Precedents in African American architecture

Abstract

As a sub-sets of American culture, African Americans have not been able to offer culturally specific architectural elements to the design process because the history of African American form and space has not been recognized within academia. This thesis is an attempt to fill the gaps in the African American history of form and space. I do so by producing computational models of African American architecture and spatial planning from four key periods of American history: (i) the African Plantations (1619-1793), (ii) the American plantations (1793-1865), (iii) the African American gardens (1619-present), and (iv) the Middle Passage Monument (1993). These architectural elements can play an integral role in designing for African American communities in the future. To demonstrate this point, I use these African American architectural elements in designing housing units in Harlem. In my conclusion, I present ideas and goals for future research in African American architecture and spatial planning.