• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living

  • HBCUs
    • What is an HBCU?
    • History
    • List of HBCUs
    • Notable Graduates
  • Jobs
  • Parents
    • HBCU Rankings
    • Black College Tours
    • College Admissions
    • Financing
    • College Scholarships
    • College Planning
  • Current Students
    • College Life
      • Greek Life
      • Sports
      • Dorm Living
      • College Survival
    • Careers
      • HBCU Career Hub
      • Internships
      • Career Profiles
      • Entrepreneur
    • Research Paper Resources
      • Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
      • How To Write An Annotated Bibliography
      • Journalism Research Paper Resources
  • Alumni
    • HBCU Shirts
    • Podcast
    • Alumni Spotlight
    • HBCU Merch
    • Jobs
  • Shop
You are here: Home / HBCUs / Increasing Black Architects: SmithGroup Partners with 3 HBCUs Programs

HBCUs, Careers, Internships

Increasing Black Architects: SmithGroup Partners with 3 HBCUs Programs

Afro-American architect working in office with blueprints

SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, has initiated partnerships with architecture programs at three historically Black universities – Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fl.), Hampton University (Hampton, Va.) and Howard University (Washington, D.C.).

Related Post – HBCUs with Architecture and Design-Related Programs

SmithGroup has formed a five-year partnership with each of the participating institutions which includes financial support to each school for programming needs, an internship program and academic mentorship with the goal of increasing the number of Black Architects.

The intent of the partnership program is to increase the number of architecture degrees awarded to Black students, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse design talent pipeline. SmithGroup’s promise to Design a Better Future includes a commitment to creating a more diverse profession, through supporting underrepresented populations in the design industry.

Black architects are historically underrepresented in the architecture profession. In 2019, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) reported that only 4% of the degrees awarded that year were to African American students.

“We formulated the HBCU partnership program with three goals in mind: to address equity through sponsorships, diversity through internships, and inclusion through academic mentorship,” says Taft Cleveland, an architectural designer at the Chicago office of SmithGroup. Cleveland, an alumnus of Florida A&M University School of Architecture and Engineering Technology, initiated the partnership program and is overseeing its growth.”

The seven HBCUs offering NAAB accredited architecture programs award 32% of the architecture degrees earned by Black architecture students in the United States, according to the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.

Through targeted partnership with architecture programs at HBCUs, SmithGroup hopes to address some of the inequities facing Black architecture students today, increasing the number of graduates.

SmithGroup worked directly with architecture faculty at each university to craft meaningful engagement in the coursework of each institution. SmithGroup employees are participating in bi-weekly virtual desk crits providing real-time feedback and mentorship as students advance through their coursework. Staff will also serve as jurors for the program’s midterm and/or final projects.

SmithGroup is also selecting students from each of the three universities for paid summer internships with the firm’s Chicago, Detroit or Washington, D.C. offices to provide practical learning opportunities in a real-world setting.

Select architectural and engineering staff are lecturing at each university, teaching students a well-rounded understanding of how architects collaborate with other design disciplines, how successful businesses operate, tools used in delivering design work today, and leadership and collaboration skills needed to be successful in the field today.

“The SmithGroup partnership is supporting our third-year studios, which are focusing on housing. The firm’s staff, some of whom graduated from Howard, are complementing our studio instructors, and are bringing expertise specific to the studio project. It has been a great experience for our students, and we look forward to continuing the partnership,” says Dr. Hazel Edwards, Professor and Chair in the Department of Architecture in the College of Engineering and Architecture at Howard University.”

Related Post – PVAMU is the Top Producer of Black Architecture Undergrads

In addition to the intensive academic mentorship of this partnership program, SmithGroup’s annual Equity, Diversity and Inclusion scholarship program has provided students from historically underrepresented demographics in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture or engineering programs financial support and internship experiences since its inception in 2018.

SmithGroup also fundraised to provide students in Howard University’s Department of Architecture program with personal laptops to aid in their studies, alleviating one hardship many students in the program faced when COVID-19 closed their campus.

SmithGroup is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 15 offices in the U.S. and China, a team of 1,200 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design and delivery. The firm partners with forward-looking clients to maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems.

SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.

Source: Globenewswire

May 30, 2021 by HBCU Staff Reports

Primary Sidebar

Search

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick Links

  • Newsletter
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Shop
  • HBCU Colleges List: 107 Great Education Options to Consider
  • HBCU Rankings 2022
  • HBCU College Tours
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

HBCU History

  • The First HBCU in South
  • Oldest HBCUs In the Nation
  • The First Black Owned and Operated HBCU
  • The First and Only Black Catholic HBCU
  • 10 Powerful Black History Movies HBCU Students Should Watch

Popular Posts

  • Happy female college student working on research paper topics. Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
  • A female African American HBCU student poses while smiling and holding her book in her arms. HBCU Rankings 2023: The Top 25 Black Colleges from U.S. News
  • HBCU Sororities and Fraternities to Consider The Divine Nine: Sororities and Fraternities on HBCU Campuses
  • Bowie State's nursing program students check a patient in class simulation. Top 10 HBCU Nursing Schools Rankings for 2022 by RN to BSN
  • Young Black Female College Student Looking Up And Thinking Joining a Black Sorority: 5 Things to Consider Before Pursing Membership

Before Footer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly HBCU news, jobs, and advice in your inbox.

Sign Me Up

Footer

About HBCU Lifestyle

The spirit and camaraderie of black college living is a lifestyle - the HBCU lifestyle! We're committed to keeping you connected to the black college living experience, bringing you the latest on everything, from scholarships and dorm living to Greek life and alumni giving.


Contact Us

Latest from the Blog

  • First HBCU Research Center Appoints Tuskegee As Collaborator
  • ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowship and Grant Program Launched
  • Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program Awards FSU $5M
  • HBCU Libraries To Be Scaled Up Through $6 Million Project
  • Newsletter
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCUs
  • HBCU Rankings
  • HBCU Scholarships
Copyright © 2010-2023 HBCU Lifestyle, LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Get the best of the Black college experience delivered to your inbox.
Your email address:*
Name:*
Subscribe to (select all that apply):*





Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz