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MCAD’s BAM Program Helps Mom Start A New Career

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A program of Miami Center for Architecture and Design, Black Architects in the Making was launched by M.C. Harry & Associates to increase African American representation in architecture.

An architectural project manager at M.C. Harry & Associates, Naomi Harrison has already increased their representation through her mentorship of Bernise Muhammad, a BAM mom who went from being on the sidelines to now pursuing a career in architecture at Florida International University.

CBS 4 visited a recent BAM workshop where they learned more about Naomi and Bernise’s relationship and the work BAM is doing in the community.

A Miami woman is on a new career path in architecture thanks to a program designed for students.

Naomi Harrison is an architectural project manager at M C Harry & Associates, which created Black Architects in the Making, also known as BAM.

BAM was created to introduce and educate middle and high school students, primarily African American, to the world of architecture.

Harrison has been involved with BAM for several years, helping expose youngsters to architecture but also working to diversify the industry.

“One of the underrepresented in the industry is also females. 18-percent of architects are females but only .04-percent of the architects in the state identify as black female Americans,” explained Harrison.

Harrison along with other associates go into communities where African Americans live, work, and play and talk to them about architecture.

It was at one of the workshops where she met Bernise Muhammad, the parent of one of the students. For more information, visit CBS4

MCAD Hosts 2nd Annual Urban Warrior Awards

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design promotes awareness and appreciation of the ways in which architecture and urban design influence and enhance the quality of life in our community.

On Thursday, May 16, join MCAD as they host the 2nd Annual Urban Warrior Awards and recognize those individuals who have made strides to improve Miami’s urban landscape.

The 2019 honorees are:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Six-term Miami Mayor, Maurice A. Ferré
  • Visionary Award: Urban Impact Lab Co-Founder, Marta Viciedo
  • Visionary Award: Barlington Group Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Bill Fuller
  • Visionary Award: Barlington Group Co-Founder/Co-Managing Partner, Martin Pinilla II

The Urban Warrior Awards will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinema, 300 SE 3rd St. #100 Miami, FL 33131.

Click here to register for the event.

MCAD and AIA Miami Host FitCity Miami 6

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design in partnership with the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Miami) and the Consortium for a healthier Miami-Dade will host the 6th annual FitCity Miami Conference on Friday, March 15.

The annual conference explores the intersection between health and the built environment. This year’s FitCity conference will focus on Mobility & Climate Change and invites participants to deepen their understanding of how mobility in Miami-Dade has an important, measurable and long-term impact on public health.

Guest presenters include Maria Nardi, MDC Parks; Marta Viciedo Urban Impact Lab; Kokei Otosi, Van Alen Institute; Bernard Zyscovich, FAIA, Zyscovich Architects; and David Capelli, Co-Founder & Director of #SmartMiami. 

Architects, planners, designers, public health professionals, academics, city managers, elected officials, community leaders, and residents are encouraged to attend and invited to this open discourse on how policies can be beneficial to community health and overall quality-of-life.

For more information on FitCity and to register for the event, click here.

Miami Center for Architecture & Design Moves into New Space

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The Miami Center of Architecture & Design recently celebrated the grand opening of its new space. Located at 310 SE 1st St., it is in the heart of Downtown Miami, bringing visibility to the organization, and the design and build of the environment.

With community meeting space and educational programs, MCAD is the place for anyone who is interested in enhancing their appreciation for the city’s vibrant and unique architecture and design. MCAD is home to AIA Miami as well as the Downtown Miami Welcome Center, in partnership with the Miami Downtown Development Authority. The Welcome Center is everything Miami – cultural events, attractions, maps, history and more.  MCAD educates the public through exhibitions, lectures, tours, film series and other programs that aim to reveal the richness of design in Miami.

To stay up to date with MCAD’s events. Visit https://miamicad.org/.

Local Architects Aim to Bring Diversity to the Industry

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blog-10-15-2Over the years, the U.S. has produced few African American architects. Noticing the lack of diversity, architect and co-owner of MC Harry & Associates, Craig Aquart, launched Black Architects in the Making to introduce African American youth to the field.

