“It’s a number of different principles like angularity, bold use of color, pattern texture, simplicity, lots of gray between the indoor/outdoor space and things like that,” Asad said about the Black Aesthetic. “It was very intentional to design a Black building. You don’t always see that in Madison. Serving on the Urban Design Commission, we see a lot of buildings that come before us that are tan and gray. They have just a mild color pattern. Knowing what this building was to the Urban League as the iconic economic generator for the community and entrepreneurship and serving as this hub for innovation, we wanted the building materials, the colors, the form to be iconic as well and be this bold statement in what is becoming a major gateway to Madison along that S. Park Street corridor.”

But that doesn’t mean that Asad worked in isolation from the Urban League. They in essence created the building together.

“I am a big proponent of design justice, which is similar to social justice where I don’t design for clients,” Asad said. “We at JLA — this is one of the things that attracted me to this firm — design with our clients. It’s not me saying, ‘This is what it is going to be.’ It’s me working with the clients to understand what their needs are and designing with them if they are to be the end user of that project. It’s a collaboration with the clients step by step. They tell me what they need, what they like and what they don’t like. And then we work with them to create a building that they will enjoy and use for the long term.“

And yet, in their hearts, architects are also artists who take pride in their work.

“Architects want to give their clients what they want and what they need,” Asad said. “But we also want to guide the design as professionals, create something that is interesting to look at. I think all designers want to have something that they can be proud of and they know that the project is something that they are super proud of. It stands out and the community has definitely received it well. I get a lot of compliments on it. It’s super humbling. I love it.”

And so the designing is more like problem-solving, how to make the client’s dream a reality.

“Architecture is definitely creative,” Asad said. “But we go out and problem-solve. We problem-solve in a way that make the building environment and the landscape of places. Typically it is applying creative solutions to accomplish or solve problems. A client comes in and says, ‘I need this, this and that.’ And then it’s up to us to make it work financially, spacially and creatively. It has to meet all of the technical aspects. Structurally it has to work. It has to be able to stand up and withstand the elements and time. It has to work in terms of usability and a place one will feel comfortable in and something someone wants to be in.”

On the day we took Asad’s photo across the street from The Hub, he mentioned that he had to go over to The Hub afterwards to meet with some of the construction people. As an architect, one doesn’t just draw a design and then move on to the next project. The architect is there from start to finish.

“We create a work plan or blueprint, which is basically just instructions for the contractor or construction team to build,” Asad said. “And a lot of times, just like in conversation, everything doesn’t come across clearly or there is confusion or questions. So we have to answer those questions, either in person or through adjusted or revised drawings to give a little more clarity or details so they can build it the way that you want them to. Our drawings are what clients expect. So that is what contractors should be following. When we go out to do site visits and observations and we see things that are not going up as designed, we correct it because there could be some liabilities there. We always want to make sure that they are following the design because if we design it a certain way and they build it differently and something happens, someone has to take that liability. Nobody wants it and anything bad or unfortunate like that to happen.”

The planning for The Hub began in earnest a little over two years ago. It’s a complicated process that involves a lot of players.

“I want to say that we started the conversation on this in 2021, towards the summer of 2021,” Asad said. “We moved into coming up with a design. This is almost like a stack building. The process takes a little bit longer. We could design the core and shell of the building. But they want to talk about their spacial needs and try to fit those in. That takes a little more planning and massaging spaces to make everyone fit. It’s been a pretty fast project in terms of the people. Construction with the winter is what it is. It’s typically 16 months of construction. But even that has been somewhat of a quick project to get it open for the various events and the on-boarding of tenants and stuff like that.”

One of those players is the city of Madison, which is also involved in almost every phase, either through the committee approval process or inspections during construction.

“You definitely have to know the building codes,” Asad said. “We have a number of resources for our team to stay current on that. That’s part of what I do in my role working on team development and monitoring codes and staying up on continuing education so that everyone is current with codes as they change every couple of years and ordinances as we build in the different districts. The south side has different ordinances than the E. Washington Ave. corridor, the Capitol downtown neighborhood and places like that. You definitely have to be aware of the codes as they change.”

Asad is proud of The Hub. It and other projects he has been involved in will be his mark, his legacy in helping to change the face of Madison.

“Buildings stay around for a very long time,” Asad said. “You can say to a kid, ‘I did this. I worked on it. I was able to contribute to this project and what that does for the community.’ I think that is one of the things that a lot of architects lean on, that they are contributing positively to developing communities and establishing various lives.”

Asad would encourage African American youth to consider architecture as a profession.

“Under two percent of all licensed architects in the country are Black,” Asad observed. “Our numbers are very, very small. It’s almost like unicorns sometimes. People are like, ‘Oh, you’re the first Black architect I’ve ever met.’ It’s unfortunate because if you think about almost every building that goes up has an architect and when you are working for communities of color and you don’t have people from that community working for them, it’s unfortunate. And so, yeah, I would encourage youth to consider architecture. Sometimes we get focused on the fast money or the sports. There are so many challenging and fulfilling careers out there that we as minorities don’t get exposed to because we don’t see those in our everyday lives.”

While Asad and other architects may not be visible, their work speaks for them as they support the work of community leaders.

“I’m just really delighted to be able to support through design on a community level here in Madison,” Asad said. “There’s nothing like working for and helping people like Dr. Anthony, Rev. Gee and Kaleem. We are all working together to serve and uplift the community. To be able to do something that helps them fulfill their mission is a great feeling to be a part of the community that you are actually designing for.”

Rafeeq Asad’s mark on the future of South Madison will be present for generations to come.