Dean's Office

   
Bradford C. Grant
Interim Dean, College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences

Director, School of Architecture & Design

Biosketch

March 2008

BRADFORD C. GRANT, AIA, NOMA

Bradford Grant is the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences, and the Director of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University.  He is the former Chairperson and Endowed University Professor of Architecture in the Department of Architecture at Hampton University, Hampton, VA.  He received his Master’s degree in Architecture with a focus on social and cultural factors from the University of California at Berkeley.  A registered architect, Grant has extensive experience in housing and community design through his research, teaching and architecture practice as principal of the architecture firm AGWA Architects, Hampton, VA.  His research on cultural environmental design practice can be found in his work titled “Accommodation, Resistance and Appropriation in African American Building”, in Craig Barton’s Sites of Memory (Princeton Press, 2000) and in the Directory of African American Architects/Survey of African American Architects, co authored by Dennis Mann (University Cincinnati, 3rd edition released as web site <hptt://Blackarch.uc.edu>). 

Mr. Grant was the Director of Hampton University Department of Architecture’s Urban Institute, the community design center and a service learning arm of the University.  As part of the Urban Institute, Grant has conducted many urban and community design studies including the North King Street Urban Corridor, Hampton, VA., the Monticello Street Corridor, Norfolk, VA., the Poindexter Street Commercial Corridor, Chesapeake, VA. along with architecture design assistance work with the City of Virginia Beach’s office of Housing and Community Service.  His community design work has earned him the Hampton Clean City Commission Award, a Proclamation of Appreciation from the City of Hampton, the Universal Design Education Award from Adaptive Environments, Boston and Award of Merit from the Virginia Downtown Development Association.

Professor Grant has served as President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA 2001-2004) and was a member of the Board of the Hermitage Foundation, Museum and Slone Collections, Norfolk, VA.  He is involved in research, practice and teaching of architecture accessibility and Universal Design, Fair Housing and cultural issues in architecture.  He is currently working on or has completed several commissioned projects and planning assignments including the addition the Guiding Light Church, Portsmouth, VA, the Blair Middle School addition, Norfolk, VA and Arbor Music, a site specific environmental sculpture for the Botanical Gardens, Norfolk, VA. 

Following is a list of selected projects that typically represent Grant’s experience.

• Project Principal/Principal Investigator:

Southside Community and Urban Public School Study

Directed the urban/community survey and urban planning analysis and investigation of the need, size, location and demand of additional public schools in the Southside of Norfolk, VA for the Norfolk Public Schools (estimated school construction costs $10-15 million).

• Norfolk Public School, South Side Urban Planning Study

Grant directed a comprehensive neighborhood analysis and survey of parents in the Southside section of Norfolk, VA to determine the need and requirements of a new elementary and middle school in that area. Project included extensive public presentations and community participatory meetings with parents and residents. Project was commissioned by the Norfolk Public School District.

• Old Town Hampton

Grant conducted a comprehensive community and urban planning investigation, including open space analysis, land use, blight of physical structures of the historical old town section of the City of Hampton, VA., working with the Dept. of Community Development and HU’s Urban Institute.

• Health Disparities Reduction Project

As principle investigator Grant conducted urban design research investigations on specific planning and urban factors on negative health disparities in the low income selected minority neighborhoods of Norfolk, VA., funded by the NIH and HU’s Health Disparity Project.

• Ft. Monroe Master Planning

Land use, building type and program opportunities investigation for the Fort Monroe historic military base, Hampton, VA. This study was done in anticipation of the BRAC base closure determination and landowner shift to the local municipality.

• Princess Anne Urban Housing Project

Grant directed the neighborhood and architecture design for the exterior environment, parking and building façade of the exiting Princess Anne Housing complex, Virginia Beach, VA. Economic and financing analysis was also completed as part of home and neighborhood improvement program for building owners and residents of the project. Project commissioned by the City of Virginia Beach’s Community Development Dept.

• Yerba Buena Plaza West Public Housing Renovation Entry and Gateway, San Francisco, VA.

Grant worked with Community Design Collaborative and in joint venture with ED2 International, provided complete architectural services for the San Francisco Housing Authority for the modernization and design of 250 housing units. Extensive community participatory design process using the “Pattern Language” was utilized to develop an appropriate user controlled environment for the $14 million project. During schematic and design development Grant organized and developed a design competition and workshop with the youth of the project as part of the design process. The competition resulted in design ideas that were used for the entry and site gateway, along with an enthusiastic and a fresh learning environment for the children.

Because of the highly charged political nature of major public housing project, this project took over 4 years to complete. Changes in the scope of work required extensive redesign with the phases varying in length.

A standard architectural fee schedule of approximately 5-8% of the construction cost was used.