Moderators

• PBS Wisconsin

• 
  Carol - PBS Wisconsin

Participants

• 
  Michael Ford

  Panelist

  Michael Ford, AIA, NOMA is a licensed architect based in Madison Wisconsin who is also known as The Hip Hop Architect. Ford has spent the past decade working to blur the lines between professional practice and academia. He is dedicated to stimulating cross disciplinary discourse between practitioners and residents on the sociological and cultural implications of architecture and urban planning on its inhabitants. Ford is the creator of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp, an international initiative with the goal of increasing the number of black and brown youth in architecture and design fields. The free program challenges underrepresented youth to explore the cultural implications of architecture in the built environment through the lens of Hip Hop Culture. Focusing on the intersection of theory and practice, participants explore hip hop as a revolutionary approach to understanding, conceiving, and generating architecture for a just city. The camp received the Top Innovator Award from Urban Libraries Council for “Top Innovator” in the Race and Social Equity category. Ford’s Hip Hop Architecture research and projects have been published in a variety of places including The Oprah Winfrey Network, Rolling Stone Magazine, Time Magazine for Kids, NBC’s The TODAY Show, Architect Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, and Vibe Magazine. Ford was recognized by Madison365 as one of the most influential African American leaders in The State of Wisconsin, recognized as a NextCity Vanguard and was recognized as a 2018 M-List recipient by Madison Magazine for innovation in the Arts. Along with these publications and awards, Ford is a highly respected keynote speaker, delivering keynotes at numerous colleges and universities, as well as The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Toronto’s 2018 Interior Design Summit 2017 The American Institute of Architects National Conference, 2016 SXSW Eco Conference in Austin, Texas. Through his years of research, publications, and lectures, Michael Ford is recognized in the architectural and hip hop communities as a galvanizer and pioneer of a new era of architectural practitioners. Websites: hiphoparchitecture.com www.brandnudesign.com