CONVERSATION W/ ANZILLA GILMORE FAIA NOMAC

Anzilla Gilmore's passion for architecture manifests itself through service. When she graduated from Prairie View A&M University in the late 90’s, she entered a profession where very few people looked like her.  She felt the lack of representation acutely and decided to take action to ensure that no black female that came after her would want for lack of representation.  Gilmore has dedicated herself to professional mentorship, community outreach and professional service through leadership in professional organizations for over 15 years.  She is a founder and the current treasurer of the Houston chapter of NOMA, sits on the National NOMA finance committee and is the founder and current advisor to the Architects Foundation Diversity Advancement Scholars Mentorship Program.  Gilmore was the 2019 chair of the AIA’s National Ethics Council and was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in February 2019.  In her community, Gilmore serves as the Vice President of the board of Municipal Utility District 23 in Fort Bend County and is a Lifetime member of the PVAMU National Alumni Association. 

Gilmore received a Bachelor of Architecture from the School of Architecture at Prairie View A&M University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. She became only the fifth female registered architect in the state of Texas and the first in the city of Houston in 2004. She worked in traditional architectural practice in Waco and Houston before transitioning to project management. Gilmore has worked as an owner’s representative in Higher Education for 16 years; first at the University of Houston and currently at Rice University where she is the Assistant Director for Project Management and Engineering.

Gilmore is married and has three children.

Desiree V Cooper (DVC) Memorial Scholarship

Desiree was one of my dearest friends until she tragically passed away a couple of years ago. 2021 will be the fourth year of the Desiree V. Cooper (DVC) Memorial Scholarship offering assistance to those taking the architect registration exam. It seeks to honor the life and legacy of Desiree V. Cooper by championing the things she was passionate about in her professional career and personal endeavors: providing continual service to her communities and encouraging minorities and women in the advancement of their careers in architecture. To that end, the Foundation awards Scholarships for the architectural registration exam in the following categories: The Black Women in Architecture Award, The Harrisburg Memorial Award, The DC Memorial Award, and the NOMA award (new 2021).

For more information about this scholarship: http://bwa-network.com/dvc-memorial-scholarship/ Submission responses must be received no later than 11:59pm on January 11, 2021

https://www.facebook.com/desireesvictorycrew/

Sharlita Olaleye won the 2020 DVC Black Women in Architecture award.

Tya Winn won the 2019 DVC Black Women in Architecture award. She is an advocate for affordable housing and community development in Philadelphia. Winn is the Director of Project Planning for Habitat for Humanity in Philadelphia where she serves as project manager for acquisition, design, and permitting phases of their projects. She also works on affordable housing policies with local civic organizations.

Jennifer T. Matthews won the 2019 DVC DC Memorial Award. She is an Architectural Designer at Sherlock, Smith & Adams. With six years of healthcare design experience, Jennifer has worked on projects with multiple DC Metro healthcare providers. She was awarded the 2018 Healthcare Design Magazine's Educator Honor Award for creating Array Architects' annual Mind the Gap event. Her recent outreach efforts include professional practice seminars, design studio critiques, and managing her professional development platform, Creative's XP. 

Katherine Williams, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is co-founder of DVC Memorial Scholarship. She is a licensed architect in Northern Virginia and currently a Senior Project Manager at a DC university. Katherine has written extensively about the architecture profession, diversity in the industry, and community development. She has served as editor for multiple publications and was the NOMA magazine editor from 2009-2014. She writes at katherinerw.com and is publisher/editor for archstories.com.

