CRAIG AQUART
M.C. Harry Associates
SAY IT LOUD - FLORIDA Exhibitor
Florida Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
We have come a far way with still further to go. I'm inspired by the heroes before us, who fought to create what we have today. I'm motivated to continue the fight for a future that will make it exponentially better for those to come.
CRAIG AQUART
Bio:
The Great Designer Craig Aquart AIA, NOMA, CSI has over 30 years of experience in the profession. He is a Principal at MCHarry Associates, where he founded Black Architects in the Making (BAM) in 2016 to focus on communities where Black families reside and enhance their knowledge about architecture. Craig served as the president of SoFlo NOMA and AIA Miami. He is registered in multiple states and was recognized by his peers as Architect of the Year in Miami, and he received the Award for the Social Advancement of the Profession at AIA Florida.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
33 years ago, I saw a beautiful pen plotted perspective of a proposed project in New Kingston, Jamaica, W.I. I asked, "Who is responsible for these drawings?". "The architects, they're dreamers." 7 years later, I graduated from SOA. I'm now a dreamer
What do you do?
I'm mainly a facilitator, empowering people to design places and spaces to function effectively to create lifelong memories. I'm also farmer of sorts, planting seeds that I hope will bear fruits in their own time.
What excites you in the work you do?
I'm excited about the possibility of the fruits that will be produced from the seeds being planted by the Black Architects in the Making (BAM) Program. I'm excited about the future... even more so than the places and spaces we design right now.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
We have come a far way with still further to go. I'm inspired by the heroes before us, who fought to create what we have today. I'm motivated to continue the fight for a future that will make it exponentially better for those to come.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
It's cheesy but true... I'm proudest when we are recognized for the work we do in So Flo NOMA, AIA Miami, AIA Florida, BAM, AIM, WIA, MC Harry, and in various other areas of the community and profession.
Featured Project Name:
The International Center for Tropical Botanical
Featured Project Location:
Coconut Grove, Florida
Featured Project Completion Date:
January 2023
Role in Featured Project:
Architect of Record
Featured Project Description:
The International Center for Tropical Botany is a campus of Florida International University. Located in the lush environs of Coconut Grove, the design draws inspiration from the beautiful Kampong estate where Dr. Fairchild lived and performed much of his research. This tertiary education center features research labs, classrooms, work labs, and a state-of-the-art herbarium facility to store and conduct research studies on thousands of tropical plant specimens collected from around the world.
