I so in 1992 I decided to leave my architectural practice and go back to
architectural practice and go back to
architectural practice and go back to grad school when my mom called it was a
grad school when my mom called it was a
grad school when my mom called it was a very good paying job which was mom speak
very good paying job which was mom speak
very good paying job which was mom speak for that doesn’t make any sense why are
for that doesn’t make any sense why are
for that doesn’t make any sense why are you doing that but I it wasn’t because
you doing that but I it wasn’t because
you doing that but I it wasn’t because of any lack of ability I hope it was I
of any lack of ability I hope it was I
of any lack of ability I hope it was I was doing kinds of work that just no
was doing kinds of work that just no
was doing kinds of work that just no longer interested me I didn’t think that
longer interested me I didn’t think that
longer interested me I didn’t think that the city needed another hotel another
the city needed another hotel another
the city needed another hotel another office building another gymnasium so
office building another gymnasium so
office building another gymnasium so what I was interested in though was the
what I was interested in though was the
what I was interested in though was the dichotomy of where I worked which is as
dichotomy of where I worked which is as
dichotomy of where I worked which is as a young architect in Georgetown and
a young architect in Georgetown and
a young architect in Georgetown and where I lived as a young
where I lived as a young
where I lived as a young african-american in Northeast Washington
african-american in Northeast Washington
african-american in Northeast Washington DC and those two conditions could not
DC and those two conditions could not
DC and those two conditions could not have been more different what I also
have been more different what I also
have been more different what I also found was that this conditioned one in
found was that this conditioned one in
found was that this conditioned one in Northeast Washington DC seemed to be
Northeast Washington DC seemed to be
Northeast Washington DC seemed to be intractable it had a history and usually
intractable it had a history and usually
intractable it had a history and usually it was a history that was unkind
it was a history that was unkind
it was a history that was unkind to people of color and communities of
to people of color and communities of
to people of color and communities of color and so I didn’t want to be part of
color and so I didn’t want to be part of
color and so I didn’t want to be part of it so I went back to school to try to
it so I went back to school to try to
it so I went back to school to try to figure out what it was that allowed this
figure out what it was that allowed this
figure out what it was that allowed this to continue to happen around the same
to continue to happen around the same
to continue to happen around the same time as I was having my sort of
time as I was having my sort of
time as I was having my sort of professional crisis hip-hop was entering
professional crisis hip-hop was entering
professional crisis hip-hop was entering into what could be arguably called the
into what could be arguably called the
into what could be arguably called the golden era at the very least it’s
golden era at the very least it’s
golden era at the very least it’s communal commercial social political and
communal commercial social political and
communal commercial social political and economic agenda was up front and center
economic agenda was up front and center
economic agenda was up front and center and so hip-hop seemed to have a handle
and so hip-hop seemed to have a handle
and so hip-hop seemed to have a handle on this idea of people on the corner
on this idea of people on the corner
on this idea of people on the corner Urban’s environments and I wanted to
Urban’s environments and I wanted to
Urban’s environments and I wanted to learn a little bit more about that so
learn a little bit more about that so
learn a little bit more about that so what I found in enjoying and engaging in
what I found in enjoying and engaging in
what I found in enjoying and engaging in Street poets rather than the
Street poets rather than the
Street poets rather than the philosophers in my ph.d program was that
philosophers in my ph.d program was that
philosophers in my ph.d program was that hip-hop was creating a culture and it
hip-hop was creating a culture and it
hip-hop was creating a culture and it was creating this culture from a
was creating this culture from a
was creating this culture from a perspective of taking what you are given
perspective of taking what you are given
perspective of taking what you are given and making a world out of it hip-hop was
and making a world out of it hip-hop was
and making a world out of it hip-hop was inviting people to name themselves in
inviting people to name themselves in
inviting people to name themselves in their own voice in their own place in
their own voice in their own place in
their own voice in their own place in their own time and I figured that that