Nikolas Hill is a juror and member of the DVC Memorial Scholarship. Nikolas X. Hill, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, is a juror and member of the DVC Memorial Scholarship Committee. He is a Project Designer/Project Manager at an A/E firm in the Baltimore/Washington, DC region, recently passing his three-year anniversary. His early career saw him gain undergradate & Master's degrees in Champaign-Urbana and Cincinnati, respectively, while gaining professional practice experience in Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington, DC, and London, England. Living in Baltimore since 2012, some of his completed projects are the renovated & expanded Stanton Elementary School in Washington, DC; exterior improvements to the Metro Points Hotel in New Carrollton, MD; renovated Capital One branches throughout Maryland & Virginia; and the under-construction Purple Line Light Rail Maryland, a $5.6bn P3 design-build project. He is currently working on multiple projects in the aviation, transit infrastructure, & municipal government sectors. One of the people involved in restarting the Baltimore NOMA chapter, he also previously served on the NOMA National Board as Midwest University Liaison. He spends his free time falling asleep on TV shows with his wife, Lauren; having his four-year-old son, Nixon, tell him nonsensical "Knock, Knock" jokes; and sourcing the most glorious quince, Champagne vinegar, & lemon thyme to use in shrubs.

PRIMAVERACH

Primaverarch is a grassroots organization committed to stimulating change for the recognition of women in architecture and related fields. Inspired by the renaissance era and the symbolic idea of spring, Primaverarch is a movement of rebirth, revival, and renewal. Primaverarch is created by four minority-women who recently graduated from the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. Throughout their studies, they experienced a lack of professional support, mentorship, and recognition. Without anyone to share similar values in regards to their diverse backgrounds, Primaverarch becomes a catalyst movement dedicated to creating a seat at the table for all women in the field. Blooming into future architects, the team is leading the next movement. With everything they do – from a set of interviews, creative series, mentorships, and interactive workshops, they are focused on one goal: How can they support the future generation of architects? 

Social Media and Website:

Instagram: instagram.com/primaverarch

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/primaverarch

Website: primaverarch.org

Nadeen Hassan
Nadeen Hassan is an architectural designer and activist who is committed to making a space for herself and others in the architectural profession. As a first-generation Egyptian-American, Nadeen recognized the unrelenting atmosphere in many parts of the world. She believes that an architect is a problem-solver that attends to the need of not one, but every group of people. Throughout her studies, Nadeen tackles subjects of inclusivity, activism, and social change within her design projects and research. Not having support at the beginning of Nadeen's academic journey motivated her to become that network of support for the next generation. Nadeen is a co-founder and the Director of Primaverarch, a platform that offers a space for women to amplify their voice, seek advice, share their stories, or celebrate themselves and their peers. Nadeen believes the world needs people who come from diverse backgrounds to be a part of new design revolutions; to give a voice to smaller groups who otherwise would not be heard. Through Primaverarch, Nadeen begins to initiate this change. 

Chaerin Kim
Chaerin (she/her) is a recent B.Arch graduate and Senior Editor of Primaverarch based in New York. Passionate about the built environment, she is adamant in creating spaces that are inclusive and reflective of the cultures we design for. During her studies at Spitzer School of Architecture, Chaerin engaged in courses focusing on social justice, activism in NYC, and key housing and urban issues in Latin American cities. She is also committed and actively empowering womxn of color pursuing architecture by giving them a platform to share their stories. With the launch of Primaverarch, Chaerin hopes to continue the growth of a platform where womxn can seek advice, support, and a community where their voices are heard.   

Soany Marquez
Soany is a designer, artist, and activist who is interested in architecture as a form of activism and artistic expression. Born in Honduras, she is constantly pushing boundaries in her education focusing on diversity and inclusivity for women. She is aware that architecture can be a powerful tool to pave the way for social reform. As a first-generation architecture graduate, she is dedicated to changing the narrative around minority women in design and construction. She understands the importance of discovering your own potential and hopes that this platform becomes a space of mentorship for future generations. 

Martha Zambrano

Martha was born and raised in NYC by Venezuelan immigrant parents. She obtained her associate's degree in business administration in 2014 and later her bachelor's degree in architecture in 2020. Both fields have opened her eyes to how unrepresented young women are in predominantly male careers. Teaming up with her classmates and longtime friends, she wants young women in the architecture field to have a platform for support, and encouragement. She hopes young women use this platform to its fullest advantage. 

