The Birth of Black Modernism: Building Community Capacity Through Intentional Design
Abstract
1. Background
1.1. Defining Black Modernism
1.2. Significance of Building Community Capacity in Design
1.3. Value-Inclusive Design Principles and Intentional Design
1.4. Black Modernism and the Emergence of Its Cultural and Architectural Legacy
1.5. Influences from African American Culture and History
1.6. Key Figures and Movements
1.7. Precedents in Design and Architecture
1.8. Cultural Influences
1.9. Reactions to Exclusion from Mainstream Modernism
1.10. Building Community Resilience Through Design and Economic Development
1.11. Black Architects and Design-Driven Innovation
1.12. Black Architect’s New Vision for Promoting Quality of Life in D.C.—A Paradigm Shift (D.C. Paradigm Shift Driving Community Resilience)
1.13. Black Architects as Developers—Intentional Design and Competitiveness: Implications for Architectural Design
“Paul Gilroy talked about the Black Atlantic where we tend to reference intellectually the legacy from Western Europe to the US but we forget about the transatlantic slave trade in Africa and the trades that come that way so understanding the Black Atlantic understands a synthetic integration of West means and practices with the Black cultural needs and practices and spaces and so Black architectural modernism has to be that broader cultural project and so of course we use the same materials and we use the same drawing conventions and notations. But there is an embodied sense of place in a lot of Black modern architectural spaces that we have yet to write and it is the spatial embodiment that we miss in architecture, particularly in architectural schools and so it is really interesting to talk about architecture within the context of preservation because preservationists tend to understand this and foreground this idea of placemaking long histories of buildings, looking at the social setting themselves [44].”
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Observations of the Collective Case Study
3.1.1. Examples of Successful Community-Driven Designs
- Integrate Black Modernist Figures and Case Studies into Core CourseworkEmbed the works of Black architects, designers, and community builders such as Paul R. Williams, J. Max Bond Jr., and Norma Merrick Sklarek into required architectural history and theory syllabi to ensure students engage critically with underrepresented contributions to modernism.
- Adopt Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Research MethodsEncourage the use of oral histories, ethnographies, and cultural criticism to explore Black Modernist legacies that may not be well-documented in traditional archives. This expands methodological approaches to preservation and allows for a fuller, more inclusive understanding of spatial heritage.
- Partner with Black Communities and Cultural Institutions for Preservation ProjectsCollaborate with local communities, HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and cultural organizations to document, preserve, and interpret sites of Black Modernist significance. These partnerships reinforce community agency in preservation and create opportunities for experiential learning grounded in Value-Inclusive Design.
3.1.2. Lessons Learned from Challenges Faced
3.2. Design-Driven Innovation: Role of Community in the Design Process
3.2.1. Empowering Local Voices
3.2.2. Collaborative Design Approaches
3.3. Ideal Prototype: Applications of Value-Inclusive Design
3.3.1. Practical Implementation in Urban Planning
3.3.2. Impact on Local Economies and Sustainability
3.3.3. Promoting Cultural Heritage Through Intentional Design
4. Discussion
Challenges and Opportunities
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
AIA | American Institute of Architects |
AME | African Methodist Episcopal |
D.C. | District of Columbia |
FAIA | Fellow of the American Institute of Architects |
HBCUs | Historically Black Colleges and Universities |
HQ | Headquarters |
Jr. | Junior |
LAX | Los Angeles International Airport |
LEED | Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design |
MLK | Marting Luther King |
Mt. | Mount |
NAAB | National Architectural Accrediting Board |
NAACP | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People |
NMAAHC | National Museum of African American History and Culture |
NOMA | National Organization of Minority Architects |
N.E. | Northeast |
N.W. | Northwest |
RFP | Request For Proposal |
S.E. | Southeast |
STEM | Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics |
VID | Value-Inclusive Design |
WRECO | Washington Railroad and Electric Company |
YMCA | Young Men’s Christian Association |
Appendix A
Appendix A.1
