WHERE DO WE STAND AS A PROFESSION, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A DESIGN SCHOOL?
CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE A REFLECTION ON 2020-2021
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR MORRIS STREET SLAVE DWELLING PARKLET PROJECT MONUMENTS MEMORIALS MEMORY MEANING MOHAMED FAHKRY 06
10
16
24
CURRENT STUDENT FEATURE 30
GENOA VILLA RENOVATIONS 34
CONTENTS
ARCHITECTURE + COMMUNITYBUILD ECHO THEATER DESIGNING FOR RACIAL HEALING 40
44
ANNUAL LECTURE SERIES AWARDS ALUMNI FEATURES 48
50
BEN HARRISON 54
MICHAEL ALLEN 56
DANITA BROWN 58
This publication was supported through the Pelham Foundation Annual Excellence Fund and the Joseph Laurie Young Endowment. design by Ryan Molloy typefaces used: Martin by Vocal Type, Corundum by Darden Studios
CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A CATHARTIC PROCESS UNFOLDING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS,
& HOPEFULLY THE CHANGES WE HAVE SEEN BEGINNING TO EMERGE WILL LAST.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Jim Stevens, AIA, Ph.D. Director + Associate Professor
6 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
June 09, 2021 To the Clemson Community: It has been a difficult but rewarding year. A global pandemic, political and social unrest, quarantine and self-isolation, and a transition to online studio challenged what it means to teach and learn in a school of architecture. Fortunately, we responded as any good designers would; we accepted the reality of our conditions and designed to our limits. As a result, we maintained quality in the studio and classrooms despite the forced shift to online teaching. We came up with new and creative ways to teach, design, communicate and socialize. We became quickly familiar with technologies, which we now understand will not go away post-pandemic. We were, without knowing it, practicing the tools of future work, and in hindsight, I am grateful that we did. However, even the optimists among us, after touting the advantages of the virtual world, became restless to return to Lee Hall. Therefore, many of us let out a collective sigh of relief when President Clements announced this spring that we were planning to return in person beginning in Fall 2021. Despite our adaptability, we all knew we were missing something this year. We missed the human connection, personal discourse and the studio culture that feeds our creative ventures. We hope that conditions continue to improve, and we will all be back together in the fall to recapture what we lost and remember what we learned when we were forced apart. This publication is a reflection on many of the outcomes of the 2020-2021 academic year. The projects and initiatives profiled represent many of our efforts to respond to the community's needs at Clemson, the profession and the state of South Carolina. As designers of the built environment, we focused much of our effort this year on listening and seeking an understanding of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. More specifically, we studied how these issues are impacted by designing buildings, cities and landscapes and what we choose to preserve. On June 9, 2020, one year ago today, I was one week into my tenure as the director of the School of Architecture when I sent a letter to all students and faculty reinforcing the SoA's position as an inclusive and safe environment for all students. I also made a list of actions that we would initiate as a school to ensure we support students of color and students from underserved communities. I am happy to report that many of these items have been completed, and we exceeded our expectations by expanding our impact. A list of the significant accomplishments are as follows: » The SoA recruited a professional mentor for first-year students. This position focused on the retention of students who are first in their families to attend college.
» A fund was established to assist first-year students with the purchase of supplies. This initiative was implemented to improve the retention of disadvantaged students. » A new SoA fund was established to support underserved students and received over $20,000 in external gifts directly distributed to students financially impacted by COVID-19. » Two new African American lecturers joined the faculty in Fall 2020. » The SoA created and awarded two new student awards to the best undergraduate and graduate students who work for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). » The SoA and the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities have committed to supporting a student-led regional conference on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). » The Clemson National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, Students (cNOMAS) worked with the faculty to ensure cNOMAS representation when students are asked to advise the faculty and director. » The SoA completed a successful lecture series titled Design Race and Social (In)Justice, hosting many of the top voices in social justice and the built environment. » The Clemson Design Center, Charleston (CDC.C) hosted a three-part symposium on Memorials, Monuments, Memory and Meaning. Created by professor Ray Huff, this series thoughtfully discussed the confederate monuments in Charleston and best practices when designing public spaces. The symposium was paired with a design studio that allowed students to explore these topics through design proposals in Charleston. » The SoA is working on a publication to profile the 13 SoA alumni of color, beginning with Harvey Gantt and ending with the class of 2000. Publication details are forthcoming. » The cNOMAS received a grant from the Clemson Architecture Foundation (CAF) to support members with financial needs. » The Pelham Foundation created a new Endowment for Emerging Scholars program. This gift will provide funding for a new architecture curriculum plus outreach to help provide opportunities for students from South Carolina's I-95 corridor to study architecture. The list of accomplishments is significant when viewed together, particularly given the challenging year in which they occurred. I want to thank the students of cNOMAS and the SoA faculty and staff for their tireless work and leadership toward social justice in the built environment. Without your contributions, we would not have been able to accomplish all
that we have. Yet, we are nowhere close to where we need to be; therefore, I am renewing the SoA's commitment to social justice and to creating an inclusive learning environment with plans to extend these initiatives further in 2021. The academic year ended with some much-needed good news. First, the SoA was given the authorization to return with students to the Villa in Genoa and our Fluid Campus in Barcelona. After a one-year absence from traveling, we are excited to see our students planning their semesters abroad. The students returning this fall to the Villa in Genoa will find a completely renovated interior. The pandemic prevented students from traveling for the first time in 48 years, allowing for long-awaited renovations to ceilings and floors that could only be completed when empty. We are thankful to the Clemson Architecture Foundation (CAF) for its efforts to fund and manage this project during a challenging year. On the heels of the authorization to travel, a new philanthropic gift to the SoA was announced. If you are a student or alumnus of the SoA, Bill and Laura Pelham positively impacted your life. The generosity of the Pelham family began many years ago, and their gifts make possible so many of our offerings. Last week, President Clements announced the latest and most generous gift to the SoA from the Pelham Family Foundation. The $3 million Cornerstone Gift will fund three new endowments and annual funds to the CAF, Architecture + Health and the SoA Excellence Fund. We are grateful for the Pelham family gift and are committed to the tradition of excellence that they help make possible. I have been asked many times how things went during my first year as director. Concerned colleagues would comment on how hard it must have been. I always respond honestly and tell them that it went very well because of the students, faculty and staff at the SoA. There is an advantage of being new in an institution during a crisis. The advantage is that the real priorities of the institution become apparent; they show their true colors. What I have learned during this year is that everyone at all levels of the institution was focused on the safety and health of everyone in the Clemson community and equally focused on ensuring our students have the best experience possible. What mattered at Clemson was the people, and that is what makes the SoA special and why I am happy to be a part of this community. I hope to see you all in Lee Hall soon and wish you a safe and productive summer. Sincerely,
Jim Stevens, AIA, Ph.D. Director + Associate Professor | School of Architecture Clemson University
Letter from the Director — 7
TO DESIGN S EVERYONE THEY CAN FE EMPOW TO LIVE AN AS THEY S
SPACES FOR E SO THAT EEL FREE AND WERED ND WORK SO CHOOSE
MORRIS STREET SLAVE DWELLING Amalia Leifeste Associate Professor
10 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Working with the Morris Street Slave Dwelling Project (MSSDP), students enrolled in the graduate program for historic preservation's preservation studio course, located in Charleston, spent about five weeks studying a set of four very interesting buildings in the Upstate earlier this Fall. The buildings are located on East Morris Street in Anderson, South Carolina. There were many questions about the buildings: How old are they? Who lived in these buildings? How intact are they? And are they an important historic resource? Students used their developing skills in research and building investigation and drew from the knowledge of the history of construction methods (content from Fall semester courses in the MSH program) to analyze the four buildings at very close range and answer these questions. In addition to drawing from past coursework and readings, students were able to engage in conversation with several experts in the field of architectural history and South Carolina African American history as well as hear from the owners and board members of the MSSDP. These dedicated stewards care for the buildings and are working to determine what the next incarnation of use should be for the currently uninhabited buildings. Students heard from Keith Harmon, Rhodda Thomas, Ginny Bailes Fretwell and Karl Pokorny about their interest and background with the place. Students were also
