DAHLIA NDUOM
Howard University
Dahlia Nduom Design
SAY IT LOUD - NOW Exhibitor
SAY IT LOUD - Washington DC Exhibitor
Washington DC/ USA Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
The passion and experiences that my students bring to their design work has been inspirational. I am also inspired by the culture and experiences I had growing up in Antigua which motivates me every day to do the research work that I do.
DAHLIA NDUOM
Bio:
Dahlia Nduom is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Howard University. She received a BA in Architecture and Visual Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University. She is a licensed architect in Washington DC with experience spanning the US and Ghana. Her work investigates the relationship between history, culture, and perception and their impact on dwelling architecture of the African Diaspora.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
I was always interested in art and design growing up but in high school the realization of the power of the built environment to drive change and impact and shape the human experience, steered me into the architecture profession.
What do you do?
I am an Assistant Professor at Howard University. I split my time between teaching and research focused on exploring the often under examined architectures of the African Diaspora in architecture academia.
What excites you in the work you do?
I am passionate about educating the next generation of BIPOC designers. My recent research focused on Ghana and the Caribbean has also been exciting as it fills a gap in architecture academia which has often been filtered through a Eurocentric lens.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
The passion and experiences that my students bring to their design work has been inspirational. I am also inspired by the culture and experiences I had growing up in Antigua which motivates me every day to do the research work that I do.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Professionaly, I'm proud of gaining licensure, the transition I made from full time practice to full time teaching, winning the NOMA Unbuilt Honor Award in 2017 for the North Ridge Apartments and exhibitng my work at the Venice Bienale in 2021.
Featured Project Name:
North Ridge Apartments
Featured Project Location:
Accra, Ghana
Featured Project Completion Date:
Unbuilt
Role in Featured Project:
Principal
Featured Project Description:
This project draws on local traditional architectural inspiration in the design of an apartment building, a typology recently new to city. The design draws on traditional methods of shading and screening and is also inspired by traditional methods of mark making on the surfaces of buildings. The Mframadan Adinkra symbol was used as starting point to challenge its current use as purely two dimensional decorative feature applied to some buildings around the city.
