Demar Matthews Wants to Bring Distinctly Black Architecture to American Neighborhoods

The designer is out to establish a new vernacular—one that "elevates, not denigrates," Black identity within the built environment.

Jan 19, 2021 - 19:34

Demar Matthews Wants to Bring Distinctly Black Architecture to American Neighborhoods

The designer is out to establish a new vernacular—one that "elevates, not denigrates," Black identity within the built environment.

Designer Demar Matthews isn’t wasting any time. Fresh out of a master’s program in architecture at L.A.’s Woodbury University, he established his own firm, OffTOP Design, and hit the ground running by putting into practice answers to a question that had loomed over his training: Where is the Black architecture?

The invisibility of work by members of his own community was in some ways "a good thing," Matthews says, as it gave him leeway for interpretation. His thesis, "Black Architecture: Unearthing a Black Aesthetic," examines and abstracts cultural markers of Black identity and spaces to propose an all-original vernacular: Hairstyles like box braids and waves inspire facades, body language and posture inform structures, and even window bars are remixed as key design elements.

By abstracting elements of Black art, literature, music videos, fashion, and traditions, Demar Matthews has conceptualized a new architectural language. As he wrote in his master’s thesis, "Unearthing a Black Aesthetic," he hopes to apply his concepts to promote Black identity in the built environment.

Illustration by Demar Matthews

After drawing support from Janine Watkins, a community activist in South Los Angeles, the 29-year-old was invited to use a small house adjacent to Watts Towers to collaborate with the neighborhood on the first built iteration of his concept.

We spoke with Matthews to learn more about his plans for the project, which is slated to open to the public this summer. It includes a makerspace, a "living" fence, and an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for an artist-in-residence program, all of which are meant to "elevate, not denigrate," Black identity within the built environment.

Dwell: When did you decide to start OffTOP Design?

Matthews: The idea came from the final year of my master’s program. As I was approaching my thesis, I realized that I had never seen architecture that was representative of architecture that was in a Black community. So I felt like I was being trained to really serve only other communities once I graduated. Asking "Where’s the Black architecture?" led me down this path.

The first realization of Matthews’s vision is underway in South Los Angeles. In a rendering of the project (pictured), the angular and textured structure is the planned ADU. In front, a fence acts as a resource instead of a barrier, providing a space to grow vegetables, display art, and share books. "I want Black people to be able to see themselves in these buildings," says Matthews. "It’s so uncommon to see your culture reflected at a larger scale."

Illustration by Demar Matthews

Dwell: You developed your own Black architectural aesthetic. What does it look like?

Matthews: That was my first question. And there’s been talk about this before—full concepts and full theories devoted to it. But there haven’t been, in my opinion, many buildings that are purely for a Black community by a Black American architect. So I didn’t have many precedents to go off of, which was actually a really good thing. It made me look toward art, literature, and music videos, as well as Black tradition and established Black techniques. I was trying to figure out how to translate and abstract these things into a building language, or architectural style.

Dwell: How will this look in Watts?

Matthews: There’s a shotgun house and separate garage on the lot right now. We’re doing some renovations, and during the transition, we’re turning them into a makerspace where everyone in the neighborhood is free to come in and fabricate, laser cut, print, or use power tools. We’re also building an ADU that will host an artist-in-residence program.

Then there’s a 300-foot fence that’s divided into sections. The first section is planted with fruits and vegetables. The community is able to just walk by and take them off the line of the fence. The second section of the fence is an outdoor library, which is free. The last part is an art walk where artists-in-residence can exhibit and the community also can show work.