NOMAS Exhibition — Joshua Chiang

The Rice student chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) held an exhibition titled Contextualizing Africa from April 24 to May 7, 2023. Designed and curated with Isabelle Ndmouy-Kouakou and Kexuan Shang, the exhibition was convened to enhance the presence of non-western architecture among architectural institutions. As the first exhibition by NOMAS Rice, Contexualizing Africa calls into question how architectural traditions can be reimagined in ways that celebrate plurality and catalyze social change. The exhibition displayed the work of emerging and established architectural practices, including Adengo Architecture, Active Social Architecture, Cave_bureau, Koffi & Diabaté Architectes, Mabeo Studio, Noero Architects, and Ramos Castellano Arquitectos.
In January 2024, Contexualizing Africa was exhibited in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In February 2025, the exhibition opened at the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Exhibition Assembly Diagram

Project Booklets

Material Considerations

Based on a condensed fabrication timeline and accounting for itinerant exhibitions, the installation pieces are designed based on off-the-shelf components that are cost-effective and readily available in the United States. Standard EMT conduit pipes are assembled using a predetermined toolkit of fittings to construct the center table. The display system for the hand-bound project booklets is made with galvanized steel cable that is fastened across the conduit pipes.

Table Design Axon

Table Assembly Details

Software:
Rhinoceros 3D
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign

Special thanks:
Anwuli C.
Prea D.
Ekene E.
Razella F.
Manuella G.
Dante G. R.

Sarai H.
Alexander J.
Stuti M.
Christopher S.
Jessica S.
Max S.