Join the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (nycoba|NOMA), the J. Max Bond Center of City University of New York, and the AIANY Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the annual J. Max Bond Jr. Lecture. Established in 2010, this design talk honors the memory of J. Max Bond, Jr., FAIA, NOMA, an architect, partner at Davis Brody Bond, advocate, teacher, and trailblazer of his time. The lecture addresses issues that were important to Bond: equity, inclusive design, communities, and global cultures, in particular Ghana and Africa at large.

This year’s panel discussion will explore the significance of global learning exchange in architectural education and practice with the aim of fostering dialogue and inspiring action towards a more inclusive and culturally aware architectural education. The event will celebrate progress in promoting diversity while acknowledging the need for further improvement in providing a comprehensive education that supports learners who bring or want to explore broad cultural and practice references. 

Esteemed panelists will share insights on enriching architectural education and practice through the integration of global perspectives.

Panelists

Dr. Kwesi Daniels, PhD, Head of Architecture Department, Tuskegee University
Rob Fleming, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, Director of Online Innovation, Stewart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton, PhD, FAIA, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Architecture, Parsons School of Design, The New School
April De Simone, Co-founder, The Practice of Democracy; Co-Founder, Designing the WE

Moderator
Victor Body-Lawson, FAIA, Principal, Body Lawson Associates Architects and Planners

About the Speakers
Dr. Kwesi Daniels is the Head of the Architecture Department at Tuskegee University. His professional experience ranges across various disciplines, including historic preservation, architecture, sustainability management, and urban geography. He developed the historic preservation program at Tuskegee University, within the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. The goal of the program is to train architecture and construction science management students to handle the nuances of historic properties using technology like laser scanning, photogrammetry, 3D printing, drones, virtual reality and augmented reality. This preservation work has expanded the contemporary resources of Tuskegee University into African-American communities in Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Tuskegee, Ala. He and his students are currently working to preserve the Armstrong School in Macon County, Al, a Tuskegee rural school model building and precursor to the Tuskegee Rosenwald Community School program.

Dr. Daniels earned a BArch and MArch in architecture from Tuskegee University and the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MS in sustainability management from Columbia University. In 2020 he earned a Ph.D. in urban geography from Temple University. His doctoral research focused on the positive and negative social impact universities can have on communities around their campuses, particularly communities of color.

Rob Fleming is an award-winning educator, author, LEED® accredited professional, and architect. He is the Director of Online Innovation at the Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, where he develops executive education programs focused on sustainable design and design leadership. Rob is also the Director of Sustainability at FCA, an architecture and Design firm in Philadelphia. Rob is the 2023 AIA Philadelphia President and serves as a board member for the Center for Architecture and Design where he co-founded the Justice Alliance for Design Education. Rob is the author or co-author of four books on sustainable design and is currently writing a book on survivability. In Rob’s former life, he was the Founding Director of the MS in Sustainable Design Program at Thomas Jefferson University.

Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton is an educator, author, fine artist, and citizen architect with global reach. Currently a distinguished visiting professor at Parsons School of Design, she previously served on the faculties of Columbia University, Pratt Institute, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington. Dr. Sutton was the first African American to receive the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education and the twelfth African American woman to be licensed to practice architecture in the United States. Her recent books include Pedagogy of a Beloved Community: Pursuing Democracy’s Promise through Place-Based Activism and When Ivory Towers Were Black: A Story about Race in America’s Cities and Universities. Dr. Sutton holds five academic degrees—in music, architecture, philosophy, and psychology and has studied printmaking internationally; her fine art is in the Library of Congress.

April De Simone is a transdisciplinary practitioner, intertwines architecture, planning, and systems thinking. Her Bronx upbringing, marred by designed inequities, propels her to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to reshape spatial practice, advancing just frameworks. With 20+ years’ experience, she dissects democratic representation in our environments, uncovering how socio-spatial injustices persist from dehumanizing legacies, hindering democracy’s potential. Bridging theory and practice, April co-founded designing the WE in 2015, co-curating the acclaimed “Undesign the Redline” exhibit. Transitioning from a Principal role, she is launching “The Practice of Democracy” in 2024. Her immersive project, Democracy Is… debuted in 2022 on NYC’s High Line and is touring nationally. An invited speaker, facilitator, and board member, April’s impact spans issues of equity and democracy, recognized by Enterprise Community Partners Impactful 40. A Dean Merit Scholar, she holds a Master’s in Design and Urban Ecologies and currently is completing her MArch.

Victor Body-Lawson is Principal at Body Lawson Associates Architects and Planners, an acclaimed architecture, interiors, and urban design practice founded in 1993. His international portfolio includes work in multifamily housing, religious and commercial buildings, historic preservation, interior design, and recreational and health facilities. A noted leader in responsive, collaborative community solutions, Body-Lawson is recognized for his ability to empower people in under-resourced communities through their public spaces and buildings. He is also an accomplished artist and visiting critic at Yale and Columbia.

Thursday October 19, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Center for Architecture
Register