Mound Bayou Community/Vocational Complex

Project idea

This is an academic project based in the historic Mississippi Delta town of Mound Bayou. A refuge built from the ground up by enslaved black men, women, and children, the town remains until this day as the oldest all-black community in America. Their story is one rich with turmoil, strife, and victory, and attempts are being made today to get their story out.

Project description

This project, a community center/vocational school, at 81,000 square feet, will replace the old community center, bringing back the “living room” of the city and training up a young demographic sector to bring Mound Bayou back to its former glory.

Technical information

As a parti, “building blocks” are shifted along one taller linear mass that is related to the datum of the diagram. The lobby is intended to be a tall atrium that will make a statement as the main entrance to the building. To establish its existence in Mound Bayou, and considering that the surrounding context is primarily single-story structures, the portion of the building that fronts the road is two-story.