CBS 4 News visited Aquart’s firm to learn more about BAM and meet the students.

Craig Aquart is a veteran architect and co-owner of M C Harry & Associates headquartered in Miami.

Even though he has dozens of projects in development, he is on a mission to spread what he calls the gospel of Architecture.

CBS4 recently visited Aquart while he and his staff hosted a group of students from the community to expose them to various career opportunities in the field.

“I did some research and found out that of the 113-thousand registered architects in the United States, less than two-thousand architects were actually black and the statistics were even worse when you look at black females. There were only 430 in the field. I realized there was a disparity there and one of the reasons for that is the awareness in the black community is severely lacking,” said Aquart.

In response, Aquart created BAM, which stands for Black Architects in the Making with the support of the Miami Center for Architecture & Design (MCAD).

For the last two years he and his staff have hosted workshops for students in Overtown, Liberty City and Richmond Heights just to name a few.

“We encourage students to sketch regularly, and like everything else practice makes perfect,” said Aquart. He advises students to at least sketch one image per day.

Aquart says BAM has reached more than 300 students in two years.

To read more, visit CBS4 here.

 

MCAD’s BAM Sparks Interest in Architecture in African-American Students

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Of the 105,000 registered architects in the U.S., less than two percent are African Americans. In an effort to increase their representation in the industry, architect Craig Aquart of M.C. Harry and Associates created Black Architects in the Making.

BAM is a hands-on educational workshop focused on educating students, primarily African-American, on the architectural profession, and is supported by the Miami Center for Architecture and Design and the American Institute of Architects Miami chapter.

The definition of an architect is “a person who designs buildings and advises in their construction.”

So, it makes sense that the American Institute of Architects Miami Chapter would help build a program that focuses on educating middle and high school students, primarily African American, on the architecture profession.

The U.S. has produced very few African-American architects. According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, of the 109,748 registered architects in a 2016 survey, only 2 percent are African Americans.

In an effort to increase that representation, Miami architect Craig Aquart of M C Harry & Associates created Black Architects in the Making to join the already established Architects in the Making program. The American Institute of Architects Miami Chapter supports both.

“BAM is a seed planting program that we must continue in more communities to diversify the architectural profession,” Aquart said in an email. “Students who knew little or nothing about architecture and the role it plays in their communities, now understand that their involvement in building better communities is essential to their well-being.”

Since its inception in 2015, Black Architects in the Making has designed more than 21 workshops led by African-American professionals. The efforts have reached over 300 students in Overtown, Liberty City, Richmond Heights and Homestead.

To read the full story, visit the Miami Herald.

Miami Center for Architecture & Design Moves into New Space

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The Miami Center of Architecture & Design recently celebrated the grand opening of its new space. Located at 310 SE 1st St., it is in the heart of Downtown Miami, bringing visibility to the organization, and the design and build of the environment.
With community meeting space and educational programs, MCAD is the place for anyone who is interested in enhancing their appreciation for the city’s vibrant and unique architecture and design. MCAD is home to AIA Miami as well as the Downtown Miami Welcome Center, in partnership with the Miami Downtown Development Authority. The Welcome Center is everything Miami – cultural events, attractions, maps, history and more.  MCAD educates the public through exhibitions, lectures, tours, film series and other programs that aim to reveal the richness of design in Miami.
To stay up to date with MCAD’s events. Visit https://miamicad.org/.

MCAD Hosts First Annual Urban Warrior Awards

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design promotes awareness and appreciation of the ways in which architecture and urban design influence and enhance the quality of life in our community.

On Thursday, April 19, MCAD will host the first annual Urban Warrior Awards. MCAD promotes awareness and appreciation of the ways in which architecture and urban design influence and enhance the quality of life in our community. The new signature event recognizes individuals who have accomplished much to better our urban landscape.

