Metropolis Editors Archives - Metropolis https://metropolismag.com/tag/metropolis-editors/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 20:13:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://metropolismag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ME_Favicon_32x32_2023.png Metropolis Editors Archives - Metropolis https://metropolismag.com/tag/metropolis-editors/ 32 32 Metropolis Connect Unites Architects & Manufacturers at Lake Tahoe https://metropolismag.com/programs/metropolis-connect-unites-architects-manufacturers-in-lake-tahoe/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 20:06:41 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_program&p=119163 The inaugural event took place September 15-17 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Resort, bringing creatives together to connect and collaborate.

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October 30, 2025

Metropolis Connect Unites Architects & Manufacturers at Lake Tahoe

Against the backdrop of Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe’s breathtaking vistas, the annual gathering took place from September 14-16 to connect architects, designers, and manufacturers.

By: Metropolis Editors

The 2025 METROPOLIS Connect event seamlessly integrated with INTERIOR DESIGN’s renowned biannual re:Source gathering. This dynamic collaboration brought together an expanded network of architects, designers, and product manufacturers, fostering an environment ripe for meaningful connections and dynamic conversations. By bringing together seasoned leaders with emerging talents, the event not only amplified opportunities for collaboration but also strengthened the industry’s collective impact, setting the stage for transformative ideas and business growth.

“What stands out is the focused and enthusiastic nature of all attendees,” a product representative remarked. While another manufacturer shared, “MET Connect truly created an environment where meaningful conversations could take place. We were able to listen, learn, and better understand what professionals are seeking for their projects, while also showcasing the performance, sustainability, and versatility of our products.”

The same sentiment resonated throughout the event, as attendees from across the industry gathered in Lake Tahoe to engage in dynamic discussions, expand their knowledge, and foster meaningful connections.

Throughout the event, attendees engaged in informative meetings, exchanging ideas, and discovering innovative products, all while enjoying Lake Tahoe’s picturesque clear waters and skies. They participated in concise, impactful sessions—including Material Bank’s interactive discussions—and experienced the local flair: custom hat-making and guided hikes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

One architect shared, “The manufacturers were engaging, the sessions were practical, and I walked away with insights I can immediately apply.”

A very special thank you to our MET Connect event partners: Accurate Lock and Hardware, Turf, Nichiha, Rulon International, and Windfall + Cambio.

The carbon footprint for the event was offset by Material Bank.

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]]> Rediscovering Tile for Sustainable Design https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/rediscovering-tile-for-sustainable-design/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:23:40 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_viewpoint&p=119625 AHF’s Noah Chitty explains how advanced manufacturing and recycling innovation are helping this age-old material meet the demands of sustainable design today.

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Photo courtesy AHF

October 27, 2025

Rediscovering Tile for Sustainable Design

AHF’s Noah Chitty explains how advanced manufacturing and recycling innovation are helping this age-old material meet the demands of sustainable design today.

By: Metropolis Editors

Tiles are among the most enduring building materials. Glazed brick tiles have been discovered in archaeological sites and in ancient and medieval buildings around the world. The first glazed porcelain tiles, which date back to 15th-century China, are still around today. And yet, when one thinks of sustainable building products, tile might not be the first to come to mind.

More often than not, today’s building industry—with its culture of constructing and demolishing—fails to take advantage of tile’s inherent sustainability. In today’s context, we require that building materials have the lowest possible carbon footprint and be easily reused or recycled. So, how can tile—with its thousands of years of history—fit into today’s frameworks? And how can we build better with this time-tested material in North America? 

In the latest episode of Deep Green, created in partnership with AHF and Crossville, host Avi Rajagopal sits down with Noah Chitty, vice president of sustainability and technical services for AHF. Part of the AHF family of brands, Crossville has made great strides in optimizing tile manufacturing by innovating with new technologies and providing transparent information to the design community—efforts Chitty has helped drive. To learn how this ancient material is being reimagined for a more sustainable future, read an excerpt from their conversation below or listen to the full episode on the Surround Podcast Network.

Avi Rajagopal: Could you give us an introduction to sustainability in tiles? What makes the ceramic tile inherently sustainable, and where is the scope for improvement? 

Noah Chitty: If we look back and take a general view of it, probably durability and low maintenance are the two things that stick out. It depends on when we say what’s sustainable about it, who the audience is, and what is the customer looking for when they look for sustainability. 

The qualities of durability that you talked about have been around for a long time, and the easy-to-maintain aspect takes care of some of the harsher chemicals. Innovation in the tile industry has come from digital printing 10–15 years ago, which allows us to replicate natural materials—or anything else—much better than we used to. Pressing has changed in the last 10 years too, allowing for larger sizes and thinner profiles, which also have sustainability benefits from using less energy to fire. So, we have lots of opportunities, just like any other industry.

