African Threads in the American Fabric

An Interview with Richard Dozier Richard K. Dozier, Ph.D., an architect and architectural historian who has studied African-American buildings and material culture, speaks on vernacular African building traditions inuencing American architecture.

Community Crusader
Interview with Rev. Anthony Motley Reverend Motley, founder of the Redemption Ministry in southeast Washington, shares advice and tips with IWWL participants and speaks on improving all aspects of the districts perpetually changing neighborhoods.

Modern Architectural Practice in Africa

Mashabane Rose Associates Mashabane Rose Associates, an innovative rm based in Johannesburg, South Africa serves as a case study of architectural practice in modern-day Africa.

Schools and the Language of Design

With Christian Long Many longstanding notions about school architecture are now as archaic as the slide rule. School design consultant (and former Museum volunteer) Christian Long discusses fresh ideas for creating eective learning environments.

Gift of the Lautman Photography Collection

Robert C. Lautman The archives of the architectural photographer Robert Lautman become part of the NBMs collection.

FP: Shuttle Totem, Abdul Zenha, Senegal,2011. Photographed by Alex Schroer. Used with permission.

L: Senegalese Hut House. Photographed by Alex Schroer. Used with permission.

R: Woodru Art Center Stairway, Renzo Piano, 1989. Photographed by Laura Ospina

John Wesley Dobbs Plaza Atlanta, Ga

Photographed by Laura Ospina

This wall recalls ancient fortications in southern Africa Dobbs encouraged African Americans to register to vote.

Richard K. Dozier, Ph.D., is an architect and architectural historian who has studied African-American buildings and material culture. Professor at several schools, including Florida A&M University, he was recently appointed head of the Department of Architecture and Construction Science, associate dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Physical Sciences, and Robert R. Taylor Professor of Architecture at Tuskegee University.

Martin Moeller: In what ways have vernacular African building traditions inuenced American architecture? An Interview with Richard Dozier By Martin Moeller Richard Dozier: Broadly speaking, the major contributions were primarily [in the areas of] response to climate and use of materials. Slaves coming to the New World had a familiarity with natural materials like sun-dried brick and they had exceptional skills at carving wood, making plaster molds, working iron and these techniques soon had an impact on how everyone was building. In the South, of course, we can attribute the domestic porch to African inuence in response in part to climate. In African village life, shared spacecourtyards, etc.was important. And shelter from the heat was obviously important. In America, these things came together in the porches that we now take for granted.

Some basic structural forms may be linked to Africa. A great example is the Africa [or African] House down in Natchitoches, Louisiana, which has a huge hip roof and broad overhang. It looks strange at rst, but then you realize that the building did not have a deep foundation. The overhangs protected the base of the building from water, while also allowing a second story up within the roof, with slats for windows so that the air would circulate. The form of the building comes from its construction methods and the weather conditions. Moeller: There are many diverse building traditions in dierent parts of Africa. To what extent are there

similar variations in AfricanAmerican architecture? Dozier: We wouldnt just refer to European architecture as a single thing, would we? We understand that it reects many very dierent periods and cultures. Africa, of course, is the same way. Many of the dierences in African-American architecture are regional variations, based to some extent on how much of the original African culture was retained. One example of strong retention is the Gullah/Geechee culture in South Carolina. The vernacular of the area followed early building traditions for a remarkably long time. Charleston also had a high degree of retention of the

original culture. Even today, theres an African- American blacksmith there named Peter Simmons who is carrying on [family craft] traditions that date back generations. The areas of greatest cultural retention are not actually in the U.S., but in the Caribbean, where many of the slaves were initially brought. Thats why you can still see extremely authentic architecture and even small villages in the Caribbean that really feel like they could be in Africa. Moeller: What were some of the earliest examples of buildings created specically by and for African Americans?

Dozier: You know, most people would probably immediately think of buildings in the South, but there are a considerable number in the North. For example, there is the African Meetinghouse in Boston, constructed in 1806 entirely with black labor, which was the oldest known extant African-American church building in the U.S. Also, its been discovered that a private house on Nantucket, which used to have a ourishing AfricanAmerican community, is even older, dating back to the late 18th century. A good Southern example is St. Andrews Church in Prairieville, Alabama, [which was built] in 1853. We actually know the names of the specic slaves who

built it. It was one of many churches thought to have been based on designs by the architect Richard Upjohn. One interesting aspect of this church was the stain used on the interior wood nishesit was made from tobacco. Moeller: How did African-American architecture develop after the Civil War, as former slaves adapted to freedom? Dozier: The story of Robert R. Taylor is interesting. His father was a free person of color originally from Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington was an important center for African-American artisans and builders, and after he gained his freedom, Taylors father had developed a ship building and housebuilding business and became pretty successful. And then, in 1892, Robert went on to become the rst known African American to nish architecture schoolhe graduated from MIT.[Despite Taylors fathers early success], the African-American building industry in Wilmington and elsewhere deteriorated, and the skilled workers dispersed. When Booker T. Washington realized that slaves had been displaced from their work in the building trades, he decided to set up the Tuskegee

