September 18, 2025
METROPOLIS Future100: Where Are They Now?
The METROPOLIS Future100 program celebrates the next generation of designers and architects, recognizing students who demonstrate outstanding talent, creativity, and leadership. Each year, alumni from the program go on to make significant contributions to the built environment and beyond. In this series, we’re catching up with past Future100 honorees to see how the recognition has shaped their careers and what advice they have for today’s emerging designers.
Viviane Pedruco
Future100 Class of 2022
Degree: Master of Arts in Interior Architecture + Design, Marymount University
Current Role: Interior Designer II, Perkins&Will, Washington, DC
What kind of work are you doing now?
I’m an Interior Designer II at Perkins&Will in Washington, DC, working across Healthcare, Higher Education, and Science & Technology projects. I support senior designers in all phases of design, from concept to completion, including coordination with contractors and clients to ensure cohesive, high-quality outcomes.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
I’ve grown into a stronger collaborator at Perkins&Will, supporting new hires and colleagues, and enhancing my abilities as a mentor—my true passion—by advising students outside of work hours through guidance, feedback, and professional development opportunities. I’ve also expanded my technical expertise and my ability to think about design holistically, blending creativity with complex technical requirements that only practice can teach, from start to finish.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
It brought me national visibility and credibility early on, opening doors to professional networks, panels, travel opportunities, and collaborations I might not have had otherwise. It also reinforced my dedication to creating inclusive, meaningful, human-centered design and to giving back to the community that helped me along the way.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Your path and growth don’t need to be linear. Every experience, even those outside design, can be a valuable asset. Stay curious, keep learning, and invest in genuine relationships. Your unique background holds power—trust it, and let it shape the kind of designer you aspire to be. Try not to compare yourself to anyone else!
Yaxuan Liu
Future100 Class of 2021
Degree: Master of Architecture I, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Current Role: Creative Lead, SOSO
What kind of work are you doing now?
I’m currently Creative Lead at SOSO, where I design and oversee large-scale interactive installations and digital experiences that merge art, architecture, and technology. My latest project is a 45-foot-tall sculpture that reveals flows of digital data at the University of Virginia. Right now, I’m leading the design of a large wall sculpture for a biomedical company and directing the overhaul of digital signage and artwork displays at Lincoln Center in New York, which we’re calling the InfoScape. Each project is about creating immersive, poetic experiences that bring storytelling into physical space.
Beyond my work at SOSO, I’m developing an architecture exhibition at Yale University with my partner, Izzy Kornblatt. We’ve also recently designed several interior projects. It’s been exciting to build something more experimental alongside my studio practice.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
One of the things I’m most proud of is learning how to be resourceful with limited means. Many of the projects I’ve led have been ambitious in scale and vision but faced strict constraints—budgetary, spatial, or otherwise. Those constraints pushed me to think creatively about how to deliver meaningful experiences in unconventional ways, from experimenting with and sourcing new materials to leveraging technology to amplify the physical realm.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
Future100 recognition came at a pivotal moment for me, right as I was transitioning from graduate school into practice. It gave me visibility and validation, but just as importantly, it encouraged me to trust the design approach that I was still developing at the time.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Don’t be afraid to work across scales and disciplines. Some of the most exciting opportunities I’ve had have come from pushing beyond the traditional boundaries of architecture. When you step outside your comfort zone, you discover methods and perspectives you didn’t know you needed. For me, that has meant experimenting with new digital tools, exploring unfamiliar materials, and collaborating with people in fields like art, manufacturing, and computer programming. Each of these experiences has broadened my view of the world and given me new ways to think about design.
Kasey Erffmeyer
Future100 Class of 2023
Degree: Bachelor of Interior Architecture and Design, Colorado State University
Current Role: Interior Designer, HLW International
What kind of work are you doing now?
I am an interior designer at HLW International, working across a variety of sectors including adaptive reuse, hospitality, media and entertainment, and workplace design.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
Since being named to the Future100, I am proud of how I’ve pushed myself to become more involved in the industry and build meaningful connections. It was an honor to be selected for the inaugural 1st NeoCon program last year, and the connections I made there led to several exciting opportunities, like being invited to speak on industry panels and share my perspective as an emerging professional. I’ve also enjoyed becoming more engaged with my local design community through IIDA and WWIRE events, which have helped me grow both personally and professionally.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
After graduating college, I worked for a residential firm designing custom homes in the mountains of Colorado. I never planned on leaving Colorado, but in October 2023, I received a LinkedIn message from HLW’s managing director in Los Angeles, who had seen my portfolio in METROPOLIS Magazine’s Future100 issue and wanted to interview me. Within a few weeks, I was living in Los Angeles and working on projects at a much larger scale. At HLW, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with clients like Google and Landmark Theatres, and to immerse myself in the rich culture and history of Los Angeles. The Future100 recognition took me to places I never dreamed I’d go and inspired me to keep pushing the boundaries of what I thought was possible.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Use every opportunity to make connections, build your portfolio, and learn from the experienced professionals around you. Don’t be afraid to take risks and dream big—our industry needs creative, thoughtful designers who prioritize the health and well-being of people and the planet!
