Archinect - News

These are the eight historic sites receiving Conserving Black Modernism grants today

2024-07-18T12:07:00-04:00

A group of eight important Black modernist sites across the country has been selected for a round of grants worth a total of $1.2 million by the Getty Foundation in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

They were part of the Conserving Black Modernism program that is being directed by the Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Grants ranging up to $150,000 were awarded in four categories. Each joins almost two dozen other heritage sites connected to Black history as part of the larger $3 million initiative, which now means 304 grantees have been awarded $140 million nationwide through the fund since 2017.

Brent Leggs, the Fund's Executive Director, said, "The National Grant Program represents the Action Fund's enduring commitment to telling the full American story — one that makes room for Black resilience, creativity, and achievement. History is crucial to our nation's understanding of where we've come from, who we are today, and how we en...

Autodesk donates $5 million to help fund Howard University's Design and Make lab

2024-06-18T12:58:00-04:00

This month, Autodesk announced a record-setting $5 million donation to the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) at Howard University, a gift it says is meant to ensure the school's new state-of-the-art Design and Make lab will be operated with the most cutting-edge software and other technology the industry has to offer.

What is now the largest such gift in the CEA's history precedes the launch of a new lab within the CEA this fall. Howard says the lab is intended to encourage K-12 learners towards careers in the STEM fields and will be augmented with the integration of the hands-on A World in Motion® (AWIM) PreK-12 STEM program sponsored by the SAE Foundation.

“Howard is a leader in graduating Black engineers, and this gift will expand our ability to provide our students with the best and latest resources throughout the course of their education here. This is increasingly important to us as competition for entry-level jobs continues to increase and as the need for tech and...

Moody Nolan reveals design for $342 million research complex at Morgan State University

2023-11-17T13:11:00-05:00

Moody Nolan has shared an update to its previously announced Science and Research Complex project at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

The new, 246,000-square-foot complex comes equipped with the industry’s latest technological features and will be designed to achieve R1 (very high research activity) Carnegie classification, aiming to bolster the school’s STEM education offerings and national position as a research university.

New renderings released by the firm showcase the direction of the project, whose programmatic elements include Collaborative Teaching and Research Spaces, Information Technology and Computer Labs, Tutoring and Learning Centers, a 3,000-square-foot Environmental and Botanical Rooftop Greenhouse, and space for Remote and Hybrid Technology Integration.

Image courtesy of Moody Nolan

The building will house MSU’s School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (SCMNS) and be constructed alongside pre-set minority business enterprise (MBE) goals of 47.75%...

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announces $3.8 million in 2023 grants to preserve 40 historic sites

2023-06-13T17:43:00-04:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has announced $3.8 million in 2023 grant funding to protect and preserve 40 sites representing African American history. Established in 2017, the Action Fund, which has raised more than $95 million, is the largest U.S. fund dedicated to preserving historic African American sites.

Since its inception, the Action Fund has received a total of 5,638 funding proposals requesting $655 million. The program has been able to support 242 grantee projects through its investment of $20 million.

2023 grant site: Morgan State University’s Jenkins Hall in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: Troy Pumphrey Jr., image courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“The Action Fund’s investment in and celebration of 40 historic African American places illustrates our belief that historic preservation plays an important role in American society,” said Brent Leggs, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund exe...

Dr. Abimbola Asojo is the new dean of Morgan State University's School of Architecture and Planning

2023-05-10T14:22:00-04:00

Morgan State University's School of Architecture and Planning has announced the appointment of Dr. Abimbola O. Asojo as the school's new dean.

Dr. Asojo is the second dean in the school's history following the tenure of former dean Mary Anne Akers, the school's founding dean who held the position for 14 years.

With over 25 years of experience as an educator, architect, writer, and academic leader, Dr. Asojo's academic work has focused on "cross-cultural design, architectural lighting design, African architecture, computing and design, global issues, sustainable design, and K-12 spaces."

