National Organization of Minority Architecture Students - UDM

National Organization of Minority Architecture Students - UDM Our mission is to champion diversity within design education by promoting community engagement and professional development of our members

Nonprofit Organization

A close-to-home pick for Black History Month…We’re spotlighting Tiffany Brown! An award-winning architect and powerful v...
02/27/2026

A close-to-home pick for Black History Month…

We’re spotlighting Tiffany Brown! An award-winning architect and powerful voice advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession.

Founder of 400 Forward, Tiffany is creating pathways for the next generation of black women designers to explore and pursue careers in design. She’s also a co-founder of Urban Arts Collective and has served for five years as Executive Director of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), all while pursuing licensure.

An adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University, Tiffany frequently speaks at national events including South by Southwest and the Conference on Architecture hosted by the American Institute of Architects. As the AIA 2020 Associates Award jury noted, her efforts have “positioned the profession for growth in a way that better reflects the communities it serves.”

Her leadership is building a more representative future for architecture - one student, one firm, and one community at a time!



Learn more:
https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/black-architects-making-history/
https://www.madamearchitect.org/interviews/2020/6/18/tiffany-brown
https://www.400forward.com

Join NOMAS on Monday at 6:30pm in the Exhibition Space (in the Loranger Architecture Building) for the showing of The Be...
02/22/2026

Join NOMAS on Monday at 6:30pm in the Exhibition Space (in the Loranger Architecture Building) for the showing of The Best of Enemies in honor of celebrating Black History Month.

The Best of Enemies (2019) is a historical drama based on a true story from 1971 Durham, North Carolina. It depicts the unlikely friendship between Ann Atwater, a civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a Ku Klux Klan leader, who are forced to co-chair a summit on school integration. Starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell, the film highlights how they overcame deep-seated hatred to change their community.

Pizza, popcorn, and refreshments will be provided. All are welcome, we understand this follows studio as well so you will not be shamed for doing work at the event, we hope to see you there!

Amaza Lee Meredith was one of the first known black women architects in the United States- designing, teaching, and shap...
02/19/2026

Amaza Lee Meredith was one of the first known black women architects in the United States- designing, teaching, and shaping space in ways that quietly redefined modern domestic life. In the 1930s, she co-founded an arts department at what is now Virginia State University, building a foundation for generations of Black creatives.

Her home, Azurest South, wasn’t just a residence- it was a declaration. A modernist experiment in form, color, and independence. At a time when both race and gender severely limited access to the profession, she practiced anyway. She designed anyway. She taught anyway.

Her work reminds us that architecture has always had black women shaping it- whether the canon acknowledged them or not.
Legacy isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s built.

The UDM School of Architecture and Community Development is honored to host Kimberly Dokes for her lecture: The Importan...
02/10/2026

The UDM School of Architecture and Community Development is honored to host Kimberly Dokes for her lecture: The Importance of Community Spaces.

Kimberly Dokes is the owner and principal of Dokes Design Architecture, LLC, with a career rooted in urban revitalization, adaptive reuse, and the design of spaces that serve and strengthen communities. Kimberly’s Washington D.C. upbringing has given her a passion for the urban environment. She has worked on many projects in the City of Detroit and continues to grow her experience in the urban landscape with many adaptive reuse, development, and redevelopment projects; to help in the revitalization of Detroit. Born and raised in Washington D.C. area and shaped by extensive work in Detroit, er practice emphasizes collaborative design and the vital role community-centered spaces play in sustainable, equitable cities.

The lecture will take place this Thursday, February 12th, from 4:30pm-5:30pm in the Loranger Exhibition space. Hope to see you all there!

This week for Black History Month, we’re celebrating Wendell Campbell (1940–2017), one of the founders and the first pre...
02/08/2026

This week for Black History Month, we’re celebrating Wendell Campbell (1940–2017), one of the founders and the first president of NOMAS!!

In 1971, Wendell Campbell helped establish NOMA, creating space for Black architects in a profession that had long excluded them. As the first president of NOMAS, he played a key role in building a national network of students committed to equity, representation, and access in architecture.

