HINESAD Commissioned as Lead Architect for SHAPE Community Center Restoration

Honoring Legacy, Rebuilding for the Future

HINESAD has been commissioned as lead architect for the restoration and reimagining of the SHAPE Community Center in Houston’s historic Third Ward. Severely damaged by fire, the center has long served as a beacon of Black empowerment, cultural expression, education, and social justice—providing vital resources and programs to generations of Houstonians.

Founded in 1969, SHAPE has been a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s civic identity, housing everything from youth programming and senior services to Pan-African celebrations and social advocacy. HINESAD’s role will be to design a renewed facility that honors the center’s powerful legacy while reimagining its future with flexibility, dignity, and architectural clarity.

The new vision will restore community spaces lost in the fire, enhance public gathering zones, and provide updated infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the organization’s mission. Working closely with SHAPE’s leadership, cultural stewards, and local partners, HINESAD will lead a design process rooted in community voice and spatial justice.

“This is not just a building—it’s a vessel for liberation,” said Daimian Hines. “We are humbled to help rebuild a space that has meant so much to so many.”

Learn more: SHAPE Community Center