She has held teaching and leadership positions at the University of Minnesota, where she served as the school's associate dean for faculty at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a professor of Interior Design at the School of Architecture at the College of Design for 12 years.

Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Image courtesy of Morgan State.

In addition to being a lic...

Pensole Lewis College and PepsiCo launch partnership for design diversity with innovative student lounge project

2023-04-05T08:56:00-04:00

PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, the first and only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) dedicated to design, are marking the first step in their three-year partnership to develop Black designers and increase representation in the design industry with a program tasking students to create a new student lounge on campus.

Previously on Archinect: A formerly closed HBCU in Detroit is reopening as a design school thanks to an industry leader

Together, PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis aim to address the diversity gap in the design industry by providing students with access to mentorship, apprenticeships, and job opportunities.

Designers from the PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll mentored Pensole Lewis students through the design process. The winning concept will be brought to life this summer. In addition, NBA star Russell Westbrook, who shares the partnership’s mission, will work to further amplify the effort and unveil the completed lounge whe...

Howard University begins Myrtilla Miner Building restoration, initiating $785 million campus master plan

2023-02-10T14:35:00-05:00

To kick off February, Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick announced at a groundbreaking ceremony the start of extensive renovations to the school’s historic, 109-year-old Myrtilla Miner Building. This restoration marks the start of Howard University’s $785 million Central Campus Master Plan, the largest campus development project in the school’s history.

As noted by Howard University, preservation and sustainability are at the core of the institution’s real estate development initiatives. When renovations are complete, the Miner Building will serve as a shared space for the university's School of Education and Middle School of Mathematics and Science.

Work will be conducted mainly on the building’s interior. Significant architectural features, such as the building’s two-story arched windows, limestone baseboards in corridors, and two grand staircases that rise from the ground floor to the second floor, are being preserved.

Previously on Archinect: Howard University an...

Howard University selects Moody Nolan and KGD Architecture to design new building that will house the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts

2022-11-01T16:35:00-04:00

Howard University has selected Moody Nolan and the Washington DC-based KGD Architecture to design the next piece in its ongoing $785 million campus revitalization.

According to a press announcement by Moody Nolan, once completed, the new Center for Fine Arts & Communications will contain the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, Cathy Hughes School of Communications, and house the University's television and radio stations (WHUR/WHUT.) The new fine arts center was named after the late actor and class of 2000 graduate last year in recognition of his dedication to preserving and fostering arts education at the University.

In September 2021, the school installed letters to the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. Image still courtesy of Howard University.

"For the KGD | Moody Nolan team, this represents a transcendent design opportunity," shared Howard alum, Moody Nolan Partner, and the project's design executive Renauld Deandre Mitchell. "The Center for Fine Arts and Communica...

Perkins&Will will design a new STEM facility at Howard University

2022-10-28T17:43:00-04:00

A trio led by Perkins&Will has been selected to design a new STEM center for Howard University as part of the HBCU's well-publicized and long-overdue makeover.

The firm will collaborate with the local women- and BIPOC-owned firms K. Dixon Architecture and R. McGhee & Associates (both run by Howard alums) to deliver a seven-story new research facility that will eventually be shared by the university’s College of Engineering and Architecture and College of Arts & Sciences.

The team will renovate Howard’s historic C.B. Powell Building as part of the project, which university President Wayne A. I. Frederick called a “watershed moment” in the school’s 155-year history.

Image courtesy Perkins&Will

Howard is in the midst of a historic five-year $785 million master plan that will revitalize its campus with three new state-of-the-art academic buildings and other renovations in line with the federal government's larger $2.7 billion commitment to HBCUs that was first announced in March.

“The S...

Tuskegee University's School of Architecture and Construction Science receives new annual $70,000 HBCU grant from Turner Construction Company

2022-09-09T12:36:00-04:00

Tuskegee University has announced the establishment of an HBCU grant program by Turner Construction Company to provide the school’s architecture, construction science and management, and engineering programs with $70,000 annually starting this fall.

