317
People walk in a modern museum atrium with large murals on the walls, glass railings, and a bright skylight. The cover text reads “AZURE” and “NEW LAND MARKS.”.
Current Issue

Fall 2026

People walk in a modern museum atrium with large murals on the walls, glass railings, and a bright skylight. The cover text reads “AZURE” and “NEW LAND MARKS.”.
#317
Fall 2026

Our Fall 2026 edition features new cultural and civic landmarks in Belgium, Toronto and Los Angeles. Plus, we explore the greening of Paris and the social ethos behind the game-changing residential work of Winnipeg firm 5468796.

Please note that this has expired and is for reference only. See our active listings for more competitions.

COVID-19 has challenged everyone to reimagine how we will use spaces in a post-Covid-19 society. How will movie theatres operate, what about hospitals, universities, and concert halls? Will live sports allow fans in the stands again? Will employees work from home on a permanent basis, if so, what changes are needed to our homes?

These are all valid questions and explorations and coupled with the consistent injustices faced by African Americans, we challenge everyone to think about a new question. How will spaces look in a Just City? A city which has defeated and dismantled racism? What tools will help us get there?

Michael Ford, The Hip Hop Architect calls Hip Hop, the Post Occupancy Evaluation of Modernism. Meaning, hip hop, especially its music is a critique of the environment. But not only does the music critique the built environment, with a careful ear you can hear lyrical references of future spaces, places, and objects which empower and enable black communities to overcome the current injustices faced in the built environment, including education disparities, environmental injustices and police brutality.

This Open Call for Submissions anticipates submissions in various mediums including, but not limited to drawings, songs, models, mobile app concepts, poems, fashion concepts, technological advances, products, etc. all aimed at displaying a Just City. A City which has defeated and dismantled racism. All proposals are welcome, from the most utopian to the most realistic.

Follow The Hip Hop Architect on Instagram for additional live discussions on this topic each night at 8:00pm EST with various guest!

Who Can Submit:
This competition is in no way limited to architecture and we welcome those from other arts and design industries.

Rules

  1. Your submission must be inspired by a Hip Hop lyric, track or album title focused on imagining better communities!
  2. You are free to use any Hip Hop song you would like!
  3. If you submit music, you must submit a video of you performing the track!

What to Submit:
Submit whatever you want, (music, architectural concepts, sketches, renderings, fashion concept, graphic design project, infographics, comic strips, animations, memes, etc.) as long as it related to Rule #1, you’re good.

What If I Cannot Draw:
We think everyone can draw and encourage you to try. But we will accept a video of you explaining an idea as long as you mention your lyrical reference. We want to remove all creative boundaries.

Details
Submission Deadline: Saturday, June 19, 2020 8:00pm EST
Winners Announced: Monday, June 22, 2020

Prizes:
All submissions, including music, will be featured in a digital publication and resource book
Top (10) submissions will be invited to an Instagram Live Talk with @TheHipHopArchitect
Top (3) submissions will receive $500, $300, and $200 respectively

Judges:
Michael Ford – Assoc. AIA, NOMA – The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Eryk “The Arch-E-Tech” Christian – The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Woodrow Hoffer – The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Antoine Bryant – Assoc. AIA, NOMA – Moody Nolan
Pascale Sablan AIA, NOMA – S9 Architects / Beyond The Built
Jason Pugh, AIA, NOMA – Gensler
Camille Mitchell, OAA MRAIC, Gensler / Building Equity in Architecture Toronto

Send Questions to: [email protected]

leaderboard-3

See more in Competitions