able to test their working hypotheses about the buildings with subject area experts Carl Lounsbury, Cameroon Moon and Carter Hudgins in a mid-project critique and discussion. These experts helped guide the students’ observations and put the patterns observed on site into much greater context in terms of vernacular buildings before and after the Civil War in the Lowcountry and Mid-Atlantic regions. Through research into historic maps and plats, the class was able to establish that these buildings were most likely constructed over the course of several years from the 1870s to 1890s. Evidence from city directories suggests that the buildings were built as rental properties and that many residents, primarily African American Andersonians, lived in the buildings over the course of a century. In their early days, these buildings were the homes of individuals who were only recently emancipated from the system of formal slavery. The East Morris Street Cottage residents were members of the workforce that enabled the postbellum industrial book that took place in Anderson. The cottages are an important built feature that dates to the reconstruction era of South Carolina’s history. Students corroborated historic research with observations of the physical fabric of the buildings — meaning the wooden framing members, bricks used as piers and in the
chimneys, roof cladding and siding materials, and even interior finishes. The fact that these buildings appear to reuse older building materials complicates the investigation, but ultimately gave students a real-world example of a complicated building where people use multiple generations of building material and some cutting-edge and some outdated techniques (sawing technology, corner bracing), to construct long-standing, strong buildings with craft and care. One of the most compelling discoveries is that the cottage farthest back on the lot revealed multiple layers of interior wall finishes. The earliest of these date to the late 1800s (19th century). The first (oldest) layer of wall finish was newspaper and included some legible text reading “Tile Co.,” “central railroad” and “Oakland Cemetery.” The layer that followed was a cloth backing for wallpaper then a wallpaper that, when analyzed under a microscope, appears to be a much earlier wallpaper type — a handmade type that fell out of fashion after 1835 in the United States. The students were able to use a range of techniques to answer important questions about a set of vernacular historic buildings. These buildings deserve continued attention from scholars, as well as from the general public, particularly in support of the MSSDP’s ambitions to bring these historically significant buildings back to use in support of the community.
Morris Street Slave Dwelling — 11
12 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Morris Street Slave Dwelling — 13
TO PROMO ADVOCACY I LINKING CONTRIBUT AESTHETIC
OTE CIVIC IN DESIGN, G CIVIC TION WITH C PURPOSE
PARKLET PROJECT
B.D. Worthham-Galvin, Ph.D. Director, Master of Resilient Urban Design Program + Associate Professor
16 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
In summer 2020, the City of Charleston Design Division convened a meeting of local professionals hoping for input and help on beginning a parklet program for the city. The results of that meeting included two main initiatives: 1) the MRUD Program would research and produce a set of design guidelines and a set of sample designs testing those guidelines and 2) AIA Charleston would partner with MRUD and the City to launch a parklet design competition. Parklets are platforms that turn existing public-rightof-way parking spots into outdoor spaces for public enjoyment. While expanding the sidewalk, parklets can provide amenities like seating, dining space, plantings and bike parking. They are typically funded and maintained by neighboring businesses, residents and/or community organizations. The first formal parklets were initially conceived and installed in San Francisco in 2010. Since that time, parklets have been emulated in cities around the world showcasing a variety of designs and programming initiatives. The MRUD studio began with two parallel studies: 1) best practices in existing city parklet design guidelines and 2) best practices in global parklet designs. Those studies were placed in the context of Charleston with students researching and visualizing a variety of topics to include community interviews and input; demographics and equity; zoning; existing street networks and transportation; materiality common to the peninsula; sustainable materials; and existing access to parklets, green space distribution and green deserts. A key element also included the development of Proposed Parklet locations which included the following factors: » State owned streets vs. city owned streets » Flooding. » City of Charleston “Parking Opportunity Zones.” » Traffic violations and fatalities. » Public transit and stops. » COVID-19 curbside relief zones. » Locations already proposed by the Charleston Design Division. This process has received comment from local design professionals, nonprofits and the design division in order to produce a work relevant to the context of Charleston that could be reasonably implemented. This research-based design method resulted in a 62page design guideline entitled Charleston Parklet Manual. The Manual’s audience is not just the Design Division but also
for lay people in Charleston who want to implement a parklet. Thus, the contents are divided into the following sections: What is a parklet? How do we start? How do we design it? How do we build it? What’s next? Need more? The purpose of the Manual and future resultant Parklet Program aims to promote pedestrian-friendly streets and encourage people’s engagement with the urban environment through the reimagining and conversion of on-street parking into alternative public spaces. The Goals for such a design effort include the ability to: » Enhance Charleston’s identity through unique, community-driven projects. » Support local businesses and economic vitality in commercial districts. » Provide alternative outdoor space opportunities for community interaction. » Encourage walking, biking and the use of transit. » Prioritize pedestrian safety and accessibility in the public right of way. » Respond to the dynamic climate and numerous environmental concerns that Charleston faces. At the core of the MRUD study and the resultant Manual is the distinction between public and business parklets. Public parklets are not limited to an establishment or entity. A public parklet creates a new public space adjacent to the sidewalk and is open to everyone. Similar to a miniature park, they serve the community by providing a new place for people to stop, sit and enjoy the life of the street. Public parklets can be designed for festivals, tourist information, floodwater treatment, disaster relief, homeless services, medical services, bus stops, education support, heritage, memorial and gardens. Business parklets allows businesses such as restaurants, cafes, and retail stores to expand their space onto the parking lane and to provide unique dining and shopping opportunities. Business parklets can be designed for open houses, markets, galleries, micro enterprise, outdoor dining, expanded waiting areas, bicycle repair, outdoor music and church fellowship. The MRUD study emphasized the need for both so that equity and social services can be embedded in a parklet program effort. Within the Manual, students researched and addressed a comprehensive myriad of topics from process to planning, design and construction, maintenance and removal to include picking a location, permitting process, community support, application fee, operations guidelines, maintenance guide-
lines, drawing submittal approval and construction, parking meters, business or public parklets, fees, sustainability, historic district, street character, climate, temporary versus permanent, cultural heritage, pedestrian safety, traffic flow, city and state regulations, design review committee, zoning, street and traffic, parking, public transportation, bicycle infrastructure, traffic fatalities and infractions, demographics and equity, context, materiality, site preparation, staging and materials, construction, post construction, removal, utilities, the platform, the surface materialist, overhead structures, barriers, curb stops, maintenance access, drainage, ADA access, maintenance agreement, upkeep, change and removal. The Manual is now in the hands of the City and will work through approval processes to become part of the regulatory process that would launch a parklet program. The Manual was also used as a foundational document for the launching of the AIA Charleston sPARKing design competition and its parameters. The objectives of the competition were: » To promote civic advocacy in design, linking civic contribution with aesthetic purpose. » To create an outdoor space with purpose, one that benefits the neighborhood and greater community. » To instigate a socially cooperative and equitable design process that serves Charleston’s diverse population. » To serve as inspiration and provide resources for the development of a City of Charleston Parklet Program. Upon completion of the Manual, students then tested it by producing 31 test designs—both public and business. After several rounds of community and professional design review, the designs were submitted to the AIA sPARKing competition. In February 2021, the jury of Charleston design professionals met and determined the winners. These included an Honor Award to LS3P and Merit Awards to Kinga Bender & Studio JTJ submissions. In addition to their contributions to the Manual, MRUD student Amy Nguyen won an Honor Award for her design “Hydro Garden,” MRUD/M.Arch. student Courtney Wolff won a Merit Award for her design “Student Success,” and M.Arch. student Joseph Scherer won a Merit Award for his design “Parklet.”
