Kevin Sherrod - Mission-Driven Design, The Citizen Architect, and Living a Life of Service

In this episode, I spoke with designer and educator Kevin Sherrod. In our conversation, we talk about serving the community and society at large, what it means to be a citizen architect, different perspectives on being black in architecture, and a lot more.

Kevin’s work centers on building community resilience and advancing design justice, primarily within communities of color. As a Practice Area Leader of Arts & Culture at Gensler Los Angeles, Kevin has worked on projects such as Tides Loads of Hope, Compton College student housing, and the award-winning Debbie Allen Dance Academy, among several others.

Most recently, Kevin served as the lead designer for Gallery 90220, a first-of-its-kind art gallery for Black and Brown creatives in South Los Angeles. Through these efforts, Kevin has been recognized as a Culture Champion on the inaugural For(bes) The Culture 50 Champions List. In 2022, Gallery 90220, as part of the 2022 AIA Los Angeles Design Awards, was awarded an Architectural Installation Citation Award. Kevin was a core member of the research leadership team with the Now Institute and Morphosis, working directly under the guidance of Thom Mayne on the 100 Buildings book.

Currently a faculty member at USC School of Architecture, Kevin is committed to supporting the next generation of designers through mentorship and teaching. He previously worked as an urban strategies lecturer for UCLA’s M.Arch II Program. Sherrod’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Archinect, ArchDaily, LA Business Journal, and Forbes.

Be sure to learn more about Kevin at his website at www.kevinsherrod.com. And follow him on Instagram @sh3rrod.