Join us Saturday, November 8 for the Community Event Series* presenting REVISIONARY: Black Space as Blueprint, Archive, and Possibility, organized by Demar Matthews and @offtopdesign offTOP Design.
An evening of art, architecture, and imagination featuring installations, community conversation, and The Builderās Table. Through neighborhoods that shaped LAās Black history, from Oakwood to Pacoima to Market Street ā weāll examine how Black boulevards, homes, and histories continue to inform the future of design.
šļø November 8th, 2025 from 6-9 PMāØ
š offTOP Design HQ
MUST RSVP WITH THE LINK IN BIO
This event is presented by offTOP Design and funded by a Mellon Foundation āHumanities in Place" grant, supporting the school's USC-Getty Paul R. Williams Architectural Archive Initiative.
USCArchitectureEvents #USCArchitectureLectures
@ladesignfestival 2025
Design inspiration was hairstyles of young black girls, mainly my sister and niece. Caption on slide 2 if you wanna get fake deep. Shoutout @thefoodiebitch for doing it up on the Creative direction as always, and my boy Lou @orthodox.la for the fabrication!
Come pull up to the studio this Friday 5/23. Jazz, food and drinks off CRENSHAW. Hosted by @thefoodiebitch . She said this aināt a stiff concert, and yall can feel free throw ass to sax solos š¤·šæāāļø.
2712 w 54th st. Los Angeles, CA
link for tickets in bio.
With all the DEI shit getting cut, grants and funding we been applying for is harder to obtain with a case study name like āUnearthing a Black Aestheticā. A homegirl said in order to get the funds we might need to switch the name and how we present the work for the next few yearsā¦..
Lmao, anyway, here is a brand new 1200 sqft duplex/ADU designed and built specifically for a BLACK family in View Parkā¦a historically BLACK neighborhood in South LA. The whole family was born and raised in LA. Listen to Lisa lil message for us on the video slide.
#offtop
#unearthingablackaesthetic
2024 was in Miami most the year doing a fellowship and teaching at the University of Miami. Developed relationships in Overtown, Liberty City, Brownsville to name a few, and fa sho looking forward to continuing these relationships. I appreciate everyone who showed love, embraced me, and taught me about the cultures. University of Miami SOA faculty and staff, helped me with anything and everything. And a big shoutout to the students who were AMAZING and went above and beyond. (Iāll share more of their work in another post.)
Now Iām back home cuz my squad aināt shit in dominoes and I feel itās on me to teach them. Speaking of teaching, we also gotta teach some ppl how to PROPERLY design for Black neighborhoods. Its otw yall, ppl donāt be letting me post shit and I hate social media š
We are thrilled to announce a collaborative effort between the S.N.O. Family Foundation, Green Haven Project, One Night Only, the University of Miami School of Architecture, and OffTop Design to create a new plant nursery and education space in the heart of Overtown, Miami. This project aims to provide a safe, inclusive environment for youth and community members to learn about sustainable agriculture, horticulture, and nutrition.
With the collective goal to raise $15,000 to complete the build and debut the project to the community in January 2025.
JOIN US on October 16th at @giselle.miami for a charity mixer from 6-9pm. Ticket RSVPs and donations can be made at snofamilyfoundation.org/greenhavenproject
Together, we can transform Overtownās landscape, empower residents through education, and cultivate a healthier, more connected community!
shouts to my lovely UM studentsā¼ļø
watching yāall learn and grow as designers has been an honor! The passion and dedication is apparent š
Grateful to work on such a meaningful project with yāall šš¾
and wouldnāt be here without THE @matishaw š£ļø
@noellebenae@khalil.bland@planet_latifa@jettstafford@caceresjosefin
work for @green.haven.project in the historic Miami neighborhood of Overtown
Overtown, originally called Colored Town is one of Miamiās LAST Black neighborhoods. During segregation, stars like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong lodged (forcibly) in Overtown after performing in Miami Beach clubs.
Green Haven Project is a Miami based NPO committed to fighting food justice and providing environmental education to the community.
Shouts to the UM fam @matishaw + my students @noellebenae@khalil.bland@planet_latifa@jettstafford@caceresjosefin
(comment ur fav color-way, Iām team YELLOW)
Demar Matthews, a visiting professor and DEI fellow from Los Angeles, is the founder and principal in the architecture studio OffTop Design @offtopdesign . This collaborative appointment is between the School of Architecture & Center for Global Black Studies @umglobalblackstudies . He leads the charge in pushing the boundaries of traditional architectural norms by infusing his designs with elements that celebrate cultural diversity and promote inclusivity.Ā
During his time in the graduate program at Woodbury University in LA, Matthews started envisioning how a Black aesthetic could be incorporated into the industry. Fascinated with the idea of incorporating cultural identity into his designs, he set out on exploring the rich history of Black experiences. He now wants others to do the same using their own cultures and experiences.Ā
Click the link in bio to learn more.
Hereās some images of shit Iām 98% sure we allowed to share.
Goal was to celebrate Black and brown stories in the council district, while speaking to the districtās history. āš¾ Yāall like any of these? š
AOR: Paul Murdoch Architects
Landscape Architects: MIG
Bureau of Engineering
Shoutout to Ohaji and CD9, & the squad who gave love to this, the homie @demarcosmith came in clutch with local history @yaniira_rivas & @isabella.pinaa , helping on graphics and locations, and my favorite journalist @slausongirl
