Full Name
Kevin Sherrod
Job Title
Design Facility at USC
Speaker Bio
With over a decade of experience in project design both in the U.S. and abroad, Kevin has a strong focus on building community resilience and promoting design justice, particularly within communities of color. As the Practice Area Leader for Arts & Culture at Gensler Los Angeles, he has been instrumental in transformative projects such as Tides Loads of Hope, which established the first permanent Loads of Hope laundry room for people experiencing homelessness; Compton College student housing, one of the first housing solutions for a community college in Southern California; and the award-winning Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
Kevin's contributions to the research leadership team at the Now Institute and Morphosis, where he worked under the guidance of Thom Mayne on the 100 Buildings book, have also been significant. Most recently, he led the design for Gallery 90220, an art gallery that provides a unique platform for Black and Brown creatives in South Los Angeles. These efforts have earned him recognition as a Culture Champion on Forbes' inaugural Culture 50 Champions List.
Kevin's design philosophy is informed by his lived experiences growing up in urban Philadelphia and his over 20 years of work in grassroots organizations. His commitment to mentorship and teaching has led him to serve as Design Faculty at USC’s School of Architecture & Urban Strategies Lecturer at UCLA. Kevin's impressive award background includes winning Best of Design Unbuilt: Residential for his work with Skid Row Housing Ambrosia, receiving Progressive Architecture P/A Awards for his contributions on Urban Awnings, and an honor award from
WestSide Urban Forum Design Awards for work on West Edge. His work has been featured in esteemed publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Archinect, ArchDaily, LA Business Journal, and Forbes.
Press
1. Archinect: Empowering a New Generation of Black and Brown Artists in Los Angeles
2. Gensler: Designing a Black-Owned Gallery to Elevate Artists of Color
3. UCLA: Shoot for the Stars
4. Forbes: Forbes the Culture Champion
Selected Awards
2021 // Forbes: Culture Champion - For(bes) The Culture Champion 50 List.
2021 // Fast Company Honorable Mention, World Changing Idea, Urban Awning
2021 // Architect Magazine P/A Awards Honorable Mention, Urban Awning
2020 // Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design (unbuilt) Skid Row Housing Ambrosia
2018 // NOMA National Design Excellence Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Kevin's contributions to the research leadership team at the Now Institute and Morphosis, where he worked under the guidance of Thom Mayne on the 100 Buildings book, have also been significant. Most recently, he led the design for Gallery 90220, an art gallery that provides a unique platform for Black and Brown creatives in South Los Angeles. These efforts have earned him recognition as a Culture Champion on Forbes' inaugural Culture 50 Champions List.
Kevin's design philosophy is informed by his lived experiences growing up in urban Philadelphia and his over 20 years of work in grassroots organizations. His commitment to mentorship and teaching has led him to serve as Design Faculty at USC’s School of Architecture & Urban Strategies Lecturer at UCLA. Kevin's impressive award background includes winning Best of Design Unbuilt: Residential for his work with Skid Row Housing Ambrosia, receiving Progressive Architecture P/A Awards for his contributions on Urban Awnings, and an honor award from
WestSide Urban Forum Design Awards for work on West Edge. His work has been featured in esteemed publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Archinect, ArchDaily, LA Business Journal, and Forbes.
Press
1. Archinect: Empowering a New Generation of Black and Brown Artists in Los Angeles
2. Gensler: Designing a Black-Owned Gallery to Elevate Artists of Color
3. UCLA: Shoot for the Stars
4. Forbes: Forbes the Culture Champion
Selected Awards
2021 // Forbes: Culture Champion - For(bes) The Culture Champion 50 List.
2021 // Fast Company Honorable Mention, World Changing Idea, Urban Awning
2021 // Architect Magazine P/A Awards Honorable Mention, Urban Awning
2020 // Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design (unbuilt) Skid Row Housing Ambrosia
2018 // NOMA National Design Excellence Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Speaking At
