Dallas-based global architecture and design firm Corgan partnered with The Hip Hop Architecture Camp to introduce youth from underrepresented communities in Dallas to architecture, urban planning, and design using Hip Hop culture as a catalyst.

Corgan said that during the camp, which took place June 24-28, students created designs to potentially be integrated into a facility at Southern Gateway Park, a deck park being built over I-35E near the Dallas Zoo and historic Oak Cliff.

The camp, founded by architect Michael Ford of BrandNu Design Studio in 2016, is a national program that brings students together with architects, urban planners, designers, community activists, and hip-hop artists.

Students work together to create innovative designs for their local communities using various media, including physical models, digital models, and even a Hip Hop Architecture Camp track and music video.

9th grader Zoey Ifju’s project for Southern Gateway Park at Hip Hop Architecture Camp. [Image via Corgan]

‘A movement to inspire the next generation’

The immersive experience empowers students to explore placemaking and urban planning.

“With less than 2% of licensed architects in the United States being African American, we face a critical need to attract more practitioners of color,” Ford said in a statement. “By leveraging cultural relevancy, we are catalyzing a movement to inspire the next generation. We firmly believe that real change begins with empowering our youth.”

Corgan said its partnership with The Hip Hop Architecture Camp underscores its commitment to advancing and broadening talent pathways and introducing the future workforce to the possibilities within architecture and design.

9th grader Sabrina Sanchez’s project for Southern Gateway Park at Hip Hop Architecture Camp. [Image via Corgan]

The firm said that as part of its Belong initiative, which includes student engagement, campus workshops, and mentorship programs, Corgan is working to foster an inclusive environment that empowers aspiring designers.

Architects and designers from the firm are key to camp activities by providing an introduction to Autodesk Tinkercad, working with the students on 3D model printing, giving a hands-on lesson about the implications of senses in design, hosting a tour of the firm’s office and more.

“Our partnership with The Hip Hop Architecture Camp aligns with our mission to nurture curiosity about the limitless possibilities within the architecture and design sphere,” Halima McWilliams, human resources director and associate principal at Corgan, said in a statement. “We’re honored to bring this innovative, forward-thinking program to students here in Dallas.”

11th grader Yuiko Arita’s project for Southern Gateway Park at Hip Hop Architecture Camp. [Image via Corgan]

Design ideas for Southern Gateway Park

Corgan said that during the camp, students presented their ideas for the use and interior design of a building planned for Southern Gateway Park. Called “a park with a purpose,” Corgan said the five-acre bridge park will reconnect historic Oak Cliff and ignite environmental, economic, and community revitalization in South Dallas, an underserved area home to 45% of Dallas’ population but representing only 10-15% of the city’s property tax revenue.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this amazing program and have the opportunity to hear park design ideas from Dallas’s brightest young minds,” April Allen, president and CEO, Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, said in a statement. “We hope that Southern Gateway Park will be a gathering point for a myriad of educational programs once open, so it’s great to be starting those partnerships now.”

9th grader Nicole Sanchez’s project for Southern Gateway Park at Hip Hop Architecture Camp. [Image via Corgan]

Founded 86 years ago in Dallas, Corgan provides full architectural and interior design services.

Corgan is consistently ranked in the top five architecture firms; Building Design + Construction ranks it as #1 in data center, #2 in airport, and #4 overall architecture firm. Corgan said it also ranks #6 in Interior Design’s giants of design for 2024.

The firm is an employee-owned architecture and design firm with 18 locations and nearly 1,000 team members globally.

8th grader Grant “Lil G” Taylor’s project. for Southern Gateway Park at Hip Hop Architecture Camp. [Image via Corgan]

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