their own time and I figured that that
their own time and I figured that that was something really really important
was something really really important
was something really really important right so why am I telling you this I’m
right so why am I telling you this I’m
right so why am I telling you this I’m telling you this because this particular
telling you this because this particular
telling you this because this particular culture was creating a movement and
culture was creating a movement and
culture was creating a movement and architectual II I figured that this was
architectual II I figured that this was
architectual II I figured that this was something that might begin to answer
something that might begin to answer
something that might begin to answer those questions that I had about that
those questions that I had about that
those questions that I had about that dichotomy primarily because cultural
dichotomy primarily because cultural
dichotomy primarily because cultural movements always create products that
movements always create products that
movements always create products that reflect their values right and so we’ve
reflect their values right and so we’ve
reflect their values right and so we’ve seen cultural movements create
seen cultural movements create
seen cultural movements create architecture in the past in the recent
architecture in the past in the recent
architecture in the past in the recent past in our lifetime early 20th century
past in our lifetime early 20th century
past in our lifetime early 20th century efforts to create a classless society
efforts to create a classless society
efforts to create a classless society let us do constructivism mid century
let us do constructivism mid century
let us do constructivism mid century efforts to create a universal society
efforts to create a universal society
efforts to create a universal society led us to modernism late century
led us to modernism late century
led us to modernism late century questions about humanity and people’s
questions about humanity and people’s
questions about humanity and people’s purpose led us to
purpose led us to
purpose led us to deconstructivism so why wouldn’t an
deconstructivism so why wouldn’t an
deconstructivism so why wouldn’t an effort to create a just an equitable
effort to create a just an equitable
effort to create a just an equitable environment not lead us luck aliy for me
thought it was those cats on the corner
thought it was those cats on the corner and let’s say all right we don’t buy it
and let’s say all right we don’t buy it
and let’s say all right we don’t buy it we don’t buy it at all
we don’t buy it at all
we don’t buy it at all okay so so luckily for me I wasn’t alone
okay so so luckily for me I wasn’t alone
okay so so luckily for me I wasn’t alone in thinking that way and so over the
in thinking that way and so over the
in thinking that way and so over the past 10 years or so there have been more
past 10 years or so there have been more
past 10 years or so there have been more and more people who have begun to sort
and more people who have begun to sort
and more people who have begun to sort of pick up this idea about hip-hop
of pick up this idea about hip-hop
of pick up this idea about hip-hop architecture its ability to sort of take
architecture its ability to sort of take
architecture its ability to sort of take the disposable and make it in disposable
the disposable and make it in disposable
the disposable and make it in disposable its ability to sort of create something
its ability to sort of create something
its ability to sort of create something from nothing and so I’m going to show
from nothing and so I’m going to show
from nothing and so I’m going to show you is a few examples of how hip-hop
you is a few examples of how hip-hop
you is a few examples of how hip-hop responds to cultures and locations that
responds to cultures and locations that
responds to cultures and locations that are let’s say less than welcoming so in
are let’s say less than welcoming so in
are let’s say less than welcoming so in communities of culture I mean
communities of culture I mean
communities of culture I mean communities that are too easily
communities that are too easily
communities that are too easily positioned as environmentally determined
positioned as environmentally determined
positioned as environmentally determined and of little import whose voices aren’t
and of little import whose voices aren’t
and of little import whose voices aren’t necessarily heard hip-hop responds
necessarily heard hip-hop responds
necessarily heard hip-hop responds hip-hop architecture responds like the
hip-hop architecture responds like the
hip-hop architecture responds like the MC it unabashedly tells a story
MC it unabashedly tells a story
MC it unabashedly tells a story it controls that story and it believes
it controls that story and it believes
it controls that story and it believes that story is worthy of form in
that story is worthy of form in
that story is worthy of form in communities that are faced with
communities that are faced with
