Dr. Christian Coles

Biography

Christian Coles has a passion for designing minority communities, particularly the African American community, through examining the human experience in architecture and urban design while incorporating psychological principles into the design process. He studied both architecture and psychology concurrently at the Georgia Institute of Technology, obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a certificate in Psychology in May 2016. After graduation, he continued his education at the University of Michigan, focusing on the connections between architectural design and urban design, and human psychology. His thesis addressed the history of racially restrictive urban planning practices in Newport News, Virginia, which created challenges for the African American community and present movements to reconcile these issues. Coles has previously taught studios at Kennesaw State University, focusing on Cultural Efficacy in Design and Regenerative Urban Design in the neighborhood of Sweet Auburn in Atlanta. He is currently affiliated with Chasm Architecture, a diverse firm in Atlanta, GA, where he works on projects that bridge architecture, community planning, and urban design, and teaches a course on African American Design Aesthetics through CPDI Africa.

Research Interests