Corban helping architecture students design a sustainable future

A man from rural Mississippi is leading the way in sustainable architecture and design in Southwest Florida, guided by values he developed at Mississippi State University.

David Corban was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1965 and lived in a number of rural towns across the South as a child. When it came time to attend college, he felt most at home at the alma mater of several family members: Mississippi State University. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in architecture. Today he is giving back to MSU to ensure current architecture students have access to the latest learning resources.

Corban founded David Corban Architects in Naples, Florida in 2009. He and his team complete cutting-edge projects and designs that are replicated across the country, but those closest to his heart promote involvement in his community. One example is The Naples Players Theatre, or TNP Theatre, a community theatre that delivers outstanding productions of musicals and plays. It also provides services for children with developmental disabilities. TNP’s Arts Access program includes classes that offer adaptive instruction in an environment where every student can grow and participate fully. Every week, the group reaches hundreds of students with developmental disabilities through a mix of improv and musical theatre classes, designed and taught by professional therapists and teachers. David Corban Architects designed a recent renovation that made the theatre’s accessibility and the Arts Access mission possible, transforming the site with modernized theatres, enhanced technical infrastructure and improved accessibility.

Along with executing projects that promote accessibility and non-profit organizations, Corban’s company creates designs and projects that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified. While the practices were not termed “sustainable” or “green” when Corban was in school, he learned about building based on the environment at hand and how, as an architect, he could reduce the impact of greenhouse gases and fossil fuels on the areas around him. He is currently working on a project that is considered “net zero,” one whose result will not use any energy created externally or return any waste to the environment.

His professors at MSU instilled in him a desire to make a difference in his community.

“I use what I learned at Mississippi State every single day,” Corban said. “It informs the way I practice as an architect, and my thinking about projects is directly related to what I learned from my professors.”

The professor who inspired Corban most was Samuel Mockbee, a Mississippi native and professor of architecture. Following his time at MSU, Mockbee founded Rural Studio at Auburn University, an off-campus design-build program located in one of Alabama’s most rural counties. The core mission of Rural Studio is to educate their students and conduct research on sustainable, healthful rural living through housing and vital systems to ensure their communities thrive. Corban said Mockbee was influential to him and informed his practice, not only as an architect, but in how he uses his skills to provide for the less fortunate.

“His influence strongly encouraged thinking about how architecture and your practice can make a difference in people's lives,” Corban said. “Naples is a very wealthy town and, while I could be designing homes for millionaires, I am fortunate to be able to focus my practice on designing structures to serve the greater good.”

Alongside his work in Naples, he serves on the Mississippi State University School of Architecture Advisory Board. As a member, Corban visits the College of Architecture, Art and Design twice a year to receive updates and provide industry insight and support. He enjoys the connections he has made with alumni of all ages. Corban also has given guest lectures on the work he and his team have completed in Naples.

Corban has created a successful career because of his experience at MSU, and he wants to make sure current and future students are able to find that same success.

The David and Carla Corban Foundation Synthesis Studio Fund helps provide materials needed for studio classes in the College of Architecture, Art and Design.

“I hope the gift can help the school and the students meet their goals,” Corban said.

Corban’s time studying architecture at Mississippi State makes a difference for him every day. Because of this profound impact, he wants to give back so current students may continue learning at the highest level, and he hopes his gift inspires his classmates to do the same.