Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Architecture
University of California, Berkeley
1981
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Faculty
Faculty
Bradford C. Grant
Professor
Department/Office
- Department of Architecture, CEA
School/College
- College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA)
Biography
Bradford C. Grant is a professor in the Department of Architecture at the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture. He has been in leadership roles at Hampton and Howard Universities as Chairperson, Director, Associate Dean and Interim Dean. As a registered architect and a distinguished educator he has extensive experience in community design, contemplative practices through drawing in design education and environmental justice in architecture. His community design work, research on the role of African American architects and his teachings on “Drawing as Meditation” has earned him the Virginia Downtown Development Association Award, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Education Honor Award, the AIA Institute Honor for Collaborative Achievement and the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society’s Contemplative Practice fellowship.
Grant has served as past president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Humanities DC, and the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. He is currently president of the board of the Healthy Building Network and is the co-founder of the “Directory of African American Architects”, the first comprehensive survey, analysis and report on the numbers and role of the African American Architect. He is appointed as the inaugural “Instagram Artist in Residence” at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and has been honored with the ACSA Distinguished Professor Award.
Education & Expertise
Education
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)
Architecture - Professional Degree
California Polytechnic State University
1976
Areas of Expertise
Architecture
Speciality Areas: Urban and Community Design, Drawing and Sketching, Contemplative Practices in Education.
Academics
Academics
Foundations in Design
Beginning Architecture Design studio courses with emphisis on representation, drawing and the desig process.
Public Issues in Architecture
The “Public Issues in Architecture”, introduces upper division students to key issues connecting climate change and climate justice to the role of the architect via the public/civic engagement processes.
Research
Research
Specialty
Cultural and Social factors in Architecture,Urban and Community Design.Funding
NSF Convergence Accelerator, an Intelligent Surveillance Platform for Infrastructure Damage Detection. Research team member. ($760,000). 2020.
ACSA/Howard Haiti Ideas Challenge leader/facilitator of funded service learning project in Haiti ($100,000). 2014.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
ASCA Distinguished Professor
The 2021 Distinguished Professor Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) honors architectural educators for exemplary work in areas such as building design, community collaborations, scholarship, and service.
Instragram Artist in Residence, 2020
Architect and educator Bradford C. Grant has been named as the inaugural Instagram artist-in-residence by Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.Grant, who is a professor in the Department of Architecture at the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture, will "provide engaging insight into the museum’s programs and its community through his sketch work and made-from-life drawings,". Grant's work will be shown via the gallery's Instagram account, @smithsoniannp
Featured News
Featured News
Read: Urban Land Magazine | Black History Month: Celebrating the History of African Americans in Commercial Real Estate
Read: Architect Magazine | Q+A: Bradford C. Grant, Howard University Department of Architecture
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
The Directory of African American Architects
The Directory of African American Architects for “Now What?; Advocacy, Activism and Alliances in American Architecture Since 1968” exhibition and publication
The Directory of African American Architects identifies and highlights licensed African American architects who practice in both the private and public sectors, who teach in higher education, who work in associated disciplines, and who have left the field of architecture but maintain their license.
Creatively Challenged to Lead from the Edge/Black Women in Public Interest Architecture
Creatively Challenged to Lead from the Edge/Black Women in Public Interest Architecture in International Review of African American Arts, Vol. 25, No. 2
LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
June 2020 “Public Issues, Climate Justice and Architecture”, Course Development Prize in Architecture Climate Change and Society, peer reviewed presentation ACSA 108 1st Virtual Annual Conference.
July, 2020 Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Movement: “The BELOVED COMMUNITY”, Sustainability and Technology, AIA Gulf Coast Green 2020 Symposium.
May 2020 “New Possibilities for 1st Year Design Studio”, Pivot to Online Learning series ACSA online discussion.
Jan., 2020 “Mies’ Influence on Washington DC”, International Arts and Artists at Hillyer Gallery moderator.
Jan., 2020 “Without Regard to Sex, Race or Color; The Past, Present and Future of One Historic Black College”, Architects Foundation, AIA Octagon, panel discussion
June 2018 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Convention, NYC, “The Directory of African American Architects” for the “Now What?; Advocacy, Activism and Alliances in American Architecture Since 1968” exhibition and session.
March 2018 “Fierce Urgency of Now”; Architecture Education and the Foundation to Justice, peer reviewed presentation, ACSA 106 Annual conference, Denver the First 100 Days session. Prof. Dahlia Nduom delivered Grant’s paper in his absence.
April 2018 Now What?! Advocacy, Activism & Alliances in American Architecture Since 1968. Parsons School of Design's Aronson Gallery and travel nationally afterwards. Panelist member and exhibition of my research on African American Architects.
Sept. 2018 Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Washington DC, “Shifting The Landscape, Black Architects and Planners 1968-Now”, “Sketch Notes Challenge ” presentation and artist in resident
Oct. 2018 National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Annual Conference, Chicago, “Material Composition, the Design Process and Human Health, Welfare and Environmental Justice.
May 2017 “Drawing as Meditation”, key note lecture, Architecture Culture and Society Symposium, Dear Isle Maine
Nov. 2017 “The New Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture”, invited lecture, University of Minnesota, Milwaukee
Feb. 2017 “From the Margins of Our Profession: Intersections of Disciplines and Faith”, National Association of College and University Chaplains (NACUC) Conference, Washington DC, invited Panelist.
Oct. 2016 National Museum of African American History and Culture, Hartford University, Department of Architecture, Hartford Conn.
May 2015 “Integrating Liberal Education and Contemplative Pedagogy”, Faculty Retreat on Contemplative Pedagogy, University of the District of Columbia
Recent Articles
Multimedia
NBC4 | Howard professor becomes National Portrait Gallery's first Instagram artist
The National Portrait Museum now has its first Instagram artist in residence. News4’s Meagan Fitzgerald spoke with Professor Bradford Grant about how his sketches are capturing history.