Shaping Spaces, Building Futures: Black Women Architects Redefining Urban Landscapes

Image courtesy of Design Core Detroit In 1983, Lynda Haith walked the halls of Lawrence Technological University as a trailblazer, though few would have recognized it at the time. Determined and driven, she became the first Black woman to graduate from the university’s architecture program, overcoming the weight of expectations and breaking barriers that have stood for generations. But Haith didn’t stop there; soon after, she became Michigan’s first Black woman to be licensed as an architect. Her pioneering spirit paved the way for future generations and redefined what was possible for Black women in architecture. In the world of architecture, where vision meets form, Black women architects stand at the intersection of creativity, culture, and resilience. Their contributions to the built environment are monumental and necessary for fostering diversity, inclusion, and community in spaces that tell stories of the past while designing for the future. Karen A.D. Burton of NOMA Noir Design Parti, Principal of A/E Collaborative, and CEO of SpaceLab Detroit is one of those women who are breaking barriers and designing the future. Burton cohosts the podcast ‘Hidden in Plain Site’ with Saundra Little, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP, Noir Design Parti & Principal, and Director of Diversity...