JACK TRAVIS, FAIA NOMAC

Jack Travis established his namesake design studio in June 1985. To date the firm has completed projects for clients such as film director Spike Lee, actor Wesley Snipes, John Saunders of ABC sports and fashion retailer Giorgio Armani. Currently Travis is working on the flagship exhibition for the Museum of Black Civilization in Dakar, Senegal. 

Jack Travis encourages investigation into Black history and culture where appropriate in his work and includes forms, motifs, materials and colors that reflect this heritage. Travis has evolved ten principles for Black cultural Design investigation towards that aim. Travel throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean to West and South African countries has given Mr. Travis a most unique focus. Through his work, he continues to make a distinctive and definitive enrichment to the existing American design vocabulary. In recent years, Travis has broadened his interests beyond cultural content strategies to sustainable in environmental design methodologies, alternative educational practices such as a community design studio and the entrance of more students of color into academia and the profession. 

Highly sought after for his cutting-edge views on culture and architectural design, Mr. Travis has appeared in all the prominent design publications as well as the New York Times, New York Newsday, and the Daily News. Mr. Travis has also appeared several times on shows including CNN’s Style with Elsa Klinch and London’s BBC television program Building Sites. Travis was one of only 8 American architects and/or celebrities chosen by the BBC. His own home and office have been published often in periodicals from the United States, England, Denmark and South Africa. Mr. Travis’ search for style begins with the Modernist Movement from early this century. He has combined his preference for the rational approach and honesty in the use of building materials with African iconography in the notions of form, space and place perception.  

Jack Travis has taught at Parsons School of Design in the Continuing Education Department and is currently an adjunct professor of interior design at Pratt Institute and at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. In the 

Fall of 2014 he will be joining the faculty at The School of Visual Arts (SVA) also in New York City.  

Mr. Travis founded AC/DC Studio (Afri-Culture/Design-Culture) in 1994, which seeks to collect, document and disseminate information on "Black Culture" as it relates to "Environmental Design Culture". Active on the university lecture circuit, Mr. Travis is also associated with several elementary, middle and high school mentorship programs including, Walks of Life and the prestigious Learning Through Art & Architecture. In 1992, Travis edited, African American Architects: In Current Practice, the first publication to profile the work of black architects in the United States.  

In 1977 he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Arizona State University and in 1978 a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign- Urbana. Past appointments include an advisory position with the National American Institute of Architects (AIA) Task force on diversity in 1993 and membership of Central Harlem’s Community Board 10, in Manhattan. Mr. Travis was selected as one of 12 professionals chosen nationally for HGTV's Trend Smart Team for programming consultation in 2010. He acted as "Cultural Design Consultant" on two of the largest projects in Harlem, The Kalahari Condominiums with Frederic Schwartz Architects, New York, N Y (2004-2009) & the Harlem Hospital New Patient Pavilion with HOK Architects, New York, NY. (2006-2011)  

In 2004, Jack Travis received his "Fellowship" in the AIA, and in 2006 Mr. Travis was inducted into the Council of Elders" of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the highest honor that each organization bestows upon its individual members. In 2012, Travis served on the Honors Committee for AIA NYC for two years and served the next two-years, 2015-2017, as AIA NYC Board Secretary. Jack Travis also sat on the Board of NOMA National as the Council Representative from 2013-2017.