Robert T. Coles

[5] While at MIT, Coles wrote his thesis on urban renewal in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, where he later opened his practice.

Despite being discouraged from considering the profession by his high school teachers and despite being the only African American in his class at the University of Minnesota, Coles was not deterred and went on to have a successful architectural career.

[1] After graduating from MIT and returning from his traveling fellowship in Europe, Coles worked for firms such as Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, Carl Koch and Associates and Techbuilt, before opening his own practice in 1963.

[1] Community engagement became a crux of Coles's career, and he continued to pursue diversity, inclusion, and equity in his work.

[6] Coles was also an outspoken critic of the field of architecture, advocating for better equity, access, and opportunities for women and minority practitioners.