Germane Barnes
Germane Barnes manages the Arts & Recreation Center for the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation as their Designer-In-Residence. A graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Woodbury University, his Master of Architecture final project, entitled “Symbiotic Dwellings: Architectural Interrogations Of Race, Identity, And Community” was awarded the Thesis Prize. Barnes’ expertise in the built environment includes issues of race and identity as well as a strong commitment to connect the public with design. Currently he is also a lecturer in the School of Architecture at the University of Miami. He has previously taught graduate seminars, and workshops at Woodbury University. A 2015 Curbed.com Young Gun, his design and research contributions have been published and exhibited in several international publications and institutions.
B.U.S. Miami
My idea is to increase the use of Miami mass transit through the use of smart bus stops. Titled “B.U.S. Miami” [(Building United Spaces) in Miami] is an energy efficient, modular bus shelter. Patrons who purchase bus tickets gain free access to use the shelter’s amenities, not limited to a mobile charging station and umbrella sharing system to protect from rain or heat. Those who don’t purchase a ticket can still pay to use the shelter’s amenities. This initiative would decrease Miami’s car dependence as waiting for a bus is no longer taxing.