Category | Focus Area | Key Content/Examples | Curricular Integration | Sustainability Focus | Resilience Focus | Thematic Patterns Identified |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Black Modernism Projects by Black/Minority Architects | Paul R. Williams (LAX Theme Building), J. Max Bond Jr. (MLK Center), Amaza Lee Meredith (Azurest South) | History, Theory, and Preservation Courses | Emphasis on cultural sustainability, adaptive reuse, material efficiency | Designs resisting cultural erasure; built in response to racial segregation | Identity, heritage preservation, cultural esthetics |
B | Black-Owned Architectural Firms (U.S.) | McKissack & McKissack, Moody Nolan, Devrouax+Purnell, Michael Marshall Design | Professional Practice and Urban Design Studios | Community-centered green design, mixed-use LEED-certified developments | Empowerment through ownership, economic inclusion in architecture | Leadership in underserved communities, inclusive practice |
C | Value-Inclusive Design (VID) Projects in Washington, D.C. | Franklin D. Reeves Center, East Capitol Urban Farm, Chuck Brown Memorial Park | Community Design and Design-Build Studios | Urban agriculture, use of reclaimed materials, environmental education | Community engagement in co-design, neighborhood stabilization | Participatory design, cultural storytelling, equitable development |
Appendix A.2
Category | Architect/Firm/Project | Notable Projects or Contributions | Learning Objectives in Coursework | Themes/Patterns Observed |
---|---|---|---|---|
A. Black Modernism Projects by Black/Minority Architects | ||||
1. Paul Revere Williams | LAX Theme Building, Beverly Hills Hotel | Modernist interpretation in high-end civic and residential design | Understanding mid-century Black Modernism in mainstream architecture | Navigating racial barriers while shaping American modernism |
2. J. Max Bond, Jr. | Martin Luther King Jr. Center (Atlanta), NMAAHC planning | Linking architecture and civil rights legacy | Architecture as activism and memory | Advocacy through cultural institutions |
3. Robert Robinson Taylor | Tuskegee Institute Campus | First accredited Black architect, education-based design | Historic preservation of Black academic architecture | Blending tradition and modernity |
4. John S. Chase | Texas Southern University campus design | First licensed Black architect in Texas | Documenting and preserving modern Black academic spaces | Education and civil rights infrastructure |
5. Norma Merrick Sklarek | U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Pacific Design Center | First Black woman in AIA and state licensure | Gender and racial inclusion in design pedagogy | Barrier-breaking professional identity |
6. Amaza Lee Meredith | Azurest South | Pioneering residential Modernist design by a Black woman | Intersectionality in architecture (race/gender) | Queer, Black Modernist history |
7. Ethel B. Furman | Churches and homes in Virginia | Self-taught architect in the Jim Crow South | Recognizing overlooked Black women in design history | Vernacular Black architecture |
8. Calvin T.S. Brent | Mt. Jezreel Baptist Church (D.C.) | First Black architect in D.C. | Early Black contributions to sacred spaces | Historic Black urban architecture |
9. Charles McAfee | Urban renewal projects, Wichita | Advocated for affordable housing through design | Community-focused planning models | Equitable development |
10. Beverly Lorraine Greene | UN HQ design team, NY | First Black woman licensed in U.S. | Inclusion in global modernism narratives | Diversity in international design |
B. Architectural Firms Owned by African Americans in the US | ||||
1. Hamilton Anderson Associates | Detroit riverfront, Motown Museum | Urban revitalization and cultural design | Value-inclusive commercial revitalization | Black cultural heritage and economic development |
2. McKissack & McKissack | MLK Memorial, infrastructure projects | Longest-operating Black-owned firm | Historic preservation meets infrastructure | Legacy and continuity |
3. SDG Associates | Schools and public housing | Government and civic design | Equity in public infrastructure | Accessibility and social design |
4. Moody Nolan | Affordable housing, Civic spaces (National Recognition) | AIA Firm of the Year 2021 | Inclusive housing and civic architecture | Scalable impact of minority-led design |
5. Michael Marshall Design | Howard Theatre, D.C. United Stadium | Preservation and modern reinvention | Change-meaning through cultural sites | Adaptive reuse and cultural pride |
6. R. McGhee & Associates | Libraries, housing, education | D.C.-based public projects | Building inclusive learning environments | Educational equity through design |
7. K. Dixon Architecture | K-12/Higher Education, laboratory, and STEM projects | Focus on public projects in Mid-Atlantic region | Sustainable design and social justice | Intersection of design, technology, and environmental justice |
