NOMA highlights winners of the Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards, Student Design Competition and more at 2023 conference

The National Organization of Minority Architects' (NOMA) National Conference invited its members (design professionals and students) from across the nation to participate in lectures, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and more. This year's sold-out conference, held in Portland, Oregon, welcomed "more than 1,550 NOMA members, allies and students," according to the organization. Participants from over 38 states and four countries, in addition to NOMA's newest chapter from the UK who attended the event. 

Pascale Sablan, NOMA's 2023-24 President, shared, "NOMA Conference is a moment in time to reflect and recharge on our choices of why we were called to become architects. As architects, we're often seen as the creators of spaces and designers of buildings, but we are also the architects of change [...] Our role extends far beyond blueprints and structures; it encompasses the responsibility to shape the environments where people live, learn, work, and dream."

Individuals recognized at the conference also included newly licensed architects who were honored in a special pinning ceremony. NOMA Chapter and Individual awards were also highlighted, honoring a total of 14 professionals and chapters.

 This year, the NOMA President's Award was presented to Tyrone Marshall, NOMA Atlanta, and the NOMA 2023 Member of the Year was presented to Ralph Raymond, NOMA Atlanta. Southern Florida NOMA chapter was awarded 2023 (Large) Chapter of the Year, followed by NOMA of Central Texas as 2023 (Small) Chapter of the Year. 

2023 NOMA Phil Freelon Professional Design Award Winners

VISION CATEGORY

• Honor Award: YNL Architecture, Yu-Ngok Lo, NOMA, FAIA, Principal Design Architect, Freeway on Ramp Reclamation, Los Angeles, California 
• Citation Award: DLR Group, Principal Design Architect, Semillas Y Raices (Seeds & Roots):  The Future of Farming Communities, Visalia, California

BUILT CATEGORY

• Honor Award: Perkins&Will, Jared Serwer, NOMA, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Architect of Record, Morrow High School, Ellenwood, Georgia
• Citation Award: S9 Architecture, Sital Patel, NOMA, Principal Design Architect, Cleveland Foundation Headquarters, Cleveland, Ohio

HISTORIC PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, & RENOVATION 

• Honor Award: Moody Nolan, Architect of Record, Friend Health Family Health and Wellness Center New Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois
• Citation Award: Storyn Studio of Architecture, Everald Colas, NOMA, AIA, Architect of Record, Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 

UNBUILT CATEGORY

• Honor Award: Hines Architecture + Design, Daimian Hines, NOMA, AIA, Principal Design Architect, African American Memorial at Bates M. Allen Park, Kendleton, Texas
• Citation Award: NBBJ, Architect of Record, Montage Health Ohana Center, Monterey, California

SMALL PROJECTS CATEGORY

• Honor Award: Storyn Studio of Architecture, Everald Colas, NOMA, AIA, Architect of Record, The Salty Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 
• Citation Award: Studio Cooke John Architecture and Design, Nina Cooke John, NOMA, Principal Design Architect, Shadow of a Face - The Harriet Tubman Monument, Newark, New Jersey

Student Awards

Each year, NOMA recognizes the leadership and progress of student-led chapters at various universities. This year 38 NOMAS chapters participated in the 2023 NOMA Barbara G. Lauri Student Design Competition. The competition brief invited students to "design a concept for the Williams & Russell Project, a restorative justice project that addresses systemic injustices against Portland’s Black community on land condemned by Prosper Portland and the City of Portland in the early 1970s for an expansion for Emanuel Hospital (now Legacy Health). The development needed to honor Portland’s Black community, create wealth, and carry on Legacy’s good health mission for the community all while creating a cohesive site encompassing mixed-income housing, commercial/retail tenants, and community spaces." This year's student competition winners are shown below. 

NOMA 2023 NOMA Barbara G. Lauri Student Design Competition Winners

• First Prize: Cornell University - Project: Reclaiming Albina’s Legacy: Carving as a Catalyst for Healing
• Second Prize: Auburn University - Project: Nexus
• Third Prize: University of Southern California - Project: Growing Forward: Planting Generational Roots

Learn more about this year's winners, projects, and previous awardees here.