From the archives, March 9, 2021: Michael Ford is the designer and activist known as The Hip Hop Architect. Born in Highland Park, Michigan the son of a minister, Michael was raised to be inquisitive and question the world around him to find deeper truth. Early on, he found his passion for design and music, expanding it into a practice of architecture and design through the lens of Hip Hop culture. This led to his founding of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp®, a camp that positions Hip Hop Culture as a catalyst to introduce architecture and design to underrepresented youth. He’s also working with some of Hip Hop’s greatest names as he leads the design of The Universal Hip Hop Museum in The Bronx.
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Listen to ep. 141 at Cleverpodcast.com
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What’s Michael been up to lately?
Michael is a 2026 Whitney M Young Jr Award Recipient. He has also been elevated to AIA College of Fellows, appeared as a special guest judge on Food Network’s “Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition” and celebrated the 10 Year Anniversary of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp!
What does Michael remember from his conversation on Clever?
The clever interview was fun, it gave me an opportunity to pause and reflect while also thinking about where I am going.
Learn more about Michael’s current work below!
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