John Blake

Courses Taught (past two academic years)

ARC100/200/300/400 studios; ARC105; ARC309; ARC405z.

Areas of Expertise

Design/Build; Equitable Development; Adaptive Reuse

Educational Credentials

Masters of Architecture, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 2000
Bachelor of Arts, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1992

Teaching Experience

Design-Build Studio coordinator and instructor, Miami University Department of Architecture and Interior Design, 2001-2003, 2006-present. Educational design-build workshops and studios with hands-on projects built for community partners including dwelling units, commercial spaces, community installations, and community design. Also taught Designing, Writing and Social Change and Introduction to Furniture Design.

Professional Experience

Registered Architect, State of Ohio;
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certificate Holder;
US Green Building Council “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED®) 2.0 Accredited Professional.

Significant Publications, Creative Projects, Paper Presentations

Collaborative Community Engagement: The Work of the Miami University Center for Community Engagement. With Bonnie Neumeier, and Dorothy Darden and Dr. Tammy Schwartz. Society for Applied Anthropology 83rd Annual Meeting, “Applied Anthropology at a Crossroad” Spring 2023

"What Makes a Great Place?" An Architecture Matters Panel Discussion. AIA Cincinnati/Soapbox Media. Oct. 26, 2022

"People Moving", an installation by the Storefronts community artists of Miami University Center for Community Engagement was accepted to the Artist Run Spaces exhibition at the Rosenthal Contemporary Arts Center, May 27 through September 11, 2022. With faculty Jeff Kruth, Elizabeth Keslacy; Facilitating artist MC Rietz; Community artists June Alexander, Key Beck, Elisabeth Burnside, Janet Albright-Captain, Jeremy Neff, Bonnie Neumeier.

“Reimagining the Modern Urban Interior” with Patrizio Martinelli. interiors+sources magazine February 19, 2020

“Community-University Partnerships in the Pursuit of Justice & Equity”
9th International Conference on Education and Social Justice: Critical Conversations about Movement Building for Equity and Justice in Education, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, November 2019.
(With Tammy Schwartz & Raquel Radina, Miami University Urban Cohort and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR); Jennifer Summers, Peaslee Neighborhood Center; Mona Jenkins, Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition; Mary Delaney, Community Matters/Education Matters).

“Storefronts/Vigil: Miami Center for Community Engagement Social Practice Art Installations.” Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed 2018 Conference: Disrupting the Politics of Place, Building Inclusive Communities for the Future; Reports on Social Justice Theatre in the US. Indiana University, PA, June 2018. (With Dionna Flowers, DeAngela Weakley, Mary Clare Rietz).

Awards, Recognitions, Grants, Competitions

Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) Robert A. and Beverly H. Hackenberg Prize for Collaborative Community Engagement: The Work of the Miami University Center for Community Engagement and the Urban Cohort, 2023.

Peaslee Neighborhood Center Distinguished Partnership Award.

Miami University Center for Community Engagement, 2016.

Ohio Community Development Corporation Association, CDC Project of the Year. Beasley Place, 1405-07 Republic Street. (presented to project leader Over-the-Rhine Community Housing) 2015.

Cincinnati Preservation Association, Rehabilitation Award. Beasley Place, 1405-07 Republic Street. (presented to project partners Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and CR architecture + design) 2015.

“Regional Outreach Scholarship Winner and finalist—Miami University Over-the-Rhine Residency Program.” C. Peter Magrath University/Community Engagement Award; North Central Regional Review Committee for the W.K. Kellogg Outreach Scholarship Award, Association of Public Land Grant Universities, 2012.

Over-the-Rhine Community Housing “Golden Hammer Award”

(Best volunteer project) Miami University Design-Build Studio, 2011.

Professional Memberships and Service

Peaslee Neighborhood Center: Facilities Committee. 2015-present.

American Institute of Architects (AIA): University liaison to AIA Cincinnati Board of Directors. 2018-present.

Faculty Collaborative for Maximizing Cross Cultural Experiences: committee to enhance impact of university faculty-led study abroad programs, and to intentionally incorporate intercultural competency development and global learning. 2018-2019.

Fostering Just Communities Certificate: Interdisciplinary university committee member to launch and manage new interdisciplinary university certificate. 2017-2018.

Juror: Dencity global design competition to address substandard housing and unintentional communities. https://shelterglobal.org/competition/ 2015.

Guest reviewer: Kent State University CAED, Florence, Italy; final graduate presentations, 2013.

Professional Development

Continually making connections between urban communities and the university, to foster interdisciplinary, collaborative, place-based learning.