AR: Given the current landscape, how did Crossville determine its carbon emissions goals? I understand sustainability in general, but when it comes to carbon footprints—which became a topic of discussion a decade ago, particularly regarding embodied carbon materials and building products—could you take us back in time and explain the initial steps Crossville took to establish its focus? 

NC: The first step probably started in 2013 with the first EPD we published—a product EPD in 2014. That allowed us, like everyone else who takes this step, to understand what the baseline is, what our product is, and what it’s doing. It probably wasn’t until the second EPD in 2019 that we saw we could reduce things through simple steps, like changing motors and other components that weren’t as efficient as they could be. 

That’s when we realized we could make progress. It also helped us understand the impact of natural gas and electricity, which we have less ability to control. We started to look at what we can control now and what we can build on long-term. This process led us to set a 30 percent reduction goal by 2030. For a long time, many organizations had 2050 goals, but we realized that if we wait until 2050, we either won’t achieve it, or it’ll be too late. So, the goal came from asking, “What can we do if we work really hard without making it too easy?”

Honestly, more than just reducing carbon emissions, it was important for me to start a conversation about carbon emissions—to get people to understand what they are and what we’re targeting. Could we add an extra column to the ROI spreadsheet that asks, “Does this achieve all our objectives, and does it reduce emissions too?” 

That conversation was the most important part—more than the goal itself. 

AR: Often, that’s the case when it comes to carbon assessment. We’ve done things a certain way for so long, and while our methods have evolved—obviously for some advantages, such as producing efficient and affordable products—it’s important to reconsider these processes. 

Once you layer a carbon assessment onto these methods, it prompts you to think about your processes differently. Could you take a step back and explain how tiles are made? Also, could you highlight some of the concerns you just pointed out?  

NC: I’m going to focus more on the porcelain process because that’s mainly what we’re making, but it’s not much different from some of the others. Porcelain tile is mainly made of three things: feldspar, which makes up about 50 percent of the body. It’s a material that naturally occurs in granite and is extracted from granite; about 30 percent is clay, a mixture of different clays that gives us low carbon and high strength. Then there’s usually a filler like sand or quartz, making up the remaining 20 percent—in those ratios: 50, 30, 20. What’s important, since we’re essentially taking three materials from the earth, is that we’re close to them. That’s why we’re here in Tennessee, where we have easy access.

We take these raw materials and add a whole bunch of water and grind them into a mix. We can add color if needed, and then we turn it into a powder—a little coarser than beach sand—with a moisture content that allows us to pack it into a die. We press it hard, bring it out, dry it a bit so it doesn’t retain too much water, and then put it through a kiln at almost 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. It sounds simple, but it’s not simple.

AR: In what parts of this process did you realize that there was scope for reducing carbon emissions? 

NC: Scope 3 emissions are obviously harder to figure out and have less ability to control. So, you look at Scope 1 and Scope 2 and say, “Okay, where’s the opportunity with natural gas, where’s the opportunity with electricity?” We found when we did our last EPD that TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority), which provides us with energy here in Tennessee, is actually better than the national grid mix. We saw a better reduction in our last EPD when using our mix as opposed to the national grid mix.  

One of the things we can do is figure out where TVA is going and how quickly they are going to get greener. In the meantime, because we’ve still got natural gas—which has some potential for improvements but is still a fossil fuel—it is going to be what it’s going to be. 

The opportunities we’re looking at include determining if we are using that gas as efficiently as possible. Are we firing at 55 minutes? Could we fire at 53 minutes? Do we have a tile that’s nine and a half millimeters thick? Could it be nine millimeters thick? Can we recycle more things? So, those were the initial considerations: let’s go see if we’re doing everything as optimally as possible and using these things—like gas and electricity, that we can’t get rid of immediately—in the best and most efficient way. I think we still have some strides to make before we hit the wall.  

Photo courtesy AHF

AR: You have EPDs so people can see the carbon footprint of your products, but you also offer a few collections of carbon-neutral tiles. Tell me a little about at least the two newest ones—Billion and Arjun 2.0—and how you achieve carbon neutrality.

NC: The first thing that may not be apparent is that there’s nothing different about those two collections compared to the other collections we make. Those collections that we call carbon neutral aren’t manufactured any differently than any other collections. 

Those were collections we decided to take to the market and say, “Hey, you guys were asking us for carbon-neutral, zero-carbon products. We can’t provide you with zero-carbon products today because we don’t have the technology to get there, but here’s what we can do—let’s start having a conversation and push things forward.”  

