African American Student Union Lecture: Phil Freelon, “Design with Dignity”

The GSD African American Student Union cordially invites you to meet Phil Freelon, FAIA, LEED AP, and Harvard GSD Loeb Fellow ’90, and hear about his work.

An active and progressive leader in the architecture field, Phil Freelon has excelled in both practical and pedagogical roles. His built works include the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (with David Adjaye and Davis Brody Bond); the Anacostia Library and Tenley-Friendship Library (also in Washington, D.C.); the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco; the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture in Baltimore; the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta; and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture in Charlotte. He has held teaching positions at Syracuse, MIT, and Harvard. 

Freelon is currently managing and design director of Perkins and Will North Carolina, and founder and president of the Freelon Group, based in Research Triangle Park, NC. Recently received awards include the 2012 Design Guild Award, the AIA Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture, and the 2010 AIA Gold Medal in North Carolina. In 2012 he was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

In his talk, Freelon will discuss how he has navigated the highly competitive architecture industry as an African-American entrepreneur, from his time as a Loeb Fellow to the transformation of his practice by the acquisition of one of the most significant commissions on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Please join us.

For accessibility accommodations please contact the events office two weeks in advance at (617)-496-2414 or [email protected] 

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the Public Programs Office at (617) 496-2414 or [email protected] in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for American Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance. Please note that the University will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.

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