Tiffany Brown of the Urban Arts Collective Talks About Hip Hop Architecture Camps

There have been many initiatives lately to encourage involvement in STEAM pursuits, but one of the most unique ones we have come across is the Hip Hop Architecture Camp. Through a rigorous summer program, underrepresented youth are exposed to urban planning, design, construction, technology and economic development through the guidance of Michael Ford, a designer who has dedicated his life to exploring the relationship between hip hop culture and architecture. Finding the similarities might seem like a stretch at first, but when you think about it, hip hop lyrics often describe places in time and the social or political scenes that are influencing the community, and architecture is designed to serve the community based on specific local needs.

Given that the field of architecture is still dominated by white males, hip hop architecture camps are encouraging today’s youth to consider careers that they might not have been exposed to in their regular school curriculum. Eager to learn more, we tracked down Tiffany Brown, Co-Founder of the Urban Arts Collective and a Detroit native. She’s at the forefront of the Hip Hop Architecture Camps and is especially passionate about African American women from urban areas gaining access to architectural training.

Here’s a spirited music video from the Hip Hop Architecture Camp, featuring Tiffany and several young participants in the program:

What a bold approach to learning about the physical world we live in, and how our musical history influences the spaces we inhabit!

Smart Girls: On the surface, hip hop culture and the world of architecture are strikingly different. What is their hidden relationship?

Tiffany Brown: The hidden relationship between hip hop culture and the world of architecture in my opinion is this: the built environment influenced the birth of hip hop culture, and hip hop culture is changing the way spaces are designed. Hip hop artists who sprouted from those urban housing developments were expressing how the built environment affects their everyday lives. Those who grew up in poorly designed spaces, places like where the hip hop culture was born, have unfortunately experienced social injustices of poor planning and offer valuable input on how to change our communities. I can directly relate as I am a design professional who has experienced first-hand the socio-economic impacts of built environments like those. I do commend my colleague and fellow co-founder Mike Ford for his research and exposure to this connection. Becoming architectural designers from urban areas is part of the reason we decided to found the Urban Arts Collective.

SG: There’s a distinct lack of diversity in the field of architecture. Why has it been overlooked by communities whose contributions would be crucial?

TB: The lack of effort in ensuring diversity in architecture is deeply rooted. Architecture has always been a white male dominated field. Women represent about 17% of licensed architects in this country. African Americans represent 2%. Black women represent .3%, having recently reached 400 licensed architects this past August. The percentages are even less for Hispanics and Native Americans. I believe it has been overlooked simply because diversity was not a top priority to those communities. Our inner cities lack mentors and access to higher education. The entire process is littered with obstacles. That’s why programs like Mike Ford’s Hip Hop Architecture Camps are necessary and important. It is also why I’m launching an initiative called 400 Forward, which will seek out the next 400 African American women in the profession. As today’s clients demand more diverse teams, the profession has started seeking out ways to solve the problem of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most of these efforts begin with our youth.

SG: How are participants in the Hip Hop Architecture Camps exposed to design elements through a hip hop lens?

TB: The camps require the students to use music and self-expression to explore ways that architecture and urban planning can empower them with the skills they need to change their communities. The participants are faced with the following challenge: how do the basic elements of design (color, line, shape, unity/harmony, form, balance) align with the five elements of hip hop (Djing, MCing, Graffiti painting, b-boying, and knowledge)? It all comes together through a week of pairing critical thinking with creative thinking.

SG: Can you describe some specific projects that students have completed in the camps?

TB: Students engage in activities such as “Lyrical Programming,” where they learn about self-expression using notable hip hop songs and create skylines using the song’s words. We teach campers how to create visual representations of hip hop lyrics by identifying rhyme schemes, rhythms, patterns, etc. They learn about how to structure verses and hooks, and use those activities as tools to create what’s called a “Hip Hop City,” a livable city from their point of view that’s first designed in Tinkercad, then using blocks and Legos.

SG: Aside from architecture and hip hop, what other creative or technical fields are participants able to learn about?

TB: Throughout the course of the camp, some technical fields the students learn about are sound engineering during their trip to the recording studio, and they learn about urban planning as they collectively explore and create the needs of a safe, inclusive community. They are exposed to 3D printing and STEM skills like 3D design through Autodesk Tinkercad, a free web-based tool for creating 3D designs using primitive shapes. They also learn about creative writing with the “16 Bars” exercise, where campers create their own rap verse that talks about the Hip Hop City they created and the vision for their community.

If you’re interested in attending a Hip Hop Architecture Camp in your city, submit a quick application here! Also, check out Michael Ford’s TED talk about hip hop architecture to learn more about the movement.

Are you interested in getting involved? Or have another idea for merging design with culture? Reach out on Twitter, or leave a comment below.