communities that are faced with neglected spaces the materials and
neglected spaces the materials and
neglected spaces the materials and people of a city hip-hop responds like
people of a city hip-hop responds like
people of a city hip-hop responds like the DJ it mixes remixes it takes
the DJ it mixes remixes it takes
the DJ it mixes remixes it takes elements from other places and takes
elements from other places and takes
elements from other places and takes elements from other places and uses them
elements from other places and uses them
elements from other places and uses them and you can uses them creatively
and you can uses them creatively
and you can uses them creatively sometimes unexpectedly most of the time
sometimes unexpectedly most of the time
sometimes unexpectedly most of the time in ways they aren’t expected to be used
in ways they aren’t expected to be used
in ways they aren’t expected to be used all the time in an effort
all the time in an effort
all the time in an effort to find environmental and social justice
to find environmental and social justice
to find environmental and social justice in managing the inequities of
in managing the inequities of
in managing the inequities of distribution of resources those
distribution of resources those
distribution of resources those communities that are always at the end
communities that are always at the end
communities that are always at the end of the pipeline not at the beginning
of the pipeline not at the beginning
of the pipeline not at the beginning their pop architecture responds like the
their pop architecture responds like the
their pop architecture responds like the tagger it’s bold but it’s not
tagger it’s bold but it’s not
tagger it’s bold but it’s not braggadocious makes no apologies for its
braggadocious makes no apologies for its
braggadocious makes no apologies for its presence or as justice project an
presence or as justice project an
presence or as justice project an unsanctioned suspect and
unsanctioned suspect and
unsanctioned suspect and culturally-specific public spaces spaces
culturally-specific public spaces spaces
culturally-specific public spaces spaces that are being appropriated it acts like
that are being appropriated it acts like
that are being appropriated it acts like the breakdancer reappropriation of
the breakdancer reappropriation of
the breakdancer reappropriation of spaces both physical and psychological
spaces both physical and psychological
spaces both physical and psychological places to simply breathe to be yourself
places to simply breathe to be yourself
places to simply breathe to be yourself in places where it’s unexpected that
in places where it’s unexpected that
in places where it’s unexpected that passively accept cultural erasure
passively accept cultural erasure
passively accept cultural erasure hip-hop acts as a teacher it takes
hip-hop acts as a teacher it takes
hip-hop acts as a teacher it takes fundamental knowledge and flips it
fundamental knowledge and flips it
fundamental knowledge and flips it alternates alternates alters how you see
alternates alternates alters how you see
alternates alternates alters how you see the world and your position in it and
the world and your position in it and
the world and your position in it and your relationships in it so this is what
your relationships in it so this is what
your relationships in it so this is what I’m calling hip-hop ISM for this century
I’m calling hip-hop ISM for this century
I’m calling hip-hop ISM for this century if you take nothing away from this
if you take nothing away from this
if you take nothing away from this conversation for especially for
conversation for especially for
conversation for especially for designers we typically think that our
designers we typically think that our
designers we typically think that our end all and be all is visual aesthetics
end all and be all is visual aesthetics
end all and be all is visual aesthetics what the thing looks like right hip-hop
what the thing looks like right hip-hop
what the thing looks like right hip-hop architects are looking at it differently
architects are looking at it differently
architects are looking at it differently they are adding not just visual
they are adding not just visual
they are adding not just visual aesthetics but visible ethics it’s like
aesthetics but visible ethics it’s like
aesthetics but visible ethics it’s like what is your politics whom are you
what is your politics whom are you
what is your politics whom are you serving is it equitable is it just
serving is it equitable is it just
serving is it equitable is it just because this is those two in combination
because this is those two in combination
because this is those two in combination with each other that’s how you address
with each other that’s how you address
with each other that’s how you address marginalized communities and distressed
marginalized communities and distressed
marginalized communities and distressed and death franchise to people thank you
and death franchise to people thank you
and death franchise to people thank you [Laughter]
”
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