This year’s honorees include:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Miami architect and visionary, Ken Treister, FAIA, whose projects include the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Mayfair Shops in the Grove and Mayfair House Hotel
  • Visionary Award: Founder and President of The Underline, Meg Daly
  • Visionary Award: Owner of Books & Books, Mitch Kaplan

Enjoy cocktails, light bites, live music and more as they celebrate their honorees.

Urban Warrior Awards will take place on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 6-9 p.m. at the mindwarehouse 111 NE 1st St., 7th Floor Downtown Miami.

Click here to register.

AIA Miami presents FitCity Miami 5 Conference

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AIA Miami has partnered with AARP, the Department of Health, and the Miami Center for Architecture & Design to host its fifth annual FitCity Miami 5 Conference on Thursday, February 22.

The annual conference delves into the intersection between health and the built environment and explores how the design of our cities – buildings, streets, public spaces and healthy food access – directly influence our community’s health and well-being. FitCity Miami presents the latest health findings for Americans focusing on the chronic diseases most affecting us today, such as obesity and diabetes.

This year’s conference will focus on Age-Friendly Active Design with a stress on public spaces and Senior Living communities. FitCity Miami encourages participants to expand their understanding of how the development of Age-Friendly communities in Miami-Dade has an important, measurable and long-term impact on public health.

Architects, planners, designers, public health professionals, academics, city managers, elected officials, community leaders and residents are invited to this open discourse on how policies, including design standards, infrastructure and building codes can be beneficial to community health and overall quality-of-life.

FitCity Miami 5 will feature keynote speaker Dr. Rodney Harrell, Director of Livability Thought Leadership at AARP; as well as Joanna Lombard, AIA, UM School of Architecture; Gensler’s Karla Valdivia, AIA; Christopher Adams, AIA; Shannon O’Kelley Berler, R.I.D., LEED AP, NEWH; with Adam Steinhoff, CEO of Dedicated IT; Maria Nardi, MDC Parks; Scott Brown, University of Miami Public Health.

FitCity Miami 5 will take place on Thursday, February 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coral Gables Museum 235 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33134.

Click here to register.

MCAD’s Active Design Miami Helps Make Key Biscayne a Healthier Place to Live

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design worked with the Village of Key Biscayne to implement its latest initiative Active Design Miami and make the village a healthier place to live, work and play for all residents.

With its small size, natural beauty and health-conscious population, Key Biscayne is an ideal place for an innovative program aimed at using design to encourage active lifestyles.

Active Design Miami, a program inspired by New York City’s Active Design Guidelines, sets policy and design strategies to create healthier streets, open spaces and buildings. In Key Biscayne, it found an advocate in Village Council member Brett Moss, whose day job is an architect, general contractor and founder of MOSS Architecture + Design.

Moss, who frequently puts the Active Design standards into play for buildings his firm designs, said the Village joined several other South Florida communities earlier this year in adopting the standards as guiding principles. He would like to see that lead to development that promotes parks, outdoor activity, walking and biking, etc.

“I’m hoping that as we update our vision in Key Biscayne, we keep encouraging people to be outside and walk and bike to different places,” he said. “We should be looking at that in future policy making, zoning, codes and ordinances.”

Moss noted the Active Design philosophy focuses on parks and open spaces, development patterns, transportation and mobility. “I think it’s something that we’re always looking at in Key Biscayne anyway, so it was kind of a no-brainer for me to bring this to the Council.”

Cheryl Jacobs, executive vice president of Miami Center for Architecture and Design, which spearheads the Active Design Miami initiative, agreed Key Biscayne is the perfect place for the guidelines to play out. She applauded the Village for being an early adapter, becoming one of the first of 10 municipal governments and the Miami-Dade County government to sign on.

“Quality of life is really important in Key Biscayne, and anything a municipality can do to give residents an opportunity to have a better quality of life is a positive for that community,” Jacobs said. “Highlighting things like bike share, park access, golf cart access paths is really a quality of life issue. Key Biscayne adopted the concepts so readily, because they have already done some of these things.”

To read the full story, visit Islander News.