UWM architecture alum wins awards, builds bridges for Black architects

Architect and UWM alum Richie Hands looks out a window to the city of Milwaukee

As a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Richie Hands had a building-block moment. He’d completed an assignment for a studio class taught by James Shields, an associate professor of architecture. But this bit of feedback from Shields was different, and particularly to-the-point: “Good luck,” as Hands remembers it.