The money will be used towards student tuition assistance, internships, financial support for travel, software, and equipment to benefit learning objectives and reciprocal teaching to support an interdisciplinary capstone project at The School of Architecture and Construction Science and Management (TSACS). Tuskegee University is one of eight HBCUs to receive professional development and training led by Turner through the company’s diversity manager and talent acquisition team.

“Turner's presence on campus will allow us to forge a lasting relationship that contributes to curriculum development and engage in real-world dialogues to accelerate our institution's growth efforts,” said Tuskegee University President Dr. Charlotte P. Morris. ...

Looking to the future, Moody Nolan will lead the design of a new science center at Morgan State University

2022-07-11T14:36:00-04:00

In the face of many recent setbacks and other challenges befalling America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), the country’s largest African American-owned architecture firm, Moody Nolan, is now setting out once again to improve the prospects and educational resources of their community by leading the design services for a new science center for the campus of Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, Maryland.

Coming in at a total project cost of $150 million, the 246,435-square-foot science center is expected to be completed by the year 2027 and will take the school even further toward its ultimate aim of becoming the first HBCU-classified R1 university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

To date, the firm has completed more than 30 projects at HBCU campuses throughout the country, including the soon-to-be-opened Thurgood Marshall Hall residential housing at MSU, which has been pursuing an expansion of its STEM and other research...

Howard University announces historic $785 million investment to revitalize campus

2022-03-24T13:01:00-04:00

Howard University has announced a historic investment to build upon and revitalize its campus master plan. The University will invest $785 million to build three new state-of-the-art multidisciplinary academic buildings and renovate several existing structures. This is the largest construction real estate initiative in the school’s history.

The new academic centers include the Health Sciences Complex, which will house the College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy, and the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences; the Center for Arts and Communications, which will house the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications; and the STEM Center, which will house various STEM programs and disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, mathematics, and associated labs.

Previously, "Howard University's Bradford Grant named Instagram artist-in-residence at National Portrait Gallery"

“This is a watershed momen...

Michigan Governor Whitmer signs bills to resurrect state's only HBCU into college of design

2021-12-31T14:06:00-05:00

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills on Tuesday to re-establish the state’s first and only Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The former Lewis College of Business is slated to reopen as the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in 2022. It was originally founded in Indianapolis in 1928 before relocating to Detroit in 1939 where it operated until closing in 2013.

This will make it the first HBCU to close and then successfully reopen. Plans for the school’s reopening were announced several months ago, however, Governor Whitmer’s signing of House Bill 5447 and 5448 has made this effort a reality. The school will operate on the College for Creative Studies campus in Detroit and, according to Detroit Metro Times, will provide free tuition for Black designers, creatives, and future business leaders.

Previously on Archinect: A formerly closed HBCU in Detroit is reopening as a design school thanks to an industry leader

Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design is expected to open in March of 2022 and will be under the leadership of Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, the founder of the Pensole Design Academy in Portland, Oregon, former Nike design director, and controlling stockholder of the previously closed Lewis College of Business.

A formerly closed HBCU in Detroit is reopening as a design school thanks to an industry leader

2021-10-29T14:44:00-04:00

Detroit, Michigan’s erstwhile Lewis College of Business is making history after being resurrected by one of the biggest names in footwear and apparel design.

The college operated from 1928 to 2013 before shuttering due to financial concerns and will now become the nation’s first HBCU to officially reopen, giving hope to the 104 similar institutions that were until recently a significant part of President Biden’s multi-trillion dollar Build Back Better spending plan.

The school is offering free room and board as well as comped tuition for students interested in pursuing careers in the design field. Its website is promoting a learn-by-doing approach that will help train students across multiple disciplines, including robust course offerings in STEM fields, sustainability, business, and design.

Renamed the Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, the reimagined institution takes its name from Pensole Design Academy, a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit founded in 2010 by former Ni...

NOMA's Foundation Fellowship nurtures the next generation of architects and designers through mentorship and professional development at 19 architecture firms

2021-07-08T14:15:00-04:00

Mentorship opportunities for young architects and design professionals have been an ongoing mission for The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Now in its third iteration, NOMA announces 24 architecture students who will be part of the 2021 summer cohort for the NOMA Foundation Fellowship (NFF).