Tangible Remnants Interview

Here is a rebroadcast of my interview with Tangible Remnants, a podcast that explores the interconnectedness of architecture, historic preservation, sustainability, race & gender. Host Nakita Reed and I met at a women in architecture event years ago. Check out Tangible Remnants on Apple & Spotify

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TangibleRemnants/

CARIBBEAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE ALUMNAE

Shelly-Anne Tulia Scot, AIA and Shani Chambers, AIA are both graduated from the Caribbean School of Architecture and graduated from Florida A&M University. In this episode, they share their Caribbean experiences, culture shock and racism.

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Shani Chambers is a Virginia based architect with over 15 years’ experience in the planning, design and construction industry. Her specialties include Federal, Public Safety and Industrial Architecture. She excels at the integration of complex processes and user needs into high performance design. She also enjoys dabbling in weaving for lessons in architecture.  

Ms. Chambers graduated from Florid A&M University and The Caribbean School of Architecture University of Technology, Jamaica.

Shelly-Anne Tulia Scott is the Director of Architecture at Sizemore Group in Atlanta GA. She is a Trinidadian born architect who started her architectural education at the Caribbean School of Architecture after completing an Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design. She worked both in Miami, Trinidad & Barbados before returning to do complete her M. Arch degree at Florida A&M University. She has seventeen years combined experience in Architecture and Interior Design with a broad range of experience in Award winning Libraries, Mixed Use Development, Religious, and Academic Buildings as well as in Feasibility Studies and Concept Design Projects.

After more than a decade in the field she became an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow, working with a non-profit housing developer and operator of senior housing, PSL in the North Eastern market. The goal was to help build their in-house design capacity and build her own knowledge of housing using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) process and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

She is a pragmatic thinker and a problem solver, and has studied and worked in several counties where she has gained an invaluable wealth of knowledge and a passion for community engagement. She is driven and motivated by her love for design, community, culture and life. She would like to focus more on equitable community development encompassing the design of both civic buildings, housing and other support buildings which provide the vessels for our human experience. Her main goal is to help bring the benefits of architecture and design to the people and communities who need it most and help foster strategic partnerships with other entities and providers of services which help sustain and enhance community life.

As an added bonus to her creative flare she is also a photographer with an eye for unique perspectives in the building environment and in the emotions of people. See some of her photography work here (http://tuliascott.com). She is also active with community and professional groups like USGBC Equity Committee, AIS HSDC, NOMA, Globalbike, Southern Scholarship Foundation Alumni and a graduate of the Leadership Greenville Class 42 and 2017 Greenville Dreams Grassroots Development Program with training in community leadership and leveraging community assets.

One of her favorite quotes by Samuel Mockbee: “Architecture has to be greater than just architecture. It has to address social values, as well as technical and aesthetic values. On top of that, the one true gift that an architect has is his or her imagination. We take something ordinary and elevate it to something extraordinary.”

#BLACKINARCHITECTURE UK

Black In Architecture is a hashtag to amplify the voices of Black/Black British architectural professionals and students in the UK. It is also a black-led research initiative, proposing a new approach to achieving racial justice and ending structural racism and inequity in architecture. This is a start in defining the changes that we, as black people, want to demand in architecture and across the various dimensions of the profession - in education, practice, recruitment, professional memberships, regulatory bodies, media, events, to name a few. The aim is to gain richer insight into the persistent racial injustice in the profession, and how it often impacts on the everyday lives of black people in architecture - at home, at the workplace, in finding work and business opportunities, in higher education and in other situations.

Juliet Sakyi-Ansah ARB RIBA AGIA, is a Ghanaian-British architect based in the U.K. She is currently studying for a PhD in architecture and the built environment, and is the Founder and Lead at The Architects' Project.

Also in the conversation is Irvine Toroitich , Shade Abdul, RIBA and Zubaydah Jibrilu

Website: https://blackinarchitecture.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackinarch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tap.narratives/

MUSLIM WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE

Muslim Women in Architecture (MWA) is a network and collective working to empower, inspire and celebrate Muslim women in the architecture and built environment industry. In this episode, I talk to Tahin Khan, Zahra Mansoor and Rim Kalsoum about MWA as it aims to provide a platform to not only support Muslim girls and women who want to pursue a career in the field, but to encourage an open discussion amongst those within the profession and outside.