8. Devrouax+Purnell | Washington Convention Center, Nationals Park | Black excellence in large-scale civic work | Large-scale equity-focused design | Challenging conventional design leadership |
9. Studio Lyew | Residential, urban developments | Urban infill and public interest design | Placemaking and Black cultural memory | Design as urban narrative |
10. Smith & Company Architects | Governmental/civic spaces | Longstanding Black-owned firm in public architecture | Representation in federal projects | Visibility in high-profile public work |
C. Value-Inclusive Projects in Washington, D.C. Area | ||||
1. Michael Marshall—Howard Theatre | Historic restoration with community input | Changing meaning of space through heritage | Cultural memory and pride | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
2. Sean Pichon—Unity Healthcare Complex | Healthcare equity through spatial access | Human-centered design in underserved areas | Health justice through architecture | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
3. Michael Marshall—D.C. United Stadium | Community impact in major urban design | Rebranding public sports spaces | Economic uplift through sport | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
4. Michael Marshall—Frank D. Reeves Center Redevelopment | Transit-oriented inclusive redevelopment | Affordable housing + civic purpose | Mixed-use value-centric planning | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
5. Pichon Group—Ward 8 Health Projects | Equity-focused wellness architecture | Health + design for under-resourced areas | Racial and health equity | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
6. Marshall Moya—Chuck Brown Memorial Park | Honoring cultural icons through design | Public art as civic engagement | Cultural storytelling through design | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
7. Devrouax + Purnell—Convention Center | Minority-led civic monumentality | Monumental scale, inclusive vision | Visibility of Black-led design in urban cores | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
8. R. McGhee & Associates—Shaw Library | Revitalizing educational resources | Intersection of knowledge, design, and community | Education and equity | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
9. Marshall Moya—Barry Farm Redevelopment Plan | Historic Black community planning | Community engagement and memory preservation | Gentrification and protection of legacy | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
10. Studio Lyew—Urban Design Installations | Community and public engagement, social impact, Residential | Public design literacy and inclusion | Accessibility and design experimentation | VID + Change-Meaning; Intentional Design |
Appendix B
Appendix B.1
Appendix B.2
- Values justice, equality, and civic contributions by including the community and its members and engaging them in an equitable process to achieve a greater vision in design through co-creation;
- Provides equitable considerations for human respect, and judicial creativity, and enhances proprietary engagement within communities;
- Eliminates systemic inequality, marginalization, exclusivity, and displacement and promotes justice, equity, and equality to improve quality of life;
- Demonstrates strategies that fairly distribute capital, labor, and resources, to cultivate a sense of place, belonging and well-being for economic growth and entrepreneurship;
- Promotes social equity and inclusion for sustainable and resilient communities;
- Creates a pathway to enhance minority participation for envisioning a sustainable future;
- Measures success through equal access, rights, freedoms, participation, and economic opportunities to achieve sustainable outcomes for social inclusion.
Appendix C
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Harris, E.; Franz, A.; Dixon, K. The Birth of Black Modernism: Building Community Capacity Through Intentional Design. Buildings 2025, 15, 2544. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142544
Harris E, Franz A, Dixon K. The Birth of Black Modernism: Building Community Capacity Through Intentional Design. Buildings. 2025; 15(14):2544. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142544
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarris, Eric, Anna Franz, and Kathy Dixon. 2025. "The Birth of Black Modernism: Building Community Capacity Through Intentional Design" Buildings 15, no. 14: 2544. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142544
APA StyleHarris, E., Franz, A., & Dixon, K. (2025). The Birth of Black Modernism: Building Community Capacity Through Intentional Design. Buildings, 15(14), 2544. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142544