Parklet Project — 17
Amy Nguyen
18 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Amy Nguyen
Joe Scherer
top
Parklet Project — 19
Joe Scherer
Courtney Wolff
20 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Courtney Wolff
Parklet Project — 21
AS SOCIETAL VALUES SHIFT OR WARP, “MEANINGS” EVOLVE.
IMAGERY ORIGINALLY PRESENTED AS HAVING NOBLE INTENT IS OFTEN LATER MALIGNED.
MONUMENTS MEMORIALS MEMORY MEANING Ray Huff FAIA, Associate Professor Emeritus Director of Clemson Design Center and the Clemson Architecture Center Charleston
24 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
For years the statue of John C. Calhoun, the former vice president and South Carolina native, gazed upon the city from a perch just low enough to be seen yet high enough to be largely ignored. A formidable figure in his time, Calhoun served in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president. A man of towering intellect and oratorical skills was reportedly unmatched at the time. But his story is not quite as transparent or reductive as it may appear. On May 25, 2020, a videotape of the murder of George Floyd by police became public. The world awoke fully to a thunderstorm of outrage and protests supporting confronting systemic racism and inequities. His death broadened the Black Lives Matter movement but was hardly limited to that sphere. This heightened awareness spans ethnic, cultural, class and other boundaries of the landscape of cultural/political divisiveness amid a pandemic and economic turmoil. Any one of these is, in and of itself, a tectonic shift with profound, longterm implications. Civic memorials and monuments are physical <– –> spatial delimiters of cultural, political and social persuasions. Intent and meaning are inherently preordained and bestowed. As societal values shift or warp, “meanings” evolve. Imagery originally presented as having noble intent is often later maligned. Such is the case today, where wholesale removal of civic tributes to historical figures, causes and events is fueling cultural rifts, igniting protests and even influencing corporate America. This movement has drawn sharp lines between points of view. Memorials of Civil War progenitors represent to some a symbol of the “Lost Cause” and white supremacy. In contrast, others view these artifacts as manifestations of oppression and subjugation. The movement has ignited that which simmered below the surface and has existed for hundreds of years. In late July, the statue of John C. Calhoun was removed from its perch high above Charleston's Marion Square. Removals such as this were occurring worldwide as communities have determined, primarily by active protests and/or political will, to remove or, in some cases, recontextualize memorials and monuments whose historical value has come to be questioned. Calhoun has particular resonance for Clemson
University, which lies on and about Calhoun's homestead. Similarly, his statue festooned Marion Square for over a century as a clear reminder that the former vice president, the avowed racist, continued to be honored for his views of and complicity in the suppression of Black people. The Clemson Architecture Center Charleston presented in support of the studio project a virtual symposium titled “Memorials | Monuments | Memory | Meaning” to examine the role of memorials and monuments in support of systemic racism in America and assist the exploration of this issue in support of the studio design inquiry. The symposium was hosted in three parts—“The Past, The Present and The Future.” Moderated by Millicent Brown, Ph.D., respondents included Lisa Brock, Ph.D., former director of Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College; Robert Rosen, Charleston attorney and author; Frank Knaack, director of ACLU South Carolina; Antonio Tillis, Ph.D., then interim president of the University of Houston Downtown; Mario Gooden, cultural architect, Huff+Gooden Architects; Robert MacDonald, director emeritus, City Museum of New York; Tamara Butler, Ph.D., director of Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. Question put to Mario Gooden during the symposium: “Whether this moment be captured architecturally for future generations to learn from now, raises a number of questions:” “I think it's a curious question. And I think the nature of the question reveals the arrogance of architecture's complicity with systems of power…. Let's say should architecture or can architecture capture this moment, we need to examine architecture's complicity with getting us to this moment. It's complicity with systems of power. It's complicit with policy, with urban design, with those invisible structures.” In this context, we might or rather should ask, “What role does DESIGN and ARCHITECTURE, in particular, have in engaging these societal challenges?” How can architecture frame or reframe the presentation of such political artifacts to contextualize the object and its meaning? Until 1971, memo-
rials generally tended to be relatively "literal" in their depiction of persons and events. When the design competition for the Vietnam Memorial was unveiled, a Yale University graduate student, Maya Lin, upended all of what was culturally accepted as “good memorial design approaches.” Her proposal, which was ultimately built, did not rely on a figurative depiction but instead inscribed a stone wall in the earth, populated simply with the names of those who perished or were missing in that conflict. This profoundly visceral, architectural “statement” completely transformed memorialization. Studio U explored this question and sought to recontextualize MONUMENTS | MEMORIALS | MEMORY | MEANING in an architectural setting that to many has become historical debris. Studio U consisted of 10 graduate and undergraduate students at the Clemson Architecture Center Charleston. Michael Arad, AIA, architect, and designer of the World Trade Center Memorial and the Mother Emanuel Memorial, was invited as a visiting critic with Ray Huff, FAIA. Participating graduate students: Rachel Baca Cameron Gambrell David Knode Lindsey Sinisi George Sorbara Participating undergraduate students: Juan Contreras Rebecca Jones Christian Macias Andrew Matthews Austin Seay Footnote: The symposium was coordinated by Clemson Architecture Center and the American Institute of Architects Charleston Section as part of the Fall lecture series. A series that represents a nine-year-long collaboration that has brought a host of excellent lecturers and ideas to our community.
