Meet Ibrahim Greenidge of BOLT Architecture

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ibrahim Greenidge.

Ibrahim, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a child two buildings captured my fascination – a repurposed two-story frame house on Foster Avenue in Brooklyn, New York which operated as our mosque and the substance abuse clinic where my mom worked, a three-story red brick building in need of physical rehab. Both buildings seemed ill-suited to heal souls.

In high school, I began studying model building and trying to understand how buildings worked. I took shop, technical drawing, architectural drawing, and computer-aided drafting (C.A.D.) classes. A teacher put a battery in my back after advising me (and other other black students) to go into repairs. He said I’d be a great mechanic.

In college, I was ill-prepared, under-resourced, and overworked.  For the first two years of school, I juggled full-time enrollment with four jobs.  After interning at three different New York City firms, I landed a job with a top 50 design firm.

After a brief trip to Africa, I had a Dave Chappelle moment and quit my job.  After obtaining my license to practice architecture, I co-founded BOLT, a Brooklyn-based collaborative architectural lab that specializes in the transformation of spaces that manifest new and innovative ideas.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At my last place of employment, during the housing crisis of 2008, my work shifted from educational and infrastructure projects to correctional projects. As a black male who has witnessed friends and family incarcerated, with little rehabilitation, I felt prisons were the antithesis to many of the building codes where we taught to design from.  I began to recognize the role architecture plays in the school to prison pipeline, and I saw an opportunity to practice social justice design.

The transition from employee to an employer has not been smooth. Architecture school does not prepare you to run a business.  Most of the challenges I have had to overcome are gaps in knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship. Running a thriving business and finding capital is an ongoing education. Now in my 8th year, our focus is on refining the operations and exceeding customer expectations.

BOLT Architecture – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
BOLT Architecture, PLLC is a full-service architectural firm servicing NY, NJ, MD, MI. We are fortunate to have worked on an array of project types from residential single-family homes to multifamily buildings, commercial sectors in public buildings, hospitality, education, and places of worship. We design smart and sustainable buildings.  We value collaboration, education, and integrity and each of these values is instilled into every project.

In this phase of development, we focus on passion-based projects for homeowners and entrepreneurs making a difference. These clients value high touch, education, exposure to new ideas, and cost-saving measures.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience is integral to success.  Architecture, among other STEM fields, is inhibitive to women and people of color. The over 2,100 registered black architects have demonstrated an ability to overcome the stench and hardships of racism, sexism, classism, and xenophobia. Grit is a consistent effort. Optimism is the encouragement necessary. Yet resilience is what enables us to bounce back after struggling or failing. Without it, we give up on our dreams, goals, and aspirations.

Contact Info:

• Address: 635 Rogers Ave. Suite 100, Brooklyn, NY 11226 (main studio)
• Website: https://www.boltarchitecture.com/
• Phone: 3478295731
• Email: boltarchitecture@gmail.com
• Instagram: @boltarchitecture ; @ibrahimthearchitect
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Boltarchitecture

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