Jack Freedman
Future100 Class of 2024
Degree: Master of Architecture with Distinction, SCI-Arc
Current Role: Design Manager, Furniture & Styling, Rivian
What kind of work are you doing now?
I’m a Design Manager of Furniture & Styling at Rivian, an American electric vehicle maker. I’m part of Rivian’s Brand Experience team, which, as part of the larger Environments group, designs physical brand touch points like our retail spaces, pop-ups, events, activations, and workplace/production facilities. Specifically, the Furniture & Styling team designs and sources furniture for those projects, as well as sets the FF&E standards company-wide.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
While it’s not the first time I’ve learned this, it has certainly been the most impactful: an architecture degree is valuable not just in the architecture profession, but in the design world at large. Like many of my peers, I found job hunting post-graduation tedious, frustrating, and at times hopeless. It took a lot of work, patience, and support to reaffirm my commitment to finding what I wanted to do (and who I wanted to do it with): “architecture” for non-architects. I’m thrilled to have found that with Rivian.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
More than anything, it has given me the confidence to explore the world of design without the fear that I’m making the wrong decision or that I’m not good enough for the roles and responsibilities I’ve been given. I can point to the Future100 as a key driver of this confidence.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Invest time into your portfolio! You’re not the only one who forgot to take progress photos of your projects, but from now on, don’t forget. More than a series of images and explanatory blurbs, your portfolio presents a unique opportunity to develop the story of your work and practice. The more developed that story is, the more you stand out as a design thinker.
Winnie Lin
Future100 Class of 2025
Degree: Master of Interior Design, First Professional, The University of Texas at Austin
Current Role: Design Professional I, HKS, Salt Lake City
What kind of work are you doing now?
I’m on the Experience Interiors team at HKS, working on sports and entertainment projects. A lot of my work focuses on concept development, cultural research, and crafting experiential narratives through visuals and design.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
Since being named to the Future100, I’ve officially joined HKS full time. One of the things I’m most proud of is finding ways to bring my background in graphic design into my interior design practice. Especially when it comes to storytelling, it’s been exciting to see how that intersection can lead to more layered and meaningful experiences in the spaces we create.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
What’s meant the most to me has been the people I’ve gotten to meet through the program. Being invited to roundtables and connecting with other Future100 alumni made me feel like I’m part of something bigger. There’s a real sense of community, and knowing there are others out there navigating this path too has been both comforting and inspiring. The visibility has also opened doors I’m really grateful for.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Believe in your unique perspective. Everyone has one. Find ways to bring your story into your work and let that guide you. Be curious and stay curious—that is where the most meaningful design begins.
Evelyn Krutoy
Future100 Class of 2024
Degree: Bachelor of Architecture, The Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York
What kind of work are you doing now?
I’m currently updating my portfolio and reviewing what kind of work I’d like to do moving forward. This is the first time in my conscious life that I’m not in school, and I have a lot to process. Taking a break has helped me appreciate the architecture and design field outside of the school environment where I’ve been studying it for the last seven years—especially after feeling burnt out in my last year. I’m ready to keep going now that I know once again that I’m in the right place.
What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
Since being named to the Future100 earlier this year, I’ve learned how to be a teacher—or rather, I’ve begun learning, since it’s definitely a lifelong process. I taught architecture and design principles with the Publicolor organization at the Pratt campus in Brooklyn this summer. Especially with the wide age range I had, I experienced the significance of patience and being concise and honest with my students.
How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
The Future100 recognition gave me a big boost of confidence in my last year of architecture school when I was feeling lost and unmotivated. It gave me a reason to reach out to my former professors and mentors to thank them for their support and to stay connected. It has helped me recognize myself as an emerging part of the network of design professionals.
What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Your success comes from your security in your work. You have to find yourself in your overall work in school, and that security will give you the confidence not just to keep going, but to continue on your personal journey in education and in work beyond.
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