Rachel Baca
Monuments | Memorials | Meaning | Memory — 25
Rachel Baca
George Sorbara
26 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Austin Seay
Christian Macias & Andrew Matthews
Monuments | Memorials | Meaning | Memory — 27
WE MUST TO BE H FIRST AN BUILDING
ST LEARN HUMAN ND SHAPE GS NEXT.
CURRENT STUDENT FEATURE
MOHAMED FAHKRY Jim Stevens, Ph.D., AIA Director + Associate Professor
30 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Arguably, the primary job of an architect is to communicate. We observe, listen and perceive the built environment to seek solutions to needs. Unlike disciplines that practice a primary communication method, such as music and literature, architects borrow from a wide range of communication tools. Most outside the discipline view our work as graphical, yet those who practice know it requires all media and methods to build a landscape, a building or a city. It is always interesting to see architecture students evolve and find their voice and unique ways of interpreting their work. Mohamed Fakhry (M.Arch. 21) is a student that expanded our collective understanding of what it means to communicate as an architect. It would have been hard this year not to learn about Mohamed. His story has been told by College and University media outlets. In the Fall, we learned he had earned the prestigious Gavalas Kolanko scholarship for students with disabilities, and the University asked him to deliver a video message to the Class of 2021. His story is compelling and inspiring to us all. Mohamed was born in Senegal and suffered from meningitis when he was 11 years old, resulting in his loss of hearing. A decade ago, he moved to the United States and learned English by reading lips. With only memories of his first two languages, Mohamed learned how to communicate in a new language through careful observation and identifying patterns in the subtle movements of a person's mouth. His aptitude for observation is remarkable but not unsurprising if you know Mohamed as an architect — as we do at the SoA. Mohamed's unique perspective was the driving force behind the Megaphone project. The cultural megaphone project was an “open desk” project lead by professor Dan Harding. Professor Harding conceived a design-build project that would
include students from multiple departments and colleges with a goal to exhibit sister projects, one at Montana State University and the other here at Clemson. The design took on the fundamental premise of a wall. Professor Harding challenged the students to seek ways for a wall not to divide but to join people together. The project quickly gained interest from students that eventually lead to a collaboration with the “Call My Name: African Americans in Early Clemson University History,” an ongoing research project led by professor Rhondda Thomas, of the English department. An early developed design sought to provide communication openings or “megaphones” that connected participants on each side of the wall. Consideration was taken for accessibility, age, and standing height. Mohamed pointed out that this proposal would not work for him or other deaf and hard-of-hearing users. The megaphone openings did not accommodate a clear view of a person’s mouth. His observation and the design updates which resulted seem obvious, maybe even simple on the surface, yet nobody thought about this before. A wall, meant to join us together, designed by faculty and students emphasizing inclusivity, still excluded some, even when they were among them. Mohamed must see to hear, and the final design addresses this need. The megaphone wall is a physical manifestation of a design process of inclusivity. The design process, the early prototypes and Mohamed's design intervention is a lesson on why we must have diversity within our profession. Professor Harding’s “Open Desk” project enabled a richness of diversity by providing SoA engagement to all students in the University. By broadening access to architecture and building a diverse team, the project gained an authenticity and functionality it would not had otherwise. Mohamed has been quoted as stating, “We must learn to be human first and shape buildings next.” In the context
of the megaphone project, his statement carries more weight. Deafness is not only the loss of hearing for Mohamed but a feature that allows him to extract empathy and understanding to apply to architecture. We are better for having Mohamed in the SoA. We learned from him new ways to communicate as architects because he does not just see the world around him; he perceives it in insightful ways. Most importantly, he expresses this understanding back to us, resulting in powerful acts of design. Student Contributors: Mohamed Fakhry Michael Horan Ryan Massengill Autumn Wines Baker Roddy Kelly Umutoni Chloe Voltaire Roberto Diaz Jeremy Eaton Josh Guertin Cody Moore Henry Lee Marissa Cutry Ryan Bing Brian Hazel Sophia Delgado Rachael Baca
Current student feature — 31
Mohamed Fakhry
32 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Current student feature — 33
GENOA VILLA RENOVATIONS CLEMSON ARCHITECTURAL FOUNDATION COMPLETES INTERIOR RESTORATION WORK AT THE VILLA Eric Holmberg President, Clemson Architectural Foundation Silvia Siboldi Carroll Administrative Director, Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies
34 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
The Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genoa, Italy, has long been a fixture in the Clemson Architecture program. For 48 years, students have studied at the Villa and remember it as one of the most transformative experiences of their life. For the first time in recent history, the Villa was not occupied by Clemson students this year, although the program continued academically in virtual mode for Fall and Spring semesters. While we know that this virtual experience cannot possibly compare to living and working in Genoa for the semester, the students were still working with the Italian faculty and gaining a valuable experience that closely simulates real-world inter-office collaborative practice. With no students at the Villa, CAF decided to take advantage of this unoccupied time to undertake some deep and thorough interior restoration work that has been impossible with students in residence. Starting in 2016, the board conducted and has maintained a detailed analysis and estimate of needed maintenance and repair work for the building and grounds. This analysis has proven essential to navigating through this unprecedented time. Over the past several years, we have forged a good working relationship with Geometra Davide Simonetti, the director of Works. Davide took the lead on this project, developed a very detailed RFP and sought bids from qualified
Genovese restoration firms. Fortunately, the successful bidder, Edilpaba, is also known as the best restoration contractor in Genoa with a full complement of experienced craftsmen, highly educated as experts in historic restoration. CAF moved forward with entrusting Edilpaba, under the supervision of long-time director of the Charles E. Daniel Center Silvia Siboldi Carroll to complete the work of restoring the interior. The plaster walls, ceilings and cornices have all been cleaned and restored, and all of the plaster surfaces throughout the Villa have been freshly painted. The antique cast iron radiators were removed, and those that could be reconditioned were repaired, professionally spray painted and reinstalled. Three of the radiators were beyond repair and had to be replaced. Ceramic tiles, terrazzo and marble floors were restored in all of the bathrooms, kitchen and common areas to restore the shine and luster. The wooden floors were sanded down and refinished, giving new life to the detailed mosaic designs. The Villa has rare green marble partially covering the walls of the main marble staircase, as well as some of the flooring. This particular type of marble can no longer be found, and the process of restoration of this was very detail-oriented, requiring the special touch of two local historic restoration interior design experts to hand-paint the marbled pattern on the walls and floor in areas that were in need of repair. The
Carrara white marble columns, stairs and inserts were cleaned and repaired, as were the iron railings. The wooden wainscot and rails were carefully removed and numbered to ensure that they were positioned back in the exact space in the room. Very minimal machinery was used in the restoration works, with most of the work being cautiously completed by hand. Waterproofing work was done on the garage roof to address moisture that was coming through the dirt from above. They worked to remake and waterproof the exterior staircase going to the garden from the kitchen and installed new slate in all stairs, as well as in the space between the kitchen and the garage. Electricians were brought in to ensure that all electrical systems were brought up to code to meet the strict Italian rules on safety at work. To combat the summer heat and improve air flow, new ceiling fans have been installed in each of the bedrooms. The ceiling fans chosen are remote controlled to minimize electrical work and damage to the plaster. We estimate this interior restoration work will be completed by the end of this Summer. With this work behind us, we will begin restoration of the exterior façade, with the final goal of having the Villa in pristine condition as we look to celebrate the milestone of 50 years of Clemson Architecture in Genoa in 2023.