Because of his leadership, generations of minority students have found community, mentorship, and a pathway into the profession through NOMAS chapters across the country.
His impact goes far beyond buildings. It lives on in the students, educators, and designers who continue pushing for a more just and inclusive built environment.

BlackArchitects ArchitectureStudents RepresentationMatters EquityInDesign BlackExcellecnce

Happy Black History Month!! The calendar is finally here- we can’t wait to celebrate, learn, and build community with yo...
02/03/2026

Happy Black History Month!!

The calendar is finally here- we can’t wait to celebrate, learn, and build community with you all month long!!!

Join UDM NOMAS and our multiple partnering organizations in numerous events to spread some pride and empowerment throughout our community!

Make sure to check UDMs school page and the city of Detroit's Black History Month calendars as well for additional events!

detroitmercy

🚨 TAPE THE DEAN IS BACK! 🚨Next Monday, October 20th, come help tape Dean Dan Pitera to the wall and support our UDM NOMA...
10/16/2025

🚨 TAPE THE DEAN IS BACK! 🚨
Next Monday, October 20th, come help tape Dean Dan Pitera to the wall and support our UDM NOMAS chapter!

For just $1, you can grab a piece of tape and help keep our dean on the wall!!

Need a little extra fun? 👀 Want revenge from that intro lecture? Tape his mouth shut for $20!

Stick around, have some fun, and share a laugh with our wonderful faculty!

This week of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Frida Escobedo (1979-present), a visionary whose work is reshaping the gl...
09/25/2025

This week of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Frida Escobedo (1979-present), a visionary whose work is reshaping the global landscape of architecture!! 🇲🇽🤩

Born in Mexico City, Frida is known for blending contemporary architecture with local materials, history, and culture. In 2018 she became the youngest architect to design London’s Serpentine Pavilion, a space that reflected both Mexican and British architectural traditions.
In 2022 she made history again as the first woman commissioned to design a major wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a powerful moment for women and Latinx creatives in a field where they’ve long been underrepresented.

Her success is not just about buildings. It’s about visibility, representation, and reshaping who gets to influence the spaces we live in. This month we honor Frida and all those who are paving the way for a more inclusive future in architecture and beyond.

This week of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Frida Escobedo (1979-present), a visionary whose work is reshaping the gl...
09/25/2025

This week of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Frida Escobedo (1979-present), a visionary whose work is reshaping the global landscape of architecture!! 🇲🇽🤩

Born in Mexico City, Frida is known for blending contemporary architecture with local materials, history, and culture. In 2018 she became the youngest architect to design London’s Serpentine Pavilion, a space that reflected both Mexican and British architectural traditions.
In 2022 she made history again as the first woman commissioned to design a major wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a powerful moment for women and Latinx creatives in a field where they’ve long been underrepresented.
Her success is not just about buildings. It’s about visibility, representation, and reshaping who gets to influence the spaces we live in. This month we honor Frida and all those who are paving the way for a more inclusive future in architecture and beyond.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!! 🇲🇽🤩This week we'd like to honor Luis Barragán (1902-1988), "The Poet of Architectu...
09/16/2025

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!! 🇲🇽🤩

This week we'd like to honor Luis Barragán (1902-1988), "The Poet of Architecture," who was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The colorful landscapes and traditional haciendas (estate homes) of his childhood deeply shaped his vision. Barragán transformed modern architecture by introducing color, light, stillness, and cultural emotion into a field often dominated by cold minimalism. His work proved that design can be both innovative and deeply rooted in identity—reminding us that diversity is essential to creativity.

Luis Barragán’s most notable works include Casa Estudio Luis Barragán, Torres de Satélite, Casa Gilardi, and the Chapel of the Capuchinas Sacramentarias.

We Present To You…Detroit Mercy’s 2025-26 NOMAS Executive Board!! We’re excited to embark on a new year of creativity, c...
09/10/2025

We Present To You…
Detroit Mercy’s 2025-26 NOMAS Executive Board!!

We’re excited to embark on a new year of creativity, community, and impact. We can’t wait to connect with you and continue building a strong family and future in architecture together!

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Detroit, MI
48221

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