Tahin Khan is a British Bangladeshi Part 2 Architectural Assistant at ArchitectureDoingPlace. She completed her Part 1 and 2 at the University of Westminster. Over the years, Tahin has worked with a number of architects on projects ranging from private residential to healthcare to the preliminary design for the Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Currently, she is working on several social housing projects for local authorities in London. Tahin understands the importance of communities, and how the wellbeing for an individual correlates to the communities they are a part of. She explored this in depth in her Master’s thesis, which she continues to do research on. Tahin is keen on tackling social, political and environmental issues through architectural interventions.

Zahra Mansoor is an independent architectural designer currently based in India. She met fellow co-founders Rim Kalsoum and Tahin Khan while doing her Part 1 at the University of Westminster. During her term as president of the Westminster architecture Society (WAS), she and Rim organised the AF Megacrit under the theme "Architecture and Power". While studying in London, she realised that the lack of diversity in the industry affected the way students were supported in their education and careers. Her interests include the influence of power and social systems on architectural ethnography as well as the use of digital fabrication in architectural practice.

Rim Kalsoum is a British Syrian Architectural Assistant based in London. Having completed her RIBA PART II at the University of Westminster, she currently works for Golzari NG Architects and Architecture Doing Place. As Ex-Vice President of the Westminster Architecture Society, she co-organised the Megacrit in 2019 with Zahra Mansoor. She is a researcher for Palestine Regeneration Team (PART) and is currently working on a range of research projects, most recently the Secrets of a Digital Garden, in collaboration with RIWAQ which was exhibited at the Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2019 and the Berlin Film Festival in 2020. Her work arches from examining methods of urban landscape annihilation in conflict areas to erosions of public space in London.

Design Disrupted

In this episode, Melissa shares her thoughts about the recent events involving black lives and Call to Action to Starchitect (celebrity architect) professionals.

MONEY. POWER. LAND. SOLIDARITY.

In this episode, we talk to G.P. Jacob (Jake Virden) about his podcast, Money. Power. Land. Solidarity. We discussed economic and urban development, politics, race, the working-class and the Upper Harbor Terminal Development, a project slated for North Minneapolis' riverfront.

Jake Virden is an artist, practitioner of popular education and host of the Money Power Land Solidarity podcast.. Check out the Money Power Land Solidarity podcast on Patreon at:

Patreon.com/MoneyPowerLandSolidarity

Twitter: @gp_jacob @mplspodcast

IG. g.p.jacob @moneypowerlandsolidarity@gmail.com

CONVERSATION W/ SARAH AKIGBOGUN

Sarah Akigbogun is a London-based transdisciplinary practitioner and educator. An architect, filmmaker and writer, she is founder of Studio Aki London and theatre collective Appropri8, which seeks to work with communities to activate disused urban sites. Sarah is passionate about diversity within architecture and is Vice Chair of Women in Architecture UK and founder of the XXAOC project. In 2017 she directed the film She Draws : She Builds, which collates the voices of 15 female architects. Trained as an architect and structural engineer, Sarah studied Architectural Engineering at the University of Westminster and completed her Diploma at the Architectural Association (AA).  At the AA  her work focused on themes of mental illness and architecture and the use of film as a tool to explore and document experiences of the city. 

 After graduating Sarah worked at several international practices including Alsop Architects and Foster and Partners. She also holds an MA in Acting from Central St Martins and is currently an Associate Lecturer at Canterbury School of Architecture.

Sarah’s current film project, for which she has received support from Arts Council England, tells the stories of Female Architects of Colour.  The film is part of the wider XXAOC research project which is intended as an online resource documenting female architects of colour past and present.  Last year as part of this project Sarah conducted an interview with Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton which is was published by Parlour and Architecture Australia.

