Philip Freelon
Encyclopedia
Philip Freelon a native of Philadelphia, USA is an African American
architect. He is best known as the co-designer (with Max Bond and David Adjaye) of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
. Some of his other projects include the Center for Civil & Human Rights
, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture and the Museum of the African Diaspora
. Freelon is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
(and the recipient of their Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture), and a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
) Accredited Professional. He is married to six-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon
.
and has been a visiting critic/lecturer at Harvard University
, MIT, the University of Maryland, College Park
, the University of Utah
, the California College of the Arts
, Kent State University
(Florence
Italy, program), Syracuse University
, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology
, among others. In 1989, Freelon was the recipient of the Loeb Fellowship and spent a year of independent study at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Freelon is currently a visiting Lecturer at MIT in the School of Architecture and Planning.
area of North Carolina. The Freelon Group offers specialized design expertise in the areas of Museum/Cultural Center, Higher Education and Science/Technology facilities. The firm has received over twenty-five regional, state and local AIA design awards including AIA North Carolina’s Outstanding Firm Award in 2001. Between 2006 and 2007, Freelon's designs were honored with seven AIA North Carolina design awards, an accomplishment never before achieved by one firm in a two year period. In 2008, The Freelon Group was recognized by Contract Magazine as The Designer of the Year. In 2009, along with partners Max Bond (of Davis Brody Bond Aedas) and David Adjaye (of Adjaye Associates), Freelon was selected by unanimous decision to design the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
. He is the father of three children, Deen, Maya and Pierce.
Their son Pierce Freelon, is a Hip-Hop artist (in the group The Beast), a professor at North Carolina Central University
and the founder of a website called Blackademics where has interviewed many notable figures such as Angela Davis
, Maya Angelou
, Nikki Giovanni
, and Jesse Jackson
. Deen Freelon is a doctoral candidate in Communications at the University of Washington
, Seattle and the designer of the site. Daughter Maya Freelon Asante, is an award-winning visual artist and wife of filmmaker, author and activist, M.K. Asante, Jr.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
architect. He is best known as the co-designer (with Max Bond and David Adjaye) of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a Smithsonian Institution museum established in 2003. It will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. In 2006, the Smithsonian's Board of Regents selected a site near the grounds of the Washington Monument and the...
. Some of his other projects include the Center for Civil & Human Rights
Center for Civil & Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a proposed center in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be located adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium on the site of Pemberton Place...
, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture and the Museum of the African Diaspora
Museum of the African Diaspora
The Museum of the African Diaspora is a new museum in San Francisco, California, USA, dedicated to the diasporan histories of people of African origin and their influence and adaptation throughout the world....
. Freelon is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(and the recipient of their Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture), and a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
) Accredited Professional. He is married to six-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon
Nnenna Freelon
Nnenna Freelon, , is an American jazz singer, composer, producer, and arranger. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for her vocal work, and has performed and toured with such top artists as Ray Charles, Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall,...
.
Education
Following graduation from North Carolina State University's College of Design with a Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) and top design honors, he went on to earn his Master of Architecture degree from MIT. Freelon has served as an adjunct professor at the College of Design, North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
and has been a visiting critic/lecturer at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, MIT, the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, the California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
, Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
(Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
Italy, program), Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. It is often also referred to as Newark College of Engineering ....
, among others. In 1989, Freelon was the recipient of the Loeb Fellowship and spent a year of independent study at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Freelon is currently a visiting Lecturer at MIT in the School of Architecture and Planning.
The Freelon Group
Philip Freelon founded The Freelon Group in 1990. Since then, The Freelon Group has expanded to a sixty member architectural firm located in the Research Triangle ParkResearch Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
area of North Carolina. The Freelon Group offers specialized design expertise in the areas of Museum/Cultural Center, Higher Education and Science/Technology facilities. The firm has received over twenty-five regional, state and local AIA design awards including AIA North Carolina’s Outstanding Firm Award in 2001. Between 2006 and 2007, Freelon's designs were honored with seven AIA North Carolina design awards, an accomplishment never before achieved by one firm in a two year period. In 2008, The Freelon Group was recognized by Contract Magazine as The Designer of the Year. In 2009, along with partners Max Bond (of Davis Brody Bond Aedas) and David Adjaye (of Adjaye Associates), Freelon was selected by unanimous decision to design the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Family
Philip is the grandson of pioneer African American impressionist [Allan Randall Freelon, Sr.] (1895–1960). He is married to 6-time Grammy nominee, Nnenna FreelonNnenna Freelon
Nnenna Freelon, , is an American jazz singer, composer, producer, and arranger. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for her vocal work, and has performed and toured with such top artists as Ray Charles, Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall,...
. He is the father of three children, Deen, Maya and Pierce.
Their son Pierce Freelon, is a Hip-Hop artist (in the group The Beast), a professor at North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
and the founder of a website called Blackademics where has interviewed many notable figures such as Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
, Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her primary focus is on the individual and the power one has to make a difference in oneself and in the lives of others. Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride, respect for family, and her...
, and Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
. Deen Freelon is a doctoral candidate in Communications at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle and the designer of the site. Daughter Maya Freelon Asante, is an award-winning visual artist and wife of filmmaker, author and activist, M.K. Asante, Jr.
Sources
- http://www.mkasante.com/
- http://www.freelon.com/
- http://ncsudesign.org/content/index.cfm/fuseaction/alum_profile/departmentID/1/startRow/2
- http://projects.newsobserver.com/tags/philip_freelon
- http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/philip-g-freelon-freelon-group/story.aspx?guid=%7B295414B0-92BE-4F3B-A2A5-F668B1F5AFE7%7D
- http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/prnewswire/press_releases/North_Carolina/2009/01/27/NE63501
- http://www.ncat.edu/~museum/freelon.htm
- http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/03/23/daily52.html
- http://www.mayafreelon.com/