Adjaye, who designed the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American Culture and History, which will open in Washington, D.C. in 2015, discussed his current and future projects, while offering advice and sharing his thoughts on architecture.

“I’m always designing for the future, but through the lens of the present,” Adjaye said.

Adjaye was asked to quickly design an original sketch on a notepad.

“Drawing is an obsession; my mind can never stop doing it,” he said to the students.

Jasmine Kent, fourth-year architecture major and president of the National Organization of Minority Architects said meeting Adjaye was like meeting a stranger only to later discover the stranger’s fame.

“Engaging in conversation and getting to know him was inspiring because I saw how firm he is in his beliefs and designs,” Kent said.

Later in the day, Adjaye delivered a lecture to students in the College’s east auditorium.

Adjaye is the founder and principal architect of Adjaye Associates, which has offices in London, New York and Berlin. The firm’s projects include homes, cafes and bars, exhibitions, civic buildings and master plans around the world.

Written by Institue Communications Student Assistant Vett Vandiver.