Connect with Sarah:

Twitter: @SarahAkigbogun @xx_aoc

Insta: @studio.aki. @xx_aoc

Check out the newest link: https://www.archispolly.online/dope-videos-1

Become an insider by supporting the show at https://glow.fm/archispolly where you can support the show on a recurring or one-time basis!

CONVERSATION W/ EBEHI IJEWERE

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Ebehi Ijewere always had an innate passion for design, color, materials, and crafts. After graduation, Ebehi found that there was no space where she could listen to experiences from designers of color so she started a design podcast, Layers of Design. She also uses her platform to amplify the voices of African architects as well as participate in meaningful design competitions that look to solve social and humanitarian problems through architecture. 

Listen to Layers of Design on Apple Soundcloud

Follow on Instagram Twitter

CONVERSATION W/ NOMAS RPI CHAPTER

Architecture students across the country are denouncing systemic racism in academia. I spoke to Malika Yansaneh and Kelsey Mitchell , members of National Organization of Minority Architects Student (NOMAS) Chapter at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), about the lack of diversity in architectural history, the NAAB statement on racial injustice, student life at Rensselaer as well as the pandemic. At the time of this recording, both women are pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture degree at RPI.

NAAB Statement on Racial Injustice: https://www.naab.org/naab-statement-on-racial-injustice/

RPI NOMAS Instagram: @nomas_rpi

RPI NOMAS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomasrpi

CONVERSATION W/ HOUSTON NOMA

Architecture is Political Podcast had the honor of hosting Houston NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) Happy Hour Series. In this episode, we explore ‘How Architecture is Political’ in the current climate. Special thanks to Mona Elamin and Antoine Bryant of Houston NOMA for making this event possible.

To support NOMA National, go to https://membership.noma.net/donations/ for more information.

To become a NOMA member, go to https://membership.noma.net/ for more information.

ADU & DENSITY W/ ILEANA SCHINDER

Ileana Schinder is a licensed architect in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland. A LEED accredited professional and a Passive House Design Consultant, Ileana has nurtured her passion for architecture since first hearing the click of LEGO bricks at the age of 4. Two decades later, she holds a B.A. in Architecture from Universidad Nacional de Cordoba (Argentina) and an M.A. in Communications from American University in Washington, D.C. She has been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, Dwell, Washington Business Journal and Greater Greater Washington. Check out her website :https://ileanaschinder.com/

VIDEO PRESENTATION W/ KATHRYN PRIGMORE

CONVERSATION W/ KATHRYN PRIGMORE

With over 30 years experience, Kathryn's architecture anthology can be a dissertation. She's not only my mentor, but a close friend.

Ms. Prigmore has over 40 years of architectural experience as a practitioner, educator, and regulator.

LINKS:

https://www.georgetowndcblog.com/blog/kathryntylerprigmore

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-prigmore-9780308/

SOUTHWEST ONE

In this episode, we embarked on an auditory journey with Carolyn Crouch of Washington Walks. Together, we traversed the captivating landscape of Southwest D.C., unraveling the stories woven into this iconic neighborhood designed by architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith and exploring the profound impact of urban renewal on this historic neighborhood.

CONVERSATION W/ AMERICA'S HIDDEN GEM

University of Miami Alumna Kyrah L. Williams is making waves with her 'America's Hidden Gem' initiative that highlights #mentormonday (dedicated to celebrating Black LICENSED Architects, Designers, and individuals in the profession of Architecture) and #futurearchitectfriday (a day to celebrate those pushing themselves to becoming licensed architects).

https://americashiddengem.wordpress.com/

https://www.anaiyscharities.org/

CONVERSATION W/ NOIR DESIGN PARTI

Saundra Little, AIA and Karen Davis Burton are co-founders of Noir Design Parti, a project designed to research and tell the stories of the professional journeys and creative works of Detroit’s Black Architects. We talked to Detroit, firm ownership, entrepreneurship, SpaceLab Detroit and future projects.

https://www.facebook.com/NoirDesignParti/?rc=p

https://twitter.com/noirdesignparti?lang=en