By Sonya Kimble-Ellis
According to the directory of African-American Architects, there are less than 2,000 licensed architects in the United States. That number, however, doesn’t diminish the contributions of these professionals on local and national scales. Their work has been underwritten by the accomplishments of pioneering African American architects who came before them. Some of them include Albert Cassell, Norma Sklarek, Paul Williams, Robert Taylor, Max Bond and others. In celebrating this fascinating industry and the African-Americans who thrive in it, we’ve compiled a list of 7 successful architects who are making major contributions to the American landscape.
Curtis J. Moody
Curtis J. Moody is an award-winning architect who received the Whitney M. Young, Jr. award for Outstanding African-American Architect in the United States. He has also received 26 awards from the National Organization of Minority Architects and 23 from the American Institute of Architects. His Columbus, OH firm, Moody-Nolan, Inc., was founded in 1982, with Howard E. Nolan. The company specializes in architecture, interior design and civil engineering. Past projects include North Carolina Central University Pearson Cafeteria, Eric Kunzel Center for Performing Arts & Education in Cincinnati, and Columbus Metropolitan Library. Moody has degrees in Science and Architecture from Ohio State University. He also attended Harvard Graduate School of Design. Moody-Nolan, Inc. has been credited with doing more than several billion dollars in construction since its existence.
Philip Freelon
Philip Freelon decided to start his own architecture firm after working for a mainstream firm for a number of years. Wanting to make important decisions as it related to his work, he decided to start The Freelon Group in 1990. Based in Durham, NC, the firm also has offices in Raleigh and Charlotte. Freelon has a number of big-ticket projects to his credit. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he is the co-designer of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland. He also worked on the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, the National Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta, GA, and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History in Augusta, and many other projects. Freelon has a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in Architecture from North Carolina State University and a Master of Architecture degree from MIT. He is presently on the faculty at MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Allison Williams
Allison Williams is responsible for setting the design strategy at San Francisco architecture firm Perkins & Will. As Design Principal, she works on the company’s projects that include cultural institutions, corporate facilities, and high-rise developments. Some of her key designs include the August Wilson Center for African American culture in Pittsburgh; the San Francisco Civic Center Complex; the Singapore National Research Foundation; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX; and The African American Cultural Center of Pittsburgh. Allison received her B.A. in The Practice of Art and a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She currently sits on the boards of directors for the San Francisco-based Exploratorium and the Museum of the African Diaspora.
David Carpenter
Working with a focus on community is how architect David Carpenter began his career. After graduating from UCLA with a Masters degree in architecture, he secured a job at KFP Architects in Massachusetts. There, he got the opportunity to design housing projects for battered women and the homeless. In 2003, he made the move to Metzler/Mandl, a firm located in New York City. After seven years at the company, 46-year-old Carpenter was recently made partner. He is one of few African-American architects to achieve that position within a major firm. His work continues in the tradition in which started, with designs that focus on affordable and multi-family housing. Some of the firm’s projects include The Paradigm and The Viridian condos and the rental buildings The Montrose and Berkley Park. Metzler/Mandl also designs art galleries, museums, religious facilities and theaters.
Darrell A. Fitzgerald
Darrell Fitzgerald has spent much of his 30-year career planning and designing an array of projects. He was a Principal at Gensler Architecture, Design & Planning Worldwide for 12 years. The firm is known as one of the world’s largest design companies. Some of his stand-out design projects include Bank of America, Deloitte Consulting, and Turner Broadcast Studios. He also spent 20 years as Vice President and Managing Principal with the firm of John S. Chase. In 1999, Fitzgerald started his own firm, Fitzgerald Collaborative, which has offices in Houston, Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Dallas. Some of their projects have included the Dallas Convention Center, Chipola College Center for the Arts, Bell South, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Fitzgerald earned his B.A. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In addition to his many accolades and awards, he has been elected to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows.
Deryl McKissack
Following in a longtime family tradition, Deryl McKissack started McKissack & McKissack in 1990. In the early 1900s, her grandfather and grand-uncle opened an architectural and engineering firm under the same name. The two men were also the first licensed African American architects in the South. After working for a time at Turner Construction; managing three facilities at Howard University; and working for the family business, she eventually decided to strike out on her own. Based in Washington, DC, her firm boasts 132 employees. A project management firm, the company also specializes in architecture and interiors and environmental engineering. A Howard University alum, McKissack’s firm has worked on the restoration of the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials, Washington Nationals baseball stadium, the Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel, and participated in the O’Hare International Modernization program.
Melvin Mitchell
Washington, DC and the surrounding area has an increased structural and visual appeal due to the contributions of Melvin Mitchell. The President & Chief Executive Officer of Bryant Mitchell Architects, based in Washington, DC, he is a graduate of Howard University and Harvard Graduate School of Design. Established forty years ago under the banner of Bryant & Bryant Architects & Planners, some of the firm’s projects include the Washington Design Center and Richmond Exhibition Center. They also specialize in high-rise townhouse complexes, water treatment facilities and have done over 50 kindergarten through college facilities. Mitchell is founding dean of the new Robert Taylor Graduate School of Architecture. He is also a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects and author of the book “The Crisis of the African American Architect.”
