UB Faculty Announced as Conserving Black Modernism Initiative Grant Recipient
Photo courtesy of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Published August 14, 2024
Albert Chao, adjunct instructor for the Department of Architecture, and Scott Ruff, adjunct associate professor at Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture, were recently awarded a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Fund (a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation) and the Getty Foundation’s Conserving Black Modernism program for their work supporting the Buffalo house and studio of architect Robert T. Coles.
Led by Chao and Ruff, the Coles House and Studio is one of 8 sites selected for this year’s Conserving Black Modernism program, and one of 30 sites to receive a total of $3 million in grant funding as part of the Action Fund’s broader 2024 National Grant Program to advance ongoing preservation activities at historic sites, buildings, and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage.
Robert T. Coles was the first Black Chancellor of the American Institute of Architects, and his Buffalo-based architectural firm was the first Black-owned firm in New York State. In 1961, he designed his house and studio—a two-story structure composed of prefabricated units set back in a garden. In 2011, they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This grant will support a Historic Structures Report, conservation plan, and a reuse and feasibility study. Earlier this year, additional funding from The Mellon Foundation was provided to support organizational and programmatic development and strategic planning. Both grants will empower this site to serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of Black architects and the entire Buffalo community.
Click here to learn more about Conserving Black Modernism and other Getty programs.
Photo courtesy of the National Trust for Historic Preservation