LUNCH & LEARN/DESIGNING BELONGING - DESigning for Transparency

Uthman Olowa will present design principles driven by the reality that architecture is always a reflection of the systems, beliefs, and values of society. He will explore the way that systemic inequalities of race, class and accessibility are made tangible through architecture, and explore how we can conceive a healthier, fairer approach to using design as a tool. 

Uthman Olowa is an educator, artist, and urbanist who earned his Master of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Binghamton University. Uthman has worked with several non-profit education organizations with shared missions to serve students of color. Since then, Uthman has expanded his commitment to serving youth by revitalizing Black communities through the medium of architecture.

In 2022, Uthman was a recipient of Gensler’s Rising Black Designer Scholarship award, recognizing his vision to positively impact communities as an aspiring architect. Later that year in December 2022, Uthman's work was featured in RISD Architecture's triennial exhibition, Scale to Fit. In 2023, Uthman became a founding board member of New York Urban Design League, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing young people to become future design leaders through civic engagement, science, math, and the arts. 

Lunch will be shared after the program. 

RSVP is required.

The Designing Belonging series is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.