L: A row of shotgun houses with porches in an African American neighborhood in Atlanta. Photographed by Laura Ospina

R: Senegalese Hut House Photographed by Alex Schroer. Used with permission.

Institute to reintroduce the study of craftsmanship [to the African- American community]. And he brought in Robert Taylor to head the Mechanical Industries department. Building the institute itself was actually a major project. It was a kind of self-help program. But there was an interesting anomaly regarding Tuskegees architecture. Some people are said to have asked Booker T. Washington, Why do your buildings have big columns, just like the plantation houses? They could not understand why the school was adopting the architectural language of the culture that was responsible for slavery. But Booker T. perhaps responded that he was making the point that AfricanAmericans could do whatever anyone else could. He did not want to deviate from the classical portico, because it was a symbol of quality building. Booker T. also said, We teach everything we do, and do everything we teach. It summed up the schools approach. Moeller: To what extent have African-inspired elements and motifs been incorporated into mainstream design and building practices? Dozier: Now that we have really begun to understand African art and architecture more, I think we all realize that African art strongly inuenced a lot of modern architecture in general. Think about Adolf Looss famous statement that ornament is crime. Loos just wanted to strip away whatever wasnt really needed for the architecture. Well, in Africa there is no such thing as art for arts sake. Art is closely connected to use. So really its the same idea. There was a strong connection to modern ne art, too. Think of Picassos painting The

Young Women of Avignon, in which he actually uses African faces. Moeller: Do you believe that there exists today an identiable, distinctly African-American approach to architecture? Dozier: There are several museums going up around the country today that are said to use African-inspired form. One wonders, is it just an appliqu, or is it really something deeper? One person said that AfricanAmerican architecture should do rather than say. In other words, an African-American museum should function dierently. People should walk out stimulated and inspired, with a rm idea about African architecture.

Lasting Foundations Exhibition

October 2012- January 13 Africas architecture is a living art form, which incorporates ideas about family, home, and community into its very structure. Lasting Foundations will be on display at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC from October 6, 2012 through January 13, 2013. The exhibition was organized by the Museum for African Art, New York, and sponsored by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc

NBM addition of six to its Board of Trustees

National Building Museum chair Whayne S. Quin announces the addition of six new Museum trustees. The following individuals joined the board: Oliver Biebuyck Senior vice president of marketing and key accounts of Lafarge US. Thomas Glass Founder and principal of Glass Construction, Incorporated.

Spotlight on Design
with David Rockwell
Architect David Rockwell, founder and CEO of the New York-based Rockwell Group, will present his new book Spectacle and discuss how the power of visually breathtaking public performances and spectacles has inuenced his work on Thursday, November 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the National Building Museum. Registration: $12 Museum members and students; $20 nonmembers. Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability. For more information, please visit the Spotlight on Design program page (32).

Anthony Wolf Greenberg Vice president of The JBG Companies. James Jaska President, Americas and Government, AECOM. Joe Pauley General manager, Andersen Corporation, EMCO Enterprises, Inc. Gerald Sigal Chairman, SIGAL Construction Corp.

Benefactors Symposium 2012

J.T Lewis Making headlines and taking stands, the National Building Museum gathers with the most prestigious and elite to help give a face to histories greatest architecture and marvels. Be apart of making history in partnering with us. Join us November 8th for the National Building Museum and the Annual J.T. Lewis benefactors Symposium.

Our new trustees bring fresh ideas and energy to the Boards efforts to advance the mission of this Museum,
Whayne S. Quin, chair of the Board of Trustees.

We are grateful to our new trustees for their commitment to the Museum and its future,
The public will have a chance to step back and see their environmental impact and eorts as part of a greater community be it geographic, professional, or demographic this fall when the National Building Museum opens Green Community on October 23, 2012. The rst-ever exhibition of its kind will examine the history of environmentally sustainable planning and design, and explore innovative contemporary and future projects from around the world. Museum president and executive director Chase W. Rynd.