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the structure from my mom and the creativity from my dad." His educational path extended across seven years to embrace multiple degrees from Prairie View A&M: a B.S. in architecture, a minor in construction science, and a master of architecture towards his goal of becoming a certified architect. He's done a stint at Gensler and, most recently, six years at PGAL, where he was an associate, designing everything from airports to municipal and high-rise buildings. Then plants entered the picture. "Four or five years ago, I moved into my apartment complex," he says. "It's from the 1940s. We only have 20 units total, so it's a really close-knit community. I got in really good with the owner, John Deal, and the property manager. He let us take over the entire landscape area. We turned it into vegetables, fruit, a composting system." Others caught the wave, within this vintage complex where he still lives, everyone's patio area is now covered with plants. In late 2020, the artist — who had been designing furniture as a personal project and by now was deep into plants — veered away from his steady architectural gig at PGAL. "I made the decision to commit to my art career full-time," he says. "Since then, honestly, the universe has provided so much for me. It's ridiculous." He plans to add a downtown space soon, to be activated with chef events that give back to the Fourth Ward's Freedmen's Town Conservancy. Furniture- design commissions — from a foliage wall and his tree-stump table to a planter-encircled seating group, which he'll unveil at CAMH — for private clients are humming along. And another major Houston museum has come to call about a potential project. (Continued from page 87) PLANT MAN COMING TO CAMH Let me guide you home in Houston. Who you work with matters. Andrew McCain 30 Years • Houston Realtor ® 29 Years • Top Sales Producer 713.526.4847 andrewmccain@compass.com Andrew McCain is a real estate agent affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by federal, state and local laws. Equal housing opportunity. River Oaks 3702 Olympia West University 2646 Tangley Boulevard Oaks 1620 South Blvd Glendower Court 2401 Kingston River Oaks 2122 Del Monte Boulevard Oaks 2003 Milford Heights 1903 W 15th River Oaks 2007 F Brun SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD