Design Unmuted

In the second part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen talks to us

about her practice Design Jones LLC, and her work in designing and building

grassroots community driven projects. Diane shares the unique ways she has

practiced Landscape Architecture in a non corporate way. We talk about the

challenges that Black folks face in the profession; from being a student,

practicing in academia or in private practice.

In this episode, I also share about my Graduate Thesis project; Bujumbura

2050, where we used an Afrofuturistic approach to design the future of

vertical urban spaces in Bujumbura.

Diane is currently working on her upcoming book "The Maroon Landscape: A

Cultural Approach to Climate Resiliency" to be published by the MIT Press

in 2024.

Tune in to also learn what Maroon landscapes can teach us as we envision a

more resilient future.

Dr. Diane Jones Allen is a principal landscape architect of Design Jones,

LLC, and Program Director for Landscape Architecture, College of

Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at

Arlington.

This episode was originally recorded in December 2020.

In this first part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen shares with us

about Maroon landscapes; communities that were established by Black

communities who during the time of the middle passage during slavery,

jumped off ships and freed themselves by moving, hiding and stewarding the

swamps. These communities were said to have “marooned” themselves. Tune in

to hear the stories of maroon landscapes in symbiotic relationships with

black resiliency, coastal resiliency and black imagination through times of

slavery, colonization, and liberation. We also discussed the pedagogical

failure and opportunity in Landscape Architecture education.

In this episode, our guest Ashley Jane Lewis shares her work with Slime Tech Lab in using slim mold to promote equitable distribution of social justice, mutual aid, and wellbeing in local communities. We also discussed the messed up state of tech industry and social media platforms; and how understanding of slime mold behavior could inform the imagination of an alternative practice of intentional coding and community building towards spaces of care.

In this episode, my guest is Krystal Paraboo; an art historian and curator, community builder, communications specialist and activist. Krystal and I talk about decolonizing art spaces, curatorial activism, afrofuturism and we nerd out a bit on Harry Potter (mostly Krystal). We talk about work, productivity and mental health. Krystal also shares all about the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project which centered Black storytelling through public murals.

Continuing the conversation from part 1 on how Walter built his design career and creative ethos, this second part, we talk about the importance of making beautiful socially responsible work and the ways in which we ought to find ways to tell the truth in design. He calls this a prophetic aesthetic. We also talk about the pains of living as black people in a world full of racism, his latest art projects, and mostly a lot of laughter.

Walter Hood is an award winning designer, artist and the creative director at Hood Design Studio. Hood Design Studio, Inc., is a social art and design practice based in Oakland, California, founded in 1992.

On this episode, Nya shares all about the “SANKOFA: African routes, Canadian roots” exhibition; the first African collection to be led by folks of African descent at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Nya describes the importance of Curatorial voices as the “Silent hand of how art is being consumed publicly”. We talk about the challenges of art curation and the strategic erasure of Black people in art institutions. We also talk about NFTs , her new project with Google Arts and the growing digital landscape of art.

On this episode, Uytae and I talk all things Vancouver. Uytae Lee is an

urban planner and videographer who is the creative producer and director of

About Here.

Three friends, some prosecco, snacks and a conversation about freelancing,

freedom, burnout, grief and joy.

In this episode, I am joined by Roberta Oramabo, an architect and landscape Architect. She recounts her design training and practice in Nigeria and all the surprising changes she encountered when she moved to Vancouver. We talk about how “sustainability” is conceived of and practiced in different places.

We also talk about Nigerian cultural rituals and the ways these are celebrated. Roberta also talks about what she misses most about Nigeria, you wouldn’t believe what it is. Tune in to listen to this conversation. Roberta also shares her vision of the future of Lagos.