Congratulations to our Woodbury School of Architecture NOMAS team, who placed 3rd in the 2020 NOMA Student Competition!
The National Organization of Minority Architects Students (NOMAS) of Woodbury University participated in the 2020 Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition during the NOMA Conference Spatial Shifts from October 14-18, 2020. The design program prompted student to craft a net positive mixed-use community-owned development that maintains the perpetuity of Black space and culture. With a site based in Deep East Oakland, Organizations like the black cultural zone heavily influenced the design process.
Due to the sudden shift to a virtual platform, all competing chapters had to pivot their final deliverables to accommodate a digital presentation. The Woodbury School of Architecture NOMAS design team, Stephanie Green, Khan Muhammad, Nicholas Haddad, Isis Orduno, Irvin Sandoval, and Karin Najarian, made it to the winner’s circle – placing 3rd place out of the 30 chapters who entered. Their project, “The Djembe” showcased an Afrocentric, cylindrical topology and a dashiki-derived façade that matched its deep-East Oakland tempo in a rhythm of belonging. “Like residents in Oakland, The Djembe isn’t afraid to take the first step in making a Black Makkah,” says its team members.
“We are fortunate to have such inspiring students at Woodbury leading the conversation in the national discourse on reshaping communities through architecture and design. With fierce determination, our chapter members are blazing trails: winning the SoCal NOMAS chapter award in 2019, the NOMAS Member Award in 2019, and now this national design competition in 2020. Their leadership and design-savvy are helping to craft a more equitable and just future,” says Dean Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these remarkable students.”