Ford’s lecture highlights the intersection of architecture and hip hop culture through three interconnected realms: academic research, professional practice and media. The lecture will include the built environment’s link to the start of hip hop culture, while also exploring ways in which this musical genre contributes to the built environment. He will share his work with The Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, NY, and unique approaches to empowering underrepresented communities through innovative architectural education techniques. Michael Ford, The Hip Hop Architect, is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He has worked as a designer at Hamilton Anderson Associates in Detroit and at Flad Architects in Madison, and is currently an instructor at Madison College in the Architecture Technology department. Ford has presented on hip hop architecture throughout the U.S., including the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and his alma mater, University of Detroit Mercy. FREE ticket required for admission. Tickets are available subject to venue capacity and are issued on a first come first serve basis. If not sold out, tickets will be available at the event starting at 6:30pm.