Genoa Villa Renovations — 35
36 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Genoa Villa Renovations — 37
HOW DO WE SHAPE OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO REFLECT AND ADDRESS THE CHANGES
IN THIS WORLD WITH RESOLUTENESS, THOUGHTFULNESS, RESPECT AND CARE?
ARCHITECTURE + COMMUNITYBUILD David Pastre Senior Lecturer + Coordinator, Architecture + CommunityBUILD Certificate
40 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
This spring, the community build studio led by David Pastre collaborated with the Charleston Parks Conservancy to build a bridge with a shaded fishing pavilion in the Ardmore community in West Ashley. The semester began with exploring several site possibilities and holding a community design charrette in which over 100 people attended over Zoom. Breakout sessions were led by the students, and the consensus was that connecting the Ardmore community with a bridge to the “Bikeway,” a bike and pedestrian path, was the most pressing need. The students worked with land surveyor, Sandy Peabody of Peabody and Associates to locate the structure and structural engineer John Moore of 4SE to engineer the structure and oversee the construction documents. This opportunity for the students to work alongside professionals in the construction industry was outstanding as was their opportunity to work with Jason Kronsberg, director of parks for the City of Charleston, on capital improvement projects for the city. The students broke ground on the bridges after Easter. The only part of the project not installed by students was the setting of 10 piers in the pond by Blu Tide Construction, who made a considerable donation to the project by setting the piers with their excavator. Speaking of donations, we also received funding from AIA Charleston and CRANCharleston, but the majority of the funding for the project came from the Charleston Parks Conservancy by funds primarily raised from the West Ashley community. The project was completed by semester’s end in only four weeks of on-site construction.
center-left: Emma Enache and Daniel Casanova bottom-left: Austin Peters and Brittany Lapple
center-right: Alyssa Pinkham and Cole Frederick
Community Build + Design Projects — 41
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Community Build + Design Projects — 43
ECHO THEATER DESIGNING FOR RACIAL HEALING Jim Stevens, Ph.D., AIA Director + Associate Professor
44 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
On May 27, citizens in Laurens, South Carolina, gathered on the street outside the Echo Theater to celebrate the illumination of the marquee for the first time in 25 years. The newly painted and electrified letters reading “E C H O” stand in stark contrast to the boarded-up façade facing Main Street on the southeast corner of the idyllic Laurens County Courthouse square. For architect Michael Allen ‘99 and the Rev. David Kennedy of the New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church, relighting the sign was more than the beginning of a renovation. It was the start of the building’s redemption. Just two months prior, students and faculty from the School of Architecture visited the Echo Theater to learn more about the history and transformation. Despite growing up in South Carolina, many of the students were unaware of the infamous Echo Theater. Rev. Kennedy, along with Allen and his team, led our group through the building, telling its history. In 1996, the theater was converted into the “World's Famous Redneck Shop” and became the home for organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party. Rev. Kennedy spoke poignantly to the students about the racism he experienced in the segregated South and how he actively resisted the hate groups that occupied the theater. Kennedy told of his reflection on love and hate and how he knew he must lead the fight against hate with love. His effort was successful when he reached out to the owner of the Redneck Shop, Mike Burden, and forged an unlikely friendship. With
Kennedy's help, Burden decided to move away from a life of hate and to leave the Klan, ultimately selling his rights to the theater to Kennedy and the New Beginning Baptist Church. The interior of the theater matches the remarkable story of Kennedy and Burden. Just over the threshold of what once was a ticket booth, you are confronted with a narrow door leading to a staircase. Almost too narrow to pass, the door was originally used as the entrance to the segregated balcony during the 1960s. In the same entry area, remnants of hate-group stickers and the Redneck Shop sign are still visible in what was the retail space that sold hate-group memorabilia. The students followed Allen and Rev. Kennedy into the theater with only flashlights leading the way. Once gathered, the lights were all directed to the stage where, still visible, a prominent, faded Nazi symbol serves as a backdrop. With a symbol of hate looming just above the students, Allen provided the true lesson for architects. He described his firm's approach to the project as clear communication and understanding of the client. Allen began the process by simply listening to the Reverend and his congregation about what the theater meant to them and what they hoped for in the future. He described how he did not arrive at the first design meeting with the solutions but came prepared to listen and understand. What came out of these conversations was a directive to reconsider the program. The profession often confuses a program with a list of rooms and uses. Fundamentally, a project’s
program is the client’s need identified by the architect before design begins. Allen concluded that Rev. Kennedy wanted the program to be love. Much like the Reverend's actions that led to the redemption of Mike Burden, he wanted the building to move away from hate and be in service to love. Therefore, the building will serve as a multicultural center for racial reconciliation to teach history, to understand the human costs of racial intolerance and to inspire change. Allen and his firm are now working through the challenge of the details of the transformation. It was good for the students to see professionals struggle to find the best design strategy to align with the conceptual ideas. The narrow door and stair are a reminder of the past but not safe or practical. Allen described the design options to save or reuse the stair, he was still unsure what was best for the project, so the students were able to see how design debates play out between experienced architects. A more significant dilemma is what to do with the Nazi symbol on the theater stage. Understandably, some thought it should be painted over; others suggested highlighting it so those who visit are taught the history of the theater. It was recommended that the architect should do nothing to it, let it stay as it is, deteriorated and faded. The interior space around the symbol will be new while the symbol decays into the past along with the ideas it represents.
Echo Theatre Project — 45
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST REACTING TO THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT
BUT THAT WE CONTINUE TO REFLECT AND ACT TOWARD SYSTEMATIC CHANGE?
