2024-Bergmeyer-CSRReport FINAL - Flipbook - Page 13
Boston's First-Ever Hip Hop
Architecture Camp
Sponsored in Partnership by WS Development and Bergmeyer
The Hip Hop Architecture Camp® hosted its
昀椀rst week-long camp in Boston’s Seaport
during February School Recess for Boston
Public Schools. The Boston edition of the
camp took place at District Hall and was
conceived and developed in partnership with
Seaport by WS Development and Bergmeyer.
The program, started in 2016, positions
Hip Hop culture as a catalyst to introduce
underrepresented communities to
architecture and urban planning. Over the
course of the week, forty students had the
opportunity to learn from architects, urban
planners, designers, community activists
and hip-hop artists to create unique visions
for their communities which included the
creation of physical models, digital models
and the creation of a Hip Hop architecture
track and music video showcasing their
designs. The Camp’s creator, architect
Michael Ford, issued a call to action during
the camp: He challenged participants to
leverage their newly acquired architectural
skills to create concepts for a Tyre Nichols
Memorial Skatepark. Tyre Nichols, an aspiring
photographer who loved skateboarding,
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Bergmeyer | 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
died three days after an assault by a handful
of police o昀케cers in Memphis Tennessee.
Shortly after his death, his mother RowVaughn
Wells, created The Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund
“to build a memorial skate park for Tyre, in
honor of his love for skating and sunsets.”
After completing their design concepts,
the future Hip Hop Architects participated
in a Rap Cypher, where they presented
their design concepts as a rap verse. To
judge the students’ projects and rap verses,
Ford recruited MIT Professor and Hip Hop
Architecture Camp Advisory Board member,
Lupe Fiasco, who, himself, is no stranger to
skateboarding. Lupe was also joined by Aiyah
Josiah-Faeduwor, a researcher/organizer at
MIT Media Lab, Atlanta-based rapper Destiny
DaChef, Boston-based rapper Oompa, and
Frank Farrow, who works in Boston Mayor
Wu’s O昀케ce as the Executive Director, O昀케ce
of Black Male Advancement. The winning
verses were then recorded
at a local recording
studio to become
the o昀케cial song
of the camp.
