‘A Magic Moment’: Moid Ali’s First Crown Hall Visit Spurred Love of Chicago Architecture
A conflict grew in Moid Ali (B.ARCH ’23) as high school graduation neared: an interest in engineering and a love of art were pulling him in different directions as he scoured for the perfect college major, and time was running out.
Then Ali found “the right fit in the middle:” architecture. He searched the Midwest for architecture schools, aiming to stay close to his family in Indianapolis. One trip to Chicago cemented his future. “It was a magic moment when I walked into Crown Hall,” Ali says.
As a student, Ali found an affinity for conceptual thinking and design in architecture that kept him enthralled. Student organizations also were pivotal to Ali’s time at IIT’s College of Architecture, starting with the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), which he joined in his first year. “It’s super important socially and professionally. I’ve made so many friends, and it’s inspiring to see my peers so passionate about shared interests,” he says.
NOMAS opened doors to internships and events with top architectural firms, Ali says. Friends, support, and opportunities were only part of what NOMAS offered. “It is exciting to see diversity in architecture represented in college and the profession, which is not what we always learn in school. I’m inspired to see faces like mine,” he says.
Ali brought that sense of community to a different passion when he co-founded the Art Club at IIT. Students from all majors are welcome. “It’s a lot of fun seeing new insights on how art relates to engineering, architecture, or computer science. It’s a break from standard university programs,” Ali says.
Two internships—one with a large West Coast architectural firm and another with a Chicago-based landscape architect—gave Ali a wide range of professional experiences. “It was interesting to see how a west coast corporate environment was different than the one in Chicago,” Ali says.
The growing importance of sustainability led to Ali’s first venture into politics. He’s called senators and representatives about how they can push and enforce environmentally protective actions, from timber buildings to other kinds of sustainable construction techniques, which he hopes will protect the city he’s grown to love. “It’s amazing looking at Chicago with a group of friends, seeing it from different perspectives. This is why I came here,” he says.
