Samuel Mockbee sincerely believed that everyone deserves a warm space to eat, sleep, play and live in dignity.

Driven to make life better for  the residents of underserved communities in the deep South, Mockbee intended to break down the modern interpretations of architecture.

“Architecture has to be greater than just architecture. It has to address social values, as well as technical and aesthetic values. On top of that, the one true gift that an architect has is his or her imagination. We take something ordinary and elevate it to something extraordinary.”

Interestingly enough, Mockbee’s outlook on architecture as a humantiarian gesture was heavily influenced by Modernist poet William Carlos Williams. Sambo followed Williams’ direction when the poet described the best architect being a person “with the most profound insight into the lives of the community.” This idea is also highly prevalent in Mockbee’s works of art.