2020-2021 LECTURE SERIES “DESIGN, RACE AND SOCIAL (IN)JUSTICE” Andreea Mihalache, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
48 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Reflecting back on this past year, all our lives have been upended while swinging between hope and hopelessness, comfort and frustration, optimism and despair. While fighting a global pandemic, we finally confronted some of the problems at the very core of our society: white privilege, racism, systemic inequity. We are in the midst of a cathartic process unfolding at different levels, and hopefully the changes we have seen beginning to emerge will last. As I am writing this piece, the entire world is following the trial of the police officer who on May 25, 2020, killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, in Minneapolis. Neither the first nor the last murder in a series of endless acts of violence against people of color and minorities, this event spawned not only worldwide mass protests but also, more specifically, radical interrogations about the nature of our discipline and of the architectural education at large. As we were getting ready for the new academic year, last summer we asked ourselves: Where do we stand as a profession, as a community, as a design school? What can we do as designers and citizens to prevent more George Floyds and Breonna Taylors to be murdered in our cities? How do we shape our learning environment to reflect and address the changes in this world with resoluteness, thoughtfulness, respect and care? We have already tackled some of these issues in the past, so for the second time in three years, the School of Architecture Lecture Series brought to the forefront of our conversations matters of social justice in the yearlong series “Design, Race and Social (In)Justice.” Generously supported by the Clemson Architectural Foundation, the Richard O’Cain endowed fund, the Clemson University Institute for Intelligent Materials, Systems and Environments, and the Office of the Dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, the series attracted unprecedented audiences whose participation was enabled by the online format we maintained throughout the year. We lined up a series of speakers who not only unpacked problems of racial injustice in the built environment but also addressed concrete strategies to combat and resist the inequities built into our systems. Cutting-edge thinkers and designers, our distinguished guests are representative of
the broad range of fields and interests in our School, from architecture and technology to historic preservation, landscape architecture, and architectural history and theory. As the Richard O’Cain speaker, our first guest, the acclaimed architect and educator Michael Ford, showed us how he uses hip-hop culture to teach notions of architecture and the built environment to youth from underrepresented communities. His work with the HipHop Architecture Camps has been widely publicized in the media, from NPR to the “The Today Show.” Focusing on historic preservation, Clemson alumna Ruth Todd discussed projects of the office Page & Turnbull that preserve buildings belonging to disenfranchised ethnic groups in California. Alpa Nawre, assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Florida and executive director of Critical Places, showed her projects with this nonprofit organization that partners with local communities in India to bring clean water and other amenities to vulnerable populations. Derek Ham, department head of art + design at North Carolina State University and the inaugural technology speaker of our series, demonstrated how VR can be used to reconstruct and remember historical moments. His “I Am a Man” VR experience centers on the midcentury African American civil rights movement and the events leading to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lastly, Irene Cheng, associate professor at the California College of the Arts, unpacked the racist premises embedded in the writing and teaching of architectural history from the 19th century onward. Cheng is co-editor of “Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present,” a ground-breaking anthology of texts published summer 2020. With the last episode in our lecture series, we brought the matters back home. On April 7, we organized an in-person panel discussion at the open-air Owen Pavilion on Clemson’s campus. This panel was both an end and a beginning. As a closing, it wrapped up the architecture lecture series. As a beginning, it was the first event in the series “Clemson Conversations on Race and Reconciliation” initiated by the Dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Nicholas Vazsonyi, who enthusiastically supported our efforts. Moderated by Ray Huff (associate professor emeritus and director, Clemson Architectural Center in Charleston)
and Andreea Mihalache (assistant professor of architecture), the April 7 panel examined critically where we stand here, at Clemson — metaphorically, but also quite literally. A group of eight panelists* including Clemson faculty, current Clemson students, recent Clemson graduates and more seasoned Clemson alumni shared and examined their past and current experiences as persons of color at Clemson and in the profession at large. They exposed some of the enduring problems in our University and, equally important, looked toward the future with concrete suggestions and initiatives. We are living a historical moment that has shed light both on white supremacy and on Black inequities and disparities. Understanding how white supremacy operates in a pervasive way is only a first step toward bringing conscious and consistent transformations. As we move forward, what can we do to make sure that we are not just reacting to this historical moment but that we continue to reflect and — more importantly — act toward systematic change? The panelists were: Michael Allen
AIA, NCARB | Founder | MOA Architecture | Clemson Architecture alum Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll cNOMAS President | 2021 BA Architecture Danita Brown AIA, NCARB | Architect and Clemson alumna Dr. Maya Hislop Assistant Professor of African American Literature and English | CAAH Byron Jefferies Architect and lecturer | Clemson alum Sethunya Mokoko RCID Student | CAAH Adrianna Spence cNOMAS Vice President | graduate architecture student Michael Urueta Architect, Clemson alum and incoming graduate architecture student
2020–2021 Lecture Series — 49
AWARDS
CAAH Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit Danny Jarabek Cameron Chase Huntley Award Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll RCC King Medal for Excellence in Architectural + Environmental Design Research Rutali Joshi SoA CUSoA J.E.D.I. Undergraduate Award Michael Urueta CUSoA J.E.D.I. Graduate Award Brian Hazel CACC The Robert Miller Award for Rigor John (Austin) Peters The Ray Huff Award for Excellence Madison (Reid) Brigman Landscape Architecture University Undergraduate Olmsted Scholar Emily Long University Graduate Olmsted Scholar Hannah Slyce Undergraduate Design Communication Award Grayson Blair and William Kinzer Hurt The Don Collins Founders Award Haylee McManus and Johnathon Carter The Connections Award Alex Cabe The Faculty Book Undergraduate Award Sam Floyd and Elizabeth Rooney Promising Scholar Award Annie Steele and Devon O’Geary Graduate Design Communications Award Hannah Smith The Faculty Book Graduate Award Hannah Slyce
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Spirit of the Studio Award Anna Stone (Undergraduate) Maggie Gaston (Graduate)
Architecture Second Year Faculty Award Seth Moore
Leadership and Service Award Hannah Durham and Madelyn Stafford (Undergraduate) Steve Kurtz (Graduate)
Rudolph E. Lee Award Carlo Mellone
Design Coach and Mentor Award Jesse Conway (Undergraduate) Devon O’Geary (Graduate) CELA Fountain Scholar Program—Finalist Gabe Jenkins SCASLA Awards ASLA Undergraduate Award of Honor Sam Floyd
A.I.A. South Carolina Chapter Award—certificate Danny Jarabek Peter R. Lee and Kenneth J. Russo Design Award Danny Jarabek Alpha Rho Chi Medal Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll Martin A Davis Award Thalia Jimenez Escobar and Daniel Mecca
ASLA Graduate Award of Honor Hannah Slyce
AIA Henry Adams Medal Harrison Floyd
ASLA Undergraduate Award of Merit Dalton Burbage and Emily Long
Undergraduate Prize in Design Big Idea First Place: Will Basco, Hunter Caine, Layton Gwinn Honorable Mention: Scott Dignacco, Danny Jarabek, Austin Lemere Execution First Place: Gauge Bethea, Michael Caraballo, Autumn Hinson Honorable Mention: Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll, Michael Bell, Nancy Gonzalez
ASLA Graduate Award of Merit Tamaki Inahata SCASLA Award Dalton Burbage and Caitlyn Van de Meulebroecke South Carolina ASLA Design Award Winners Honor Award John Ward: Vene D'Aqua Caitlyn Van De Meulebroecke: Woven Communities Merit Award Elizabeth Rooney: Mercato sul Lungomare di Genova (CEF) Gabe Jenkins: Commemorative Center Hannah Slyce: The Huddle Molly Foote: Music in Motion Sharvari Gangal: Sterling Community Design Tory Garland: Seneca River Bottoms Experimental Forest Xiwei Shen: Phyto! A Responsive Remediation System for Landscape Recovery & Slopey Garden The Honor Society of Sigma Lambda Alpha, Inc. James Madison Conway Maggie Thomas Gaston Gabriel M. Jenkins Morgan Cecile Oliver Hannah V. Slyce