This two-month research fellowship will take place in person and virtually at 19 leading U.S.-based architecture firms. NOMA shares: "The NFF 2021 cohort will engage in design research and benefit from firm mentorship." In addition, NOMA has worked hard in building partnerships with various architecture firms that have collaborated with the NFF to provide professional experience to underrepresented students. This fellowship allows students to connect with the profession by establishing a pipeline for eventual employment once the fellowship ends.

In February 2021, NOMA announced its list of Winter Fellows consisting of ten students who were placed at ten design firms. Includ...

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund receives $20 million grant from MacKenzie Scott as part of a $2.7 billion overall gift

2021-06-21T17:25:00-04:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has been awarded a $20 million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in an unprecedented move that will nearly double the amount of funding the organization has received since its inception in 2017.

Scott’s grant was announced in a Medium post she authored, which outlines some of her motivations for supporting causes with a progressive social agenda.

The donation is part of a larger $2.7 billion gift Scott and husband Dan Jewett gave to a variety of arts organizations with a focus on African diasporic cultural concerns, including the Souls Grow Deep Foundation and the Studio Museum in Harlem, which is currently undergoing a radical transformation at the hands of Adjaye Associates.

Holmes Hall at Morgan State University. Image courtesy Baltimore Heritage.

The money will allow the fund to pursue its stated goals of promoting a “national identity that reflects the nation’s true diversity...

Architect, preservationist, and advocate of D.C. statehood, Charles Cassell, dies at 96

2021-05-26T17:42:00-04:00

Charles I. Cassell, a distinguished architect who helped shape the campus of the University of the District of Columbia and fierce advocate of Washington D.C. statehood, passed away on May 17th, the Washington Post reports. He was 96. According to his wife, Linda Wernick-Cassell, the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Born on August 5, 1924, Cassell grew up in Washington, D.C., the son of one of the country’s most prominent Black architects, Albert I. Cassell, who was the head of Howard University’s architecture department and designed eleven buildings on the campus, along with many other academic communities across the United States. Albert I. Cassell’s Founders Library at Howard University was named a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2016.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Charles I. Cassell spent several years as an architect for the Navy Department, designin...

The Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation provides a $30k grant to support Howard University architecture students

2021-05-04T19:15:00-04:00

The Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation is a non-profit organization that has provided fellowships, grants, and other funding opportunities to support young architects entering the profession, graduate research, and "socially-conscious design and planning that directly benefits communities." Launched in 2017, the Foundation is tied to the New York-based architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle. In April, the Foundation announced its first annual scholarship program dedicated to Howard University's Department of Architecture students.

The Foundation awarded a $30,000 grant to Howard University in order to support the academic pursuits and professional development of its architecture students. According to the Foundation, the funding provided is intended to "increase professional mobility, the program also includes a paid summer internship at Beyer Blinder Belle for one scholarship recipient."

(L-R) 2021 Scholarship recipients Dean Bailey, Khadija Callender, and Jemima Pierre. Image courtesy ...

Ten architecture students from five HBCU's have recently been appointed to NOMA's 2021 Foundation Fellowship cohort

2021-02-13T11:45:00-05:00

Ten architecture students from five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are selected to be a part of NOMA's 2021 Foundation Fellowship (NFF). In 2020 NOMA announced the fellowship's inaugural cohort that consisted of 30 students from over 20 architecture schools across the United States.

The fellowship's mission was to provide professional experiences to underrepresented students through mentorship and direct collaboration with architecture firms. With the number of licensed Black architects slowly but steadily increasing, the fellowship allows students to stay engaged within the profession and provide a direct pipeline towards future employment opportunities.

Jason Pugh, newly appointed 2021-2022 NOMA President, shared his response to the recently announced student fellows and the schools participating. Pugh, proud HBCU alum who graduated from Howard University, shared in a statement, "HBCUs continue to provide opportunities to expand an educated Black middle clas...

