Jerome W. Haferd

Jerome W. Haferd is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at City College of New York's Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, where he co-directs the Place, Memory, and Culture Incubator. A licensed architect and public artist based in Harlem, NYC, Haferd is principal of the award-winning JEROME HAFERD Studio and a 2025 United States Artist Fellow. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Architectural League of New York and is a core initiator of Dark Matter University.

Haferd's educational background includes an M.Arch. from Yale University (2010) and a B.S. with Distinction from the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University (2007). His teaching experience spans multiple institutions including Columbia University, Yale University, Barnard College, NJIT, and Pratt Institute.

Dr. Haferd's research critically engages built environment projects in urban and rural contexts, focusing on 'Radical Preservation' that examines marginalized histories to unlock new imaginaries for architecture and cultural infrastructure. His work bridges architecture, public art, and community engagement, with particular emphasis on Black spatial practices, cultural memory, and social justice in the built environment. He collaborates extensively with community organizations including the Harlem African Burial Ground, Roots to Sky Collective, The Park Avenue Armory, and the National Black Theatre.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on alternative design pedagogies, critical heritage studies, and BIPOC-led design practices. The scholarly trajectory shows increasing engagement with fugitive practices, trans-institutional collaborations, and the intersection of architecture with social movements. His recent work demonstrates how architectural practice can serve as a vehicle for cultural preservation and community empowerment.

• 2025 United States Artist Fellow
• First Prize, Africatown International Design Competition (2023)
• 2022 #BlackVisionaries award as part of Dark Matter University cohort
• Second prize, 2021 OnOlive emerging Black architect housing competition
• Exhibiting in the U.S. Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale (2025)

Haferd co-directs the Mellon Foundation-funded Place, Memory, and Culture Incubator (PMCI), a $1.5 million initiative creating community-based partnerships in Harlem that engage built-environment design through a social-justice lens. His recent Culture, Creativity, and Care Initiative with the Mellon Foundation and Harlem Grown demonstrates his commitment to community-driven design. He has advised numerous design studios focusing on recording, visualizing, and preserving heritage while projecting innovative cultural futures. His projects include the Sankofa and Aleia installations in Harlem, the BLK BOX experimental arts venue, and 'Water Table', a permanent public artwork for New York's East River Esplanade.

Haferd co-directs the Place, Memory, and Culture Incubator at the Spitzer School, serving as a hub for community-based design research. He is a core initiator of Dark Matter University, a BIPOC-led trans-disciplinary network for new models of design pedagogy and practice, which co-led the 'Constellation' exhibit at the 2022 Lisbon Architecture Triennale. His studio practice, JEROME HAFERD Studio, D.P.C., operates as a proudly Black-owned and led architecture, art, and design practice based in Harlem, working with diverse constituents on projects spanning urban design, buildings, interiors, exhibitions, and artworks.