HAROLD L. WILLIAMS
Harold Williams Associates (HWA)
African American AIA Fellow
SAY IT LOUD - Washington DC Exhibitor
SAY IT LOUD - California
California Based Designer
Bio:
Mr. Williams provided leadership and active participation to address some of the issues confronting the African American community. He was the organizer, founder and first president of the Southern California Association of Minority Architects & Planners (MAP) in the 1960s.
HAROLD L. WILLIAMS
Bio:
Harold L. Williams, FAIA, NOMAC, practiced architecture for over fifty years, in Los Angeles California. He established the firm of Harold Williams Associates (HWA), Architects & Urban Planners. For a time he was principal in a partnership, Kinsey, Meeds & Williams, as well as joint ventures with other firms. Mr. Williams was the chief architect on public buildings projects including the Compton City Hall; the South Central Los Angeles Multi-service and Child Development Center, Los Angeles; Compton Civic Center; California State Office Building, Civic Center, Van Nuys; the Fire Station Number 3, Compton; and the King Drew Medical Magnet High School. Mr. Williams provided leadership and active participation to address some of the issues confronting the African American community. He was the organizer, founder and first president of the Southern California Association of Minority Architects & Planners (MAP) in the 1960s. They sought equity and justice and participation in the public built environment. Affirmative Action programs forced open opportunities for practice. As the movement expanded nationally, Harold became a co-founder of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in 1971, He served as NOMA National President 1981 – 1982, and He is a Charter member of The NOMA Foundation, where he served as its President and Treasurer. Harold Louis Williams, FAIA’s contributions and talents have been recognized locally and nationally.
Object:
Object Four - Public service, government, industry, or organization
Year of Elevation:
1994
Featured Project Name:
Compton City Hall and CIvic Center
Featured Project Location:
Compton, CA
Featured Project Completion Date:
1976
Role in Featured Project:
Principal Architect
Featured Project Description:
When the City of Compton completed its new City Hall and Civic Center in 1977, it declared a new beginning for a city incorporated in 1888. The new Civic Center included a post office, police department, county library, and courthouse arrayed around a large, paved central plaza creating an open public space for pedestrians.The plaza’s focal point is the King Memorial, a large sculpture of angled white planes arranged in a circle and converging at the top.
