Noelle Robinson
North Carolina State University
College of Design
“South Durham Food Cooperative,” collage. The Morehead Hill and the Black Hayti communities in southern Durham have been historically divided by inequitable practices of displacement, exclusion, and segregation. This material culture collage explores the layered relationships between the site’s natural environment, systematic and unjust building practices through time, and the disproportionate burdens on the historically disinvested Black community. While the demographics of these neighborhoods have largely evolved and are ever-changing, the lingering effects of these divisive layers and physical barriers perpetuate the segregation of the two communities that share boundaries with the site. © Noelle Robinson.
Jury
Debbie Ahmari
Joseph Kunkel
Ann Lui
Dawveed Scully
Robert L. Wesley (Chair)
I am deeply humbled to receive the 2023 Robert L. Wesley Award and incredibly grateful to the SOM Foundation for offering this opportunity to students like myself. The generosity of the SOM Foundation through this award will contribute greatly to reduce the burden of the cost of higher education as I balance my studies, research, and extracurriculars. I am eager to participate in the mentorship program and to be exposed to philosophies which will further equip me with the diverse perspectives I need to practice architecture equitably.
“Containers for Liberation,” multimedia collage. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture claims a sliver of land near the historic Brooklyn Village in Charlotte, NC. The layers of graphite, screen printed acrylic on canvas, and digital linework feature a collection of historic Brooklyn’s erased material culture - stitched together by the patterns inspired by african quilting on the Gantt Center’s southern facade. The red nolli map layers the existing urban fabric that has through time replaced the residential neighborhood, which was further erased with the construction of I-277. The culture center overcomes the unique site conditions by embracing the historic Jacob’s Ladder School motif. In representing the circulation on the facade, the motif frames the central glass atrium that offers a connection between the contained and the surrounding urban district. © Noelle Robinson.
Noelle’s passion and drive is most evident in her motivation to bring about positive social change through the design of the built environment and the crafting of spaces which connect people to one another. This motivation manifests itself in her sincere curiosity to uncover relationships between history and the built environment and to posit creative solutions to positively influence human behavior.
Sara Queen, Associate Professor of Architecture, North Carolina State University
“South Durham Food Cooperative,” model. The historic Forest Hills Shopping Center is reimagined from an underinvested asphalt car park into an expansive and thriving food cooperative complex to breathe life back into the earth and to blur the boundaries between the neighboring communities. The change in elevation between the street level and the pedestrian trail across the Third Fork Creek floodplain is managed by the grand stair and stadium seating that bifurcates the two main forms. This outdoor transition zone offers space to linger without having to enter the conditioned retail and education zones, generating opportunities for informal overlap and gathering of the historically divided communities. © Noelle Robinson.
Engaging deeply with the community and addressing the inequities in our built environment is fundamental to our approach at MASS. Noelle’s application demonstrated this ethos, showcasing her commitment to not only understanding but also actively improving the communities we live in.
Joseph Kunkel, Juror
“Renaissance of Hope’s Resource Hub,” exploded isometric projection. A neighborhood strategic development plan is underway led by Renaissance of Hope, a group of active changemakers from a faith-based community center. This historic church and vacant elementary school have acted as a cultural beacon for its community through hard times of fracture, displacement, and loss in residential density by I-96. This adaptive reuse offers a container for the community leaders to harness resources and breathe life back into this neighborhood - increasing health, wealth, and agency for current and future community members. © Noelle Robinson
Fellow Experience
Receiving the SOM Foundation Robert L. Wesley Award has been an incredibly meaningful honor in my academic and professional journey. As a biracial Black and White woman in architecture, I have always been deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and justice within the built environment. This award has not only affirmed my aspirations but has also broadened my understanding of how advocacy can be integrated into architecture—both through conventional practice and non-traditional pathways.
The support from the SOM Foundation has connected me with a broader network of professionals and peers who are equally passionate about transforming the field. Through these connections, I have gained invaluable exposure to the diverse ways in which architecture and spatial design can serve as tools for advocacy. This award has reinforced the importance of representation in architecture and has deepened my commitment to creating spaces that are responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
It has been inspiring to be part of a legacy that uplifts underrepresented voices and celebrates the power of design to incite change. I am incredibly grateful for the SOM Foundation and the opportunities this award has opened for me, and I look forward to carrying forward its mission by continuing to explore how architecture can be leveraged to create lasting social impact.
Noelle Robinson
North Carolina State University
College of Design
Noelle Robinson
is a fourth-year architecture student at North Carolina State University pursuing a minor in Landscape Architecture. She has served as a NOMAS chapter board member and as the AIAS Freedom by Design™ chapter Media Coordinator. Her interest in architecture began with the exploration of her history and personal storytelling through sculpture. She is fascinated by the practice of architecture as a process of identifying unique intersections between dynamic elements such as region, climate, heritage, culture, and social politics. She believes that it is at this intersection that architects exercise their spatial and material vernacular to develop a response that reflects the identity of place and people. These past few years of practice as an Architectural Designer with RVSN Studios PLLC has allowed her to explore a personal intersection between the built environment and her family’s deep roots in Detroit. This has further motivated her to use architecture as a tool to craft space that reflects the spirit of a people and offer itself as a solution to address identified insufficiencies or the expressed needs and aspirations of a people. Robinson hopes to amplify the underrepresented voices of historically undervalued communities by advocating for reimagined processes by which architects serve to engage community stakeholders to facilitate the informed sculpting of their community’s space and to celebrate their stories that are tied to the land.