“Unearthing a Black Aesthetic” is a case study consisting of 9 homes in black neighborhoods in America. Through this case study we seek to develop a possible architectural language derived purely from Black culture. The first home is being built in Watts, CA and highlights South Central Los Angeles’ (or Black Los Angeles’) unique positioning as a dynamic hub of Black culture and creativity. South Central is the most dense population of African Americans west of the Mississippi. While every historically Black neighborhood in Los Angeles has experienced displacement, Watts was hit particularly hard. As more and more Black Angelenos are forced for one reason or another to relocate, we are losing our history and connection to Los Angeles. As a way to fight this gentrification, we are developing an architectural language derived purely from Black culture.
So many cultures have their own architecture styles based on values, goals, morals, and customs shared by their society. When these cultures have relocated to America, to keep their culture and values intact, they bought land and built in the image of their home lands. That is not true for Black people in America. It is my goal to aid in changing that.