EDWIN HARRIS
EVOKE Studio | Architecture
SAY IT LOUD - North Carolina Exhibitor
North Carolina Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am constantly inspired by the people and communities I design for. I am also inspired by the talented people I work with, who continually make me a better designer and a better person.
EDWIN HARRIS
Bio:
The Great designer, Co-founder of EVOKE, Edwin Harris designs spaces believing that remarkable architecture enhances the lives of its occupants. For over a decade, he has generated exciting designs that are decisive and rooted in clear objectives and novel concepts. Edwin’s distinctive design talent has been recognized throughout his career by winning several competitions including the NCCHR and 26 design awards.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My Grandfather was the first person to encourage me to pursue architecture. After that encouragement, I immersed myself in design and architecture and my passion grew even stronger once I began my education at NCSU College of Design
What do you do?
I am a Co-founder and Design Principal with EVOKE Studio Architecture. I create and champion great design for all with the intent and desire to improve our world.
What excites you in the work you do?
I am eternally excited about the power of design to inspire, captivate, and positively transform people and our environment. I believe that architecture is also public art which speaks to its time, place, and values of the people who built it.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am constantly inspired by the people and communities I design for. I am also inspired by the talented people I work with, who continually make me a better designer and a better person.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
I am fortunate to have had a significant impact on 3 major highly impactful projects (Smithsonian NMAAHC, Emancipation Park, and NCCHR). I am proud to co-found a highly ambitious design firm which endeavours to positively change our world.
Featured Project Name:
Emancipation Park
Featured Project Location:
North Carolina
Featured Project Completion Date:
2017
Role in Featured Project:
Lead Designer, during previous association with Perkins & Will (Previously The Freelon Group)
Featured Project Description:
Emancipation Park is a 10-acre park purchased by four former enslaved people in 1872 in Houston’s historic Third Ward neighborhood. Until the 1950s it was the only public park and swimming pool in Houston open to African Americans. The new Emancipation Park is an inter-woven tapestry of buildings and landscape that celebrate the park’s rich history while embracing the present and future of its community.
Photography Credit:
Mark Herboth
Featured Project Name:
The Arts Center
Featured Project Location:
Carrboro, North Carolina
Featured Project Completion Date:
N/A
Role in Featured Project:
Lead Designer
Featured Project Description:
The ArtsCenter has been a fixture of the Carrboro and Orange County community for years, providing arts based programming via classes, performances, youth camps, and exhibits. Realizing an opportunity to diversify and connect a wider audience to the wonders of artistic creativity, the ArtsCenter is crafting a new home that broadcasts their values of inclusivity, access, sustainability, and an embrace of traditional and non-traditional arts.
Photography Credit:
EVOKE Studio | Architecture
Featured Project Name:
North Carolina Central University Communications Broadcast Studio
Featured Project Location:
Durham, North Carolina
Featured Project Completion Date:
2019
Role in Featured Project:
Lead Designer
Featured Project Description:
The TV studio serves as the heart of NCCU’s Mass Communications department and as a vital, hands on teaching tool. This dynamic renovation transforms the previously disconnected, isolated studio into a visually connected, multifunctional, and hi-tech beacon for this proud HBCU. Increased transparency broadcasts the studio’s inner workings to students and passersby, connects all divisions of media production, and establishes a new front door.
Photography Credit:
EVOKE Studio | Architecture
Featured Project Name:
The Lumbee Tribal Welcome Center
Featured Project Location:
Pembroke, North Carolina
Featured Project Completion Date:
2025
Role in Featured Project:
Lead Designer
Featured Project Description:
The LTWC combines two ordinary programs—a gas station and convenience store—and reimagines them with a community-oriented purpose to create an extraordinary gateway into Pembroke. The gas station supports the community economically and socially. The market encourages community wellness through locally sourced produce and promotes the tribe’s culture by offering authentic arts and handcrafts. A soaring roof structure unites the building while reinforcing the aspirational nature of both programs.
Photography Credit:
EVOKE Studio | Architecture
Featured Project Name:
North Carolina Central University 24/7 Collaborative Research and Learning Center
Featured Project Location:
Durham, North Carolina
Featured Project Completion Date:
2022
Role in Featured Project:
Lead Designer
Featured Project Description:
North Carolina Central University envisions the new Collaborative Research & Learning Center as a gateway into the university and true beacon for innovation for its students. The new center will serve as a bridge for students living off campus, the CRLC will open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to offer students access to resources where their learning can soar. The Center includes “state of the art” technology empowering students to innovate, while also offering quiet spaces to study.
