Metropolis to Name its Inaugural Future100

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In these challenging times, Metropolis wants to help students find work in this profession and design firms recruit their next superstar architect or designer. Its inaugural Future100 program was conceived as a connector of top, diverse talent with leading design firms.

In 2021, Metropolis is designating the top 100 graduating students (undergraduate and graduate programs) from the best architecture and interior design schools in the United States and Canada. Students were recently notified of their honor and Metropolis will publish the list in the March/April issue and feature it on metropolismag.com/future100 in April.

A call for submissions took place in the Fall of 2020. In response to the low representation of BIPOC professionals throughout the architecture and design industry, Metropolis actively encouraged the inclusion of students from underrepresented groups. Metropolis received a diverse pool of nearly 300 candidates who were nominated by their professor or a professional in the industry. Metropolis vetted nominees based on creativity, rigor, skill and professionalism with the result being 50 architecture and 50 interior design talents who have worked on workplace, hospitality, healthcare, retail, residential, and outdoor projects or completed research projects in sustainability, inclusivity, and technology. The Future100 is a diverse group that represents the industry of tomorrow with 75 of the list female, 1 in 3 BIPOC, and 20% identifying as LGBTQ+.

The Future100 will be graduating from 50 leading architecture and interior design schools, including Columbia University, Cornell, Harvard, Rice University, University of Pennsylvania, Auburn, Kent State University, Pratt, Savannah College of Art and Design, Texas Tech University, and Virginia Tech, among others.

In the announcement letter to the recipients of this honor, Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of Metropolis wrote, "We were blown away by the quality of work you and your peers submitted and we feel that you represent a bright future for our industry—one of beautiful, thoughtful, innovate, sustainable, and inclusive design."

One of the Future100 winners, Hannah Koch, an interior design and architecture student from the University of Minnesota posted on LinkedIn, "After what has been a tumultuous year for so many, including navigating the last year of my degree virtually due to COVID-19, I am pleased to announce that I have been selected as one of Metropolis Top 100 Future Designers for 2021…I look forward to what life after graduation presents me."

The Future100 Class of 2021, is sponsored by CannonDesign, a global architecture, engineering and consulting practice and NELSON Worldwide, an architecture, interior design, and brand strategy firm. This program is in partnership with Interface, a global manufacturer of commercial flooring with a commitment to restoring the planet and creating a climate fit for life and working with the next generation in doing so.

Metropolis' Future100 is a unique program to spot the next generation of talent who will provide more equal representation for the work being generated across the country and around the world. The whole industry will want to see this next crop of architecture and interior design talent and their new vision for spaces, their breakthrough concepts in sustainability and wellness, and how they tackle the challenges of tomorrow. 

About Metropolis:

Metropolis is the architecture and design industry's most compelling content creator/ storyteller, tackling the biggest challenges and opportunities in the industry, including sustainability, technology, and social impact. Audiences come to Metropolis to go behind the scenes, understand breakthrough ideas, and stay ahead of the curve. Primary content areas are print publications, digital platforms, and event series. Metropolis is part of the SANDOW Design Group along with Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, DesignTV by SANDOW, ThinkLab, MediaJet, and NYCxDESIGN. 

SOURCE Metropolis Magazine