{"product_id":"i-am-an-architect","title":"I Am an Architect","description":"Paul  R. Williams, FAIA (1894-1980), was one of the most prolific Black architects  of the twentieth century. He had strong ties to Southern California and the  city of Los Angeles, yet his impact was undoubtedly global.     I am an ARchitect presents  the first research-based, archivally driven monograph on this pivotal yet  underrecognized figure. Threading together Williams's biography, social  histories of Los Angeles, and transformations in the profession, this volume  traces the architect's extraordinary career, from early residential  commissions during Los Angeles's housing boom of the 1920s to his civic,  religious, commercial, and cultural landmarks that came to define the city's  identity at midcentury. It examines Williams's career-long commitment to  creating space for and with Black communities as well as his national and  international reach.    Drawing upon Paul R. Williams's  archive and including nearly 200 images, I Am an  Architect reproduces diverse materials from the  architect's extensive oeuvre-including drawings, prints, and hand-colored  renderings-that have been largely unavailable until now. Ultimately, this  book reveals how Williams reimagined public housing, residential design, and  commercial and civic spaces with the belief that architecture could advance  social progress.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57536486998389,"sku":"9798887120706","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/i-am-an-architect","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}