Tampa Architect Jerel McCants Explores Architecture’s Role in Shaping Societies in Newly Released Audiobook

McCants explores how design has shaped societies and challenges today’s architects to consider the lasting social impact of the spaces they create.

TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The buildings, streets and neighborhoods people move through every day do more than define a city. They can influence who has access, who feels welcome and how communities interact.

Tampa-based architect, published author and national keynote speaker Jerel McCants, AIA, LEED Green Associate, explores that relationship in his book, Architecture of Segregation: The Hierarchy of Spaces and Places, an examination of how architecture, urban planning and public policy have both reflected and reinforced racial, ethnic and social divisions throughout history.

Drawing from his architectural training, personal experiences and travels to more than 30 countries, McCants examines the built environment through a perspective rarely considered by the general public: the intent behind the spaces people occupy.

“Architecture is not simply about what we build. It is about understanding why spaces were designed the way they were, who they served and how those decisions continue to affect communities,” said McCants.

Published by Two Penny Publishing, Architecture of Segregation traces the relationship between architecture and societal division across generations and cultures. McCants examines historical periods ranging from Indigenous communities in North America and the African diaspora through the Triangular Slave Trade to the legal and physical infrastructure surrounding segregation in the United States.

The book also explores pivotal developments including Plessy v. Ferguson and Jim Crow-era laws, examining how legal frameworks and social systems influenced architecture, urban planning and the ways communities were physically organized.

Rather than simply documenting the past, McCants challenges architects, urban planners, policymakers and community leaders to consider the ethical responsibility attached to shaping the built environment and the role design can play in either reinforcing barriers or creating more connected communities.

That conversation has particular significance in McCants’ home city of Tampa.

Through Jerel McCants Architecture Inc., the award-winning architecture firm he founded in 2009, McCants is helping preserve landmarks that tell important chapters of Tampa’s history.

McCants is leading architectural work associated with the restoration of Tampa Union Station, the city’s historic passenger rail station that has stood for more than a century. His firm is also the architect of record for the restoration of the Jackson House, the historic boarding house that provided accommodations to Black travelers, entertainers and other visitors during segregation when many hotels would not serve African Americans.

For McCants, the preservation work and the themes explored in Architecture of Segregation intersect. Historic buildings provide tangible evidence of how previous generations lived, traveled, gathered and navigated the social structures of their time.

“Preservation allows us to do more than save a building. It allows us to preserve the stories embedded within it so future generations can understand the people, decisions and history that shaped their communities,” McCants said.

The release of the book expands McCants’ work beyond the traditional boundaries of architectural practice. He speaks nationally about architecture, preservation, urban planning and the social implications of design, bringing the perspective of a practicing architect to conversations about how communities are built and how they can evolve.

An audiobook edition of Architecture of Segregation is also now available, expanding access to McCants’ research and perspective for listeners, students, professionals and readers interested in architecture, history, urban planning and community development.

Architecture of Segregation: The Hierarchy of Spaces and Places is available in print and audiobook formats on Amazon.

About Jerel McCants

Jerel McCants, AIA, LEED Green Associate, is the Principal-in-Charge of Jerel McCants Architecture, Inc., an award-winning Tampa-based architecture firm serving clients across six states. A published author and national keynote speaker, McCants has built a career spanning architecture, historic preservation, civic, educational, cultural, residential and commercial projects.

McCants earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Tennessee State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of South Florida. His travels to more than 30 countries across six continents, combined with his professional practice and personal experiences, helped inspire Architecture of Segregation: The Hierarchy of Spaces and Places.

Through his architecture, preservation work, writing and speaking, McCants encourages professionals and communities to examine not only what is built, but the cultural, historical and societal impact of the spaces people create.

About Jerel McCants Architecture, Inc.

Founded in 2009, Jerel McCants Architecture is a Tampa-based boutique firm delivering award-winning design across government, military, commercial, civic, religious, educational, and residential markets. The award-winning firm is licensed to serve clients in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Tennessee and Michigan and has completed projects ranging from contemporary development to historic preservation.

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