Architecture Beyond
I am Brandon Aaron Gibbs, AIA, NOMA—a licensed architect, researcher, educator, media producer, and advocate working across architecture, technology, and public engagement.
My story begins with my parents, who met while attending Howard University. My mother came from Mississippi, and my father came from the U.S. Virgin Islands. They raised me in Memphis, Tennessee, where I developed an early love for music, creativity, architecture, and design.
As a youth member of several orchestras including the Memphis Youth Symphony, I traveled nationally and internationally and experienced cities, cultures, and remarkable spaces beyond my hometown. Those experiences showed me how buildings and public places can express identity, history, and possibility. They helped inspire my decision to pursue architecture.
I studied architecture at Pratt Institute as a recipient of the Pratt Institute Presidential Scholarship. I later earned my Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association Design Research Laboratory in London. Over more than 15 years, I have contributed to sports and entertainment venues, healthcare facilities, churches, community spaces, commercial developments, and residential projects across Tennessee, New York, the American South, and beyond.
My work has expanded into research, education, entrepreneurship, and media. Through MotionFORM, I explore design, sustainability, computational methods, and emerging technology. I also founded Iamthestudio to help architects and designers strengthen their creative and technical skills.
Selected accomplishments include:
- LICENSED ARCHITECT IN TENNESSEE
- CO-CHAIR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NOMA NASHVILLE
- PRATT INSTITUTE PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
- BISHOP G. E. PATTERSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
- AUDIENCE AWARD RECIPIENT, QUICKFLICK LONDON
- WORK FEATURED BY PRATT INSTITUTE AND AIGA MOBILE
- PANEL SPEAKER WITH MUSIC CITY NSBE
- SPEAKER AT PODCAMP NASHVILLE AND BARCAMP NASHVILLE
- SHORTLISTED AS A PROSPECTIVE TEDX MOBILE SPEAKER
- ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING THROUGH THE NASHVILLE ENTREPRENEUR CENTER AND NASHVILLE BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTER
Through Architecture Beyond, I bring together professional experience, independent research, and storytelling to make architecture more accessible and relevant. As “The Architect in Your Corner,” I explore how design affects our communities, industries, opportunities, and everyday lives.
Architecture Beyond
Letters to Ms. 1000 Continues - Christian Joosse On Architecture Writing and Purpose | Part 2 | AB EP 51
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What does it take to create a profession where the next generation of architects can see themselves, find their voices, and build something greater?
In Part II of our special conversation on Architecture Beyond, host Brandon Gibbs welcomes back architect, educator, and author Christian Joosse, editor and curator of the award-winning Letters to Ms. 1000: Words of Wisdom from African American Women Architects.
Following our first conversation about Christian's journey into architecture, writing, and professional practice, we turn our attention to the stories behind the book—and the lessons they hold for the future of architecture.
Through the experiences of Black women architects across the United States, Letters to Ms. 1000 explores mentorship, perseverance, professional identity, and the importance of preserving voices that have too often been overlooked.
But this conversation reaches beyond any one group. It challenges all of us to consider how we can strengthen architecture through opportunity, advocacy, and meaningful connections across generations.
Watch Part II Now | Architecture Beyond
Listen to Part I Now | Architecture Beyond
Learn more about Letters to Ms. 1000
You can explore the book and learn more through the official Letters to Ms. 1000 site here: https://empowering1000.wixsite.com/letters-to-ms--1000
You can also follow the project on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/letterstoms.1000/
Architecture Beyond is where architects, designers, and creative thinkers share the stories shaping life and impact beyond the studio. Since launching, we’ve released dozens of inspiring episodes and grown into a global community of listeners who care about architecture’s role in the world.
We’d love to hear from you—what topics inspire you most, or who you’d like to see as a guest. If you’re interested in sharing your own story on the show, visit Iamthestudio.com and click ArchBeyond in the menu. Join the conversation and help us continue building a platform that elevates architects everywhere.
Sponsored by iamthestudio architecture software courses (site here).
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