The HBCU Africa Architecture Lecture series brings the voices of Black architects and the African Continent together for representation and discourse

2021-02-04T17:52:00-05:00

Here at Archinect, we highlight academic events and lectures that provide insight and access to public programming created by architecture schools. Year after year, these events welcome various leaders and innovators within architecture, design, and its adjacent fields of study. While in-person events are put on hold, the ability to engage and invite a global audience is possible thanks to virtual events outlets. 2021 welcomes an exciting series of talks, panels, and lectures that we've featured in our 2021 Get Lectured series and Archinect's Virtual Event Guide. However, an upcoming lecture series creates an opportunity for a much-needed platform for Black design professionals to share their work, expertise, and initiatives for change.

Archinect Feature by Sean Joyner: "Discovering a Black Aesthetic in Architecture" — An Investigation by Woodbury Grad Demar Matthews. Image courtesy of Demar Matthews

February is Black History month, and the rise in promoting and highlighting Black ex...

Howard University's Bradford Grant named Instagram artist-in-residence at National Portrait Gallery

2020-08-19T14:48:00-04:00

Architect and educator Bradford C. Grant has been named as the inaugural Instagram artist-in-residence by Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Grant, who is a professor in the Department of Architecture at the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture, will "provide engaging insight into the museum’s programs and its community through his sketch work and made-from-life drawings," according to the university's website. Grant's work will be shown via the gallery's Instagram account, @smithsoniannpg, throughout his residency, which will last through the Fall 2020 semester.

In a press release National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet writes, “Bradford Grant is a talented member of the D.C. community, with a gifted eye for finding and documenting stories,” adding, “Brad’s work as a sketch artist is rooted in both his training as an architect and in his fascination with the intersection of space, structure, community and culture. We hop...

Tuskegee University receives $100k gift to support aspiring African American architects

2020-08-14T13:25:00-04:00

Tuskegee University's Department of Architecture has received a gift of $100,000 from the Cooper Carry Charitable Foundation, Inc. to increase access to the architecture profession for African American students. The foundation is the charitable arm of the Cooper Carry architectural firm.

According to a press release, $80,000 of the gift will be used to establish new need-based scholarships for undergraduate students. $20,000 of the gift is designated for a student technology scholarship that will allow students to receive technology assistance by providing laptops and/or architecture design software – as Tuskegee has transitioned to remote instruction.

"We knew Tuskegee University would be the place to develop a new and meaningful partnership – and we believe it’s important to be part of actively developing diverse voices in design and architecture," said Cooper Carry President and CEO Kevin Cantley. "We have great respect for Tuskegee University and have hired several recent Tuskeg...

National Trust leads effort to protect HBCU campuses

2020-07-31T14:17:00-04:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Ford Foundation, The JPB Foundation, J.M. Kaplan Fund, and The Executive Leadership Council are collaborating on a $1 million pilot project that aims to develop conservation and preservation plans for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The so-called HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative is an outgrowth of the National Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a $25 million initiative billed as "the largest preservation campaign ever undertaken on behalf of African American history."

Previously on Archinect: "As Historically Black Colleges and Universities shutter, America loses its history."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.

A statement published by the National Trust explains, "The historic buildings and landscapes on HBCU campuses—m...

Expanded federal grants seek to preserve a more inclusive selection of built heritage

2019-11-07T20:13:00-05:00

The National Trust and its partners have led advocacy efforts to increase funding for five competitive grant programs: the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, the Underrepresented Community Grant Program, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grant Program, Save America’s Treasures, and the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program. In total, these competitive grant programs received $41 million in FY 2019.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation breaks down some of the recently expanded funding opportunities that have taken shape at the federal level earmarked for the preservation of diverse and inclusive built heritage.

Highlighted programs include the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, Underrepresented Community Grant Program, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Grant Program, Save America’s Treasures program, and the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program.

Applications for these funds are available through the federal government via the above links.

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...