St. Louis County Library will host a Hip Hop Architecture Camp this summer at the Natural Bridge Branch for youth ages 11-14. The camp will take place Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.
The Hip Hop Architecture Camp is a free one-week intensive experience, designed to introduce under-represented youth to architecture, urban planning, creative place making and economic development through the lens of hip hop culture. During the camp, students are paired with architects, urban planners, designers and hip-hop artists to design unique visions for a specific community project. The focus of the St. Louis camp will be to create ideas for developing the areas around the North Hanley Transit Center. Youth will participate in the architectural design and engage in a rap battle. The camp will conclude with the production of a music video featuring all the participants and their hip hop architecture design concepts.
“We are thrilled to provide this unique opportunity for middle schoolers to expand their horizons and create a new vision for the St. Louis community and for themselves,” said Kristen Sorth, director of the St. Louis County Library. “The Hip Hop Architecture Camp will introduce kids to various aspects of the design field with hip hop as the anchor. St. Louis County Library strives to open doors, remove barriers, and encourage people to explore endless possibilities. This program accomplishes these goals.”
According to a recent National Council of Architectural Registration Boards report, only four percent of today’s architects are African American. To help fill the skills gap and effectively engage underrepresented youth, the Urban Arts Collective uses hip hop as a catalyst to explore S.T.E.A.M. disciplines. Designer Michael Ford, also known as “The Hip Hop Architect,” is one of the co-founders of the Urban Arts Collective, and is leading the design of the upcoming Universal Hip Hop Museum, established alongside many hip hop pioneers. The museum is also sponsoring the camps.
The camp is presented in partnership with the Urban Arts Collective, a non-profit focused on increasing the number of underrepresented groups in S.T.E.A.M. careers, and Autodesk, Inc. the software provider for people who make things.
The camp is free and lunch is provided. Interested teens will be asked to submit a short essay as part of the application process. Forty students will be selected to participate in the camp. Applications will be accepted May 1-21 at www.hiphoparchitecture.com.
The Natural Bridge Branch is located at 7606 Natural Bridge Road in Normandy. Those interested in attending the Hip Hop Architecture Camp can apply to participate starting May 1 by visiting www.hiphoparchitecture.com.