Clemson Architectural Foundation Student Prize Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll The Mickel Prize in Architecture Thabang Nyondo The Harlan E. McClure Award — Individual Project Thabang Nyondo The Harlan E. McClure Award — Group Project Gabrielle Bernier, Cora Butler and Garrett Schappell The Edward Allen Student Award Harrison Floyd
Awards — 51
I BELIEVE THERE IS MUCH THAT WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM BY UNCOVERING AND DISCUSSING
THE UNTOLD STORIES AND CULTURES OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO AMERICA’S HISTORY
ALUMNI PROFILE
BEN HARRISON Bryan Hazel, Class of 2021 Master of Architecture
54 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Ben Harrison’s path as a licensed architect has been a unique experience of growth, development and creativity. Ben has recently been recognized for winning the 2020 American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York State (NYS) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Award. This individual award “recognizes licensed architects employed in the public sector in New York State whose work on projects within their jurisdiction has furthered the cause of design excellence in public architecture.” Ben developed a passion for architecture at a very young age by “studying Georgian and Gothic architecture at the age of 5” while growing up in the Upstate of South Carolina. His interest for architecture was encouraged by his mother, whom Ben described as "a highly intelligent, charming and artistic woman" who always encouraged him to pursue his interests in art and architecture. Ben’s mother would encourage Ben to move forward with architecture by exploring art, design and construction. She stressed the importance of using his skills and talents to give back to the community. Ben emphasized that above all she taught him how to be kind to others and to always show respect to people. Ben’s early interest in art and architecture gave him a head start when he entered high school by continuing to enhance his artistic skills through the high school’s Art AP class. Then Ben explored the differences of architecture and engineering by becoming the president of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) to help not only himself but others determine what majors to follow in college. After high school, Ben was accepted to attended Clemson University’s undergraduate School of Architecture program. Ben’s college experience was unlike most college students. He believes that helped him find the right path to achieve his goals. Ben obtained both his bachelor’s (1996) and Master of Architecture degree (2005) at Clemson University. While at Clemson, he was published with a team of students in two architectural magazines called Metropolis Magazine and Blueprint Magazine. Continuing design concepts outside of studio, Ben developed the FCA homecoming float one
year, designed nonprofit organizations T-shirts, and worked with Clemson University Housing to help develop the campus further. The work outside of the studio ties in with his favorite spot on campus, which was the sand volleyball court at the Shoebox residence halls. Ben designed and built the first ever sand volleyball court on Clemson’s campus at the Shoeboxes with Clemson Housing officials and a multitude of other students. While at Clemson, Ben was an avid runner and cyclist. Ben loved to take rides through the countryside to take his mind off his studio work. However, all these accomplishments while at Clemson did not come easy. During his undergraduate years, his parents got a divorce, and then during his graduate school years his father passed away. These experiences were tied with challenges of finding ways to fund his architectural education. During the tough times, he received support from his Clemson mentors, professors and friends. Ben believes that these experiences helped develop him into the man he is today. Ben’s work experience is a bit different from the standard work evolution. After his undergraduate degree, Ben began working in the Upstate of South Carolina on educational, assisted living facilities, multifamily complexes and commercial projects. Then he moved to the Northeast to continue his experiences working in Boston on higher education and health care. After receiving his master’s degree, Ben moved to New York where he worked at Perkins Eastman in the healthcare studio on different projects including international. Ben wanted to continue to push himself in the different fields of architecture and continue to broaden his experiences in other firms in New York State. During the Great Recession in the 2000s, Ben had to reinvent himself. Like many architects, he lost his job during the recession, which made him look at civil service work. That led him to become Putnam County’s very first staff architect. As Putnam County’s architect, Ben works as a county employee. In this role, he works with the development, renovation and construction of projects throughout the county.
Ben uses his talents, skills and experience to provide projects that not only benefit the employees but the public as well. His work directly serves the community and has earned him awards for design excellence. Ben’s work in Putnam County has pushed the county to new heights. This was shown when the County won its first New York State AIA award for Tilly Foster Farm Educational Institute – Building #8 in Brewster, New York, which won a 2019 American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York State (NYS) Excelsior Award of Merit for Public Architecture for Renovation/Addition. This award-winning project was developed with the involvement of the county officials, departments and facilities workers. Originally, the building was a rustic barn that was transformed into an educational center for culinary arts training and bioscience education for Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, an event space and a farm-to-table restaurant. All these accomplishments led to Ben being recognized by winning the 2020 American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York State (NYS) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Award. One of the remarks from the AIA NYS Rockefeller award was that “Ben Harrison has had a substantial impact on the built environment and creating design excellence within New York State, specifically in Putnam County, for multiple public projects.” Ben was very honored in receiving the award for “it is truly a great feeling to be recognized by your peers.” Ben’s strong architectural background was formed by his life experiences and his own academic studies at CUSoA, which has led him to create valuable spaces for multiple locations including New York’s Putnam County residents.
Alumni Profiles — 55
ALUMNI PROFILE
MICHAEL ALLEN Bryan Hazel, Class of 2021 Master of Architecture
56 — CLEMSON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
When I met Michael Allen, founder and CEO of MOA, he stated, “My goal as an architect is to design spaces for everyone so that they can feel free and empowered to live and work as they so choose.” Allen’s path to becoming the owner of his own architecture firm was quite uncommon, to say the least. He began his professional career not as an architect but as a professional football player. When he transitioned into the architectural world, he found his second calling and now is an award-winning designer with over 21 years of architectural work experience in a multitude of different sectors. Allen’s path started in Conway, South Carolina. He grew up in a single-parent household with two other siblings. He credits his mother and the community he grew up in for his desire to always give back to society. In Conway he became a football standout, and received multiple offers to play football at the next level. Allen knew he wanted to go to college but had not yet settled on a career path. While he was narrowing down schools to play football, he was simultaneously narrowing down a major to pursue. He came to the conclusion that he wanted to pursue architecture. This decision led him to choose Clemson University for his academic and athletic aspirations. At Clemson University, Allen had to learn to become an expert time manager. Architecture is notorious for being time consuming, and Allen had to balance his studies with the rigorous schedule of a D1 athlete. His days would start at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for workouts. From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Allen was busy attending practice, classes, team meetings, and mandatory study hall. By the time most students would be getting ready for bed, Allen was getting ready to work on his studio projects. Following this strict schedule was not easy.
