los Angeles is dense with urban cultural significance, lying just out of sight. But now, thanks to a new online resource called HistoricPlacesLA, that history is becoming much more accessible.

A joint project from The Getty Conservation Institute and the City of Los Angeles, HistoricPlacesLA is essentially an online database of all the significant physical urban elements in LA – from buildings to bridges, parks to streets, districts to ditches. Everything in the inventory is described in detail, mapped, and acce...

Why list Case Study houses on the National Register?

2013-08-28T15:05:00-04:00

Adrian Scott Fine, the conservancy’s director of advocacy, spoke with us about the importance of this national recognition, what it means for the historic houses and why an 11th home, Case Study House No. 23A, was deemed eligible to be listed but wasn’t because of the owner's objection.

Previously: LA's Most Famous House Finally Makes the National Register