MELISSA R. DANIEL
Portrait courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
Architectural Designer
Graduate of University of District of Columbia and Wentworth Institute of Technology
Melissa R. Daniel is an architectural designer in Maryland, and the creator and host of the Architecture is Political, a podcast where Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture. She served as executive co-chair of the 2017 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, and was a recipient of a 2018 AIA Associates Award.
Finding My Voice Through Conversations with Black and Brown Folks
What is your favorite dish?
Frosted Flakes Cereal
What is your favorite song by a Black artist?
No Mercy by Young M.A
Three additional facts about Melissa:
I was 33 years old when I first learn how to ride a bike
I was on the Price Is Right (audience)
I trained with a Roller Derby Team
What inspired you to study architecture?
I grew up in the projects and thought not another child should live like this. So I went into architecture thinking I can design affordable homes.
Kitchen renovation. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
Name a Black architect/artist who most influenced you as an emerging professional?
I participated in a Summer Youth Program at Howard University. There, I meant Shaun Stallworth, who later introduced me to Barbara Laurie. I was looking for an internship and she allowed me to work at Devourax and Purnell (a black firm in Washington, DC). At the time, I didn’t know black firms were extremely rare in this profession. I was very fortunate to have that experience. They were like a family to me and became my foundation as to why I’m still practicing today.
Wentworth Institute Alumni Dinner in DC. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
Name a favorite project completed by a Black Designer. Why is it your favorite?
My favorite project completed by a Black Designer is Francis A. Gregory Library by Adjaye Associates. This library, by far, is the most sexiest library I have ever studied in. The glass checkered facade is a balance between transparency and reflectivity. You can easily mistake this library for a Louis Vuitton or Prada flagship store. It’s a welcoming addition to the black community.
PARLOUR Work from Home Series on IG and website. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
How does your culture affect your studies and the way you design?
Does architecture have an identity? This was a discussion on Architecture is Political Podcast titled ‘Urban Renewal & Public Health”. How much of an imprint does a designer have versus the client when designing a building? (Sorry I have more questions than answers.) Caribbean architecture, for example, depends greatly on who colonized the country and how hard the indigenous people kept their traditions.
Black Women In Architecture, Riding the Vortex. A 2020 series of webinars introducing the public to black women in the profession. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
Are there any organizations that helped you grow in architecture? How did they help you grow?
NOMA and AIA have been the two organizations that kept me in this field. I grew up in NOMA, literally. From high school, I was fortunate to be immersed in a black architecture firm that hosted NOMA events. AIA provided the network I needed to navigate into the profession and prepared me for leadership.
AIA Atlanta Good Design can Change the World Panel. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
Tell us about your podcast, Archispolly (Architecture is Political). What inspired you to create it?
Architecture is Political is a podcast where black and brown folks talk about architecture. Its a podcast that focuses on two things: 1. How I grew up and 2. Conversations with black and brown folks discussing architecture. I grew up in the projects in Washington, DC. I decided to study architecture because I felt that no child should grow up living in conditions as I experienced. Architecture school was difficult for me and when I started working, my original dream of designing adequate housing for low-income people died. I was lost in a career that I loved and created this podcast to find myself again.
This podcast also gives a platform to folks who normally don’t have one. I’m an avid listener to the architecture podcast and notice that the issues that affect the black and brown community were not being talked about. Most importantly, when black and brown people occupy space, it becomes political.
Equity By Design Symposium. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
As Founder of the Women in Architecture Series in DC, what is the importance of having space for women to amplify their voice in the industry?
Women are dominating the change in the architecture industry. We are dominating in architecture schools where we are making up half of the student population. We are creating platforms (like Primaverach) to give the architecture introverts a voice in this profession. It’s all because of women supporting women. We need each other now more than ever because of the pandemic.
Autodesk University Conference ‘Equity in Built Environments’. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
If you were able to talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Go to a division 1 university and marry a baller. Just kidding… Fear and faith were the two things that held me back. I put myself in a box because I was afraid to take a leap of faith. I didn’t go to study abroad because I couldn’t afford it. If I just took that leap, who knows what could have happened?
Got Married in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Image courtesy of Melissa R. Daniel.
What would you want to say to the next generation of aspiring Black women architects?
Create your own network of architects. Find other black women at various stages of their careers and develop a friendship. Remember that it’s a two-way street, there is no such thing as a mentee/mentor. Also, if an architecture firm says they are like a family, run. Work is a business. When they make money, you make money.
