Okay.  So maybe I didn’t exactly say word for word that David Adjaye would someday be one of FastCompany’s Masters of Design for 2009.  But I could have been thinking it And look, two months later, it’s happened.

We first talked about David back in August when he was featured on afiive as having that “Phenom Factor;” given this new distinction, it seems like he’s only getting better.  And the recognition is well deserved – found this great video clip of him talking about how he tries to use his passion for design to transform spaces and in small ways, change the world.  Check it out, its only 2 minutes:

Not only does he stand out as one of the most accomplished architects of his time, having done so at an age that almost denotes infancy in the architectural world (he’s 43), you can appreciate the level of respect he has for design and it’s power.  Plus, he continually keeps it real in his interviews.  The FastCompany piece has lots of good info, especially if you are a design-head, but quite possibly one of my favorite parts is where he discusses his “blackness”:

“People say I’m an African architect, but even saying ‘African’ is way too general. You wouldn’t say ‘European architecture’ — Iberian architecture is very different from Scandinavian architecture.” He adds, “I’m Ghanaian. That’s my sensibility. Technique is what I’ve learned from the West. So I say I’m a British-Ghanaian architect.”

Good stuff.  Check out the entire article here, and for more Master of Design stuff in general, click here.

Related posts:

1. Phenom Factor: David Adjaye
2. Moving Buildings in Dubai
3. Sexiest Africans 2009