Edwin Harris - Keynote Speaker at AIA Charlotte: Diverse Design Excellence

Edwin Harris, Co-founder and principal of EVOKE, served as the Keynote Speaker at AIA Charlotte’s first Diverse Design Excellence event. To kick things off, an emerging generation of ambitious architects from Charlotte shared their exciting work and creative practices. After that, Edwin delivered a keynote talk about his practice's award-winning, community-focused work. The discussion was framed through the lens of the firm’s Mechanisms for Place Power.

Edwin is the recipient of the 2022 Young Architect Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers. His design vision emphasizes authentic and inspired architecture that improves the lives of everyone who experience his spaces and buildings, regardless of means or background. His work seeks to overcome the "design silence" of African American voices in the profession and the built environment to make cities more reflective of all the cultures and perspectives found in them.

Thank you to everyone who came out!