Danielle McCleave recently made history by becoming the first Black woman to earn a Doctor of Architecture degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at the Mānoa School of Architecture.
“When I first found out I would be the first Black woman to obtain this degree, I was hit with a variety of emotions,” said McCleave. “I was excited to be in this position of trailblazing, and I knew it would be encouraging for other Black women looking to get into design. I was also proud to have been here, this program is not easy, and I had to overcome a lot to accomplish it, but I was also saddened that in 2022, there are still firsts like this to be had.”
According to the University of Hawaiʻi News, only 2 percent of 116,242 licensed Black architects exist in the U.S. However, Black female architects represent 0.4 percent of licensed architects in the field. McCleave said With her recent milestone, McCleave hopes to inspire other Black men and women looking to start a career in the architectural industry.
“It honestly is overdue, and I feel like there is room for improvement in the architecture world and in the architecture curriculum to highlight and showcase more females and people of color designers,” McCleave said.
She added, “We have learned time and time again that representation matters and how important it is to be able to see yourself in other people doing different things, so I hope that my journey can be an encouragement for other women and people of color to get into architecture and design.”
“Black women are deeply underrepresented as architects and designers. I strongly believe that great design is a right, not a privilege, and for that to happen, there needs to be designers that are a part of and deeply understand the communities they are designing for,” McCleave continued.
McCleave received a bachelor of fine arts degree emphasizing sculpture painting from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. While at UH Mānoa, she won the Hawaiʻi Architectural Foundation award for there thesis on housing, titled “Redesigning the Hood: Using Culturally Aware Wellness as a Tool to Inform Architectural Design.”
In addition, she continued her research on fair housing and culturally aware design practices in architecture by incorporating her art into the courses.
“Historically, architecture has been a predominantly white and male profession, and it remains so,” said Laura McGuire, a UH Mānoa assistant professor of architectural history, theory and criticism. “But with graduates like Danielle, that will hopefully change. It is vital that architects represent all walks of life and cultural experiences, and Danielle’s achievement is a significant step in that direction.”
McCleave is hopeful that her recent accomplishment will encourage more diversity in the field.
“I am so grateful for my time at UH, and the teachers that helped me to grow as a student and professional. I can’t lie and say that it was easy, but I truly would not have been able to accomplish any of this if it weren’t for my classmates, friends and family,” said McCleave. “I am excited to see the future of the architecture department and UH as a whole as it becomes more and more diverse and equitable.”