Allen stated that at one point in his college experience he was told by an authority figure that he had to choose between football and architecture. Allen took this confrontation as a challenge and used it as motivation on both the football field and in the architecture studio. Allen later went on to become a founding member of LEADERS in football education. This program was a community service initiative where college athletes would go out into the surrounding communities and lend their services. These services included tutoring, hosting school workshops and picking up litter. Allen also interned at a small firm called Drakeford Architects at this time. He stated that his first professional experience was a bit shocking. His role at the firm was mostly as a draftsman and was not as design oriented as his time in school was. He is very appreciative of that internship because due to their small size he was able to load more responsibility early, which broadened his knowledge in the field quickly. Along with obtaining his degree, Allen left Clemson as a two-time recipient of the ACC Community Service Award and was a Peach Bowl Scholar-Athlete. After school, Allen went on to play arena football. Afterward, he transitioned back into architecture where he worked at PG Architecture, Direct design, Larson and Darby Group, Goodwyn Mills Cawood and McMillan Pazdan Smith. At these firms Allen honed his craft until he felt was ready to create his own firm. In 2019, Allen founded MOA, an architecture firm that does not specialize in one subcategory of architecture; rather, they specialize in design. At MOA, Allen wanted to create a work environment that focused on design excellence for all people. He stated that every design process has to start
with a conversation with the client and the community. Allen and his fellow associates want to be experts on the people and places they are designing for before they even begin concept work. The transition from architect to CEO meant more responsibilities for Allen. He possessed the knowledge to be a professional architect but now had to learn how to manage a business. Allen does a little bit of everything at his firm. His daily schedule consists of many tasks ranging from design, to business, to client meetings and even to IT (information technology). Allen said that his rigorous schedule as a student-athlete has prepared his mind well to be able to switch gears from task to task. In that same year he won the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the Greenville/Upstate area. The selection process is very intensive. A committee of former winners and program leaders come together to choose the recipient. The winner must display community leadership and represent the values associated with this award: integrity, scholarship, athletics, service, leadership, commitment, dedication, courage, resilience and spirit. Allen stated that he was honored to win and it meant a lot to him because the values of that award aligned with the goals he had set for himself as an individual. Michael Allen has achieved a lot as an architect and as a football player. Allen feels a responsibility to try to be as successful as he can to honor the people who came before him. Having a successful architecture firm as an African American man from the South is creating the true American Dream.
Alumni Profiles — 57
ALUMNI PROFILE
DANITA BROWN Bryan Hazel, Class of 2021 Master of Architecture
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Danita Brown is the first African American female graduate of Clemson's Master of Architecture program (1987) after obtaining her bachelor's degree in Architecture at Clemson University. She is the first African American woman licensed to practice architecture in North Carolina (1990). She has over 30 years of experience in design, planning, community development and historic preservation. “[I] spent many hours working in Lee Hall, at that time known as ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ because it was one of the few buildings on campus that was open 24/7.” Danita was raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her parents, James and Sarah Brown, instilled in her at a young age the importance of finding a profession that would contribute to "an ever-advancing civilization" and to the benefit of society. She found her passion for architecture in high school thanks to her drafting teacher. The teacher saw that Danita had an aptitude for visualizing spatial relationships and urged her to pursue an education in architecture. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Danita took a two-year break to work professionally with her mentor and Clemson's first African American student Harvey Gantt, FAIA architect in Charlotte, North Carolina; an introduction that was initiated by former Dean Harlan McClure. She then returned to Clemson to obtain her master's degree. The twoyear break was beneficial to Brown’s studies. She came back to Clemson with a different perspective and appreciation for the contributions that the profession can make to community
development and well-being. She learned the importance of designing buildings and spaces rooted in their context. In 1987, Danita graduated with her Master of Architecture and returned to North Carolina to work once again at Gantt Huberman Architects. Gantt was a fundamental part of the development of Brown’s professional career. He provided opportunities for Danita to converse with clients, participate in marketing meetings and contribute to the design and construction phases of buildings. In 1990, Danita moved to Atlanta and began working professionally at Turner Associates Architects & Planners, Lord Aeck Sargent Architecture and then as architect/program manager for the Atlanta University Center, Inc. (AUC) and the city’s Corporation of Olympic Development (CODA) in preparation for hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in venues and public spaces. Brown is quoted saying “this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prepare Atlanta to receive the world.” In that role she managed the tasks and schedules of each contractor and consultant that worked on the AUC projects. After her experiences from the Olympic Games, Danita established an architectural practice that would provide consulting services to diverse clients and architecture firms throughout the Southeast in management, design and historic preservation. In 2009, Danita began work as a historical architect for the Southeast regional office of the National Park Services (NPS) where her love for historic preservation was nurtured.
There she was tasked with the preservation of a wide range of buildings rooted in African American culture with partners and in park units. Notable buildings she managed were Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pastored, as well as his birth and life homes in Atlanta. Currently Danita works in the Southeast/Sunbelt regional office for the US General Services Administration (GSA) as the regional historic preservation and fine arts officer. She shares many of the same responsibilities as her previous service but now manages a wider range of federal historic buildings and fine art collection across the Southeast. Brown loves uncovering and interpreting diverse stories of American history through the built environment. Brown stated that “[I] believe there is much that we all can learn from by uncovering and discussing the untold stories and cultures of those who contributed to America's history.” As an architect that focuses on historic preservation, she has the opportunity to explore, highlight and share contributions made by all people, particularly by enslaved Africans and African Americans, to America’s advancement of life, history and the built environment.
Alumni Profiles — 59
ABOUT THE DESIGN The design was inspired by discussions about highlighting the efforts made by the college to explore themes of race and racial justice. The design deliberately avoids ornamentation and other graphic maneuvers to make the words from the articles become the most important thing. In an effort to promote the voices of BIPoC in type design the typefaces used in the design, Martin by Tré Seals and Corundum James Darden, are both typefaces created by African American type designers. Martin was chosen because of its direct relationship to the Civil Rights movement of the 60s. The typeface is directly drawn from protest posters of the Memphis Sanitation Strike in 1968. It is used most prominently on the pull quotes throughout the publication that serve as calls to action or calls to question. They were designed to capture the feel of protest posters and calls for racial justice. While subtle, a secondary system of organization also runs through the publication. This system, used for organizing the images is loosely inspired by the shift to remote work and the environment, Zoom, that was nearly ever-present in our daily lives.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER Ryan Molloy is an educator and inter-disciplinary designer having practiced in fields of architecture and graphic design. Ryan currently teaches graphic design at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Prior to teaching at Eastern he was a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin where he also received his MFA in Design. He received his B.Arch. from Texas Tech University. His creative work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has received several awards including an Art Directors Club Young Guns award. In 2012 Ryan Molloy and Leslie Atzmon received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Art Works grant for the Open Book Workshop, held at the Jean Noble Parsons Center, and the book The Open Book Project. Ryan Molloy and Leslie Atzmon also received a Sappi Ideas that Matter grant in 2017 for the redesign of Ypsilanti’s Riverside Arts Center visual identity and environmental graphics. His letterpress work, using custom digitally fabricated wood type, has been featured in the Hamilton Wood Type Museum’s New Impressions exhibitions. Ryan is currently participating in the 2021 Type West postgraduate certificate program in type design.
WHAT MATTERED AT CLEMSON WAS THE PEOPLE, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE SOA SPECIAL.