In my view, if we can’t eliminate gas and electricity today, and the client need a product that’s carbon neutral, my only available path is to lower my carbon footprint as quickly as possible and offset in the interim. It’s buying into the problem, but I think a lot of people perceive it as buying out of the problem. We must make sure we have this conversation that clarifies it’s buying in, especially if you’re coupling it with reduction at the same time. 

AR: I think that’s an interesting conundrum. I think the most interesting thing you said is that these collections are not any different; they just have this additional investment in carbon offsets. It really depends on the people conducting the LCA (lifecycle assessment) of buildings to figure out how much this matters and which numbers they want to use effectively because the product is the same. 

Tile is not a material that’s known for being easily recyclable and yet you created this program. Tell me why it was important and what it achieves now?  

NC: In the early ’80s, the Crossville factory had started the process to recycle all the water in the factory. They also had started a lot of processes to try and capture all the unfired tile that was either quality checked or didn’t make it through the process. There are fired pieces that are landfilled or even out in the market. What do we do with them?  

At that point, we weren’t owned by AHF. Our current family had some connections with a mining company who was able to find a mining piece of machinery that was durable enough to break fired tile into something small enough that we could reuse it.  

A building in Illinois asked if we could take the tile out of the building, recycle it, and send it back. We said yes and that led to a second question: “Can you take all the toilets and sinks too?” And a final request: “We want those things recycled and put into the actual tile that’s going to go back into the actual building.”  

It was an incredibly difficult undertaking—honestly, a horrible experience. But we did it! We lost money, but it brought us to this place of being able to do something that we couldn’t before. It brought us to the partnership with Toto, recycling unfired toilets that were coming out of their Morrow, Georgia, plant and finding these resources that we could use that weren’t virgin raw materials. 

AR: There’s a lot to love about this story. 

NC: Yeah, it’s a good story. With the fired tile, we’ve increased our recycling percentage. We are now having a conversation about take-back programs. I get  all these questions: I don’t know if it’s better for us to take a pile of dirt from a mile from here or if to put toilets on a truck from 150 miles away and add its carbon footprint to come to our facility. 

AR: I love that you bring that up because that’s exactly where I was going. You take this building material that’s made to last—maybe hundreds of years unless you take a sledgehammer to it— and then you invest in very specialized equipment to break it down to make a durable product. 

Again, I think the design community should also be asking: how can this durable product actually endure? 

NC: Right. That should be the only important thing. Let’s look at the inputs and ensure they’re accomplishing what they’re supposed to. 

Listen to the full episode for more on how tiles are being reimagined for a sustainable future.

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]]> Archtober and the AIA Center for Architects Invites You to Share Space https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/archtober-and-the-aia-center-for-architects-invites-you-to-share-space/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:45:29 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_viewpoint&p=114397 Archtober 2025: Sharing Spaces, The 15th edition brings together architects, artists, and the public for a month of events exploring how New Yorkers share and shape their city.

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Terminal Warehouse, designed by COOKFOX, is one of the many new projects open to the public. Courtesy of Alex Ferrec

October 16, 2025

Archtober and the AIA Center for Architects Invites You to Share Space

Archtober’s 15th edition brings together architects, artists, and the public for a month of events exploring how New Yorkers share and shape their city.

By: Metropolis Editors

New York City’s biggest design party is in full swing — and there’s still plenty to catch. Archtober 2025, the city’s annual month-long celebration of architecture and design, is turning 15 this year under the theme “Shared Spaces.” From October 15 onward, the lineup gets especially good, featuring panels, pop-ups, conferences, and creative chaos that showcase how design keeps NYC alive, connected, and constantly evolving.

Hosted by the AIA New York / Center for Architecture, Archtober has grown into a cultural institution of its own — a living, breathing festival that turns the city into an open studio. This year’s programming digs deep into the ways we share, move, and coexist in urban space. And if you’ve missed the early events, don’t worry — the best ones are still ahead.

One of the major highlights lands on October 17: the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab + Conference at Parsons. Themed “SYNERGY,” it brings together top thinkers from design, business, and academia to explore how sustainability, wellness, and creativity intersect in today’s built environment. Expect lively debates, cross-industry ideas, and some of the sharpest minds redefining what “green design” really means.

Meanwhile, over at the Center for Architecture, the festival’s beating heart, a brand-new collaboration with Head Hi is taking over the space. The Brooklyn-based architecture and design bookstore is setting up Head Hi in the City, a month-long pop-up packed with design objects, books, and weekly talks. It’s an unmissable hangout for design lovers — think book launches, discussions, and gatherings like the New York Architecture & Design Book Club. It’s a smart, community-driven activation that perfectly matches Archtober’s “Shared Spaces” spirit.

Archtober postcards. Courtesy of AIA Center for Architecture
Bronx River Greenway Starlight Park. Designed by NV5. Photo courtesy: NV5

On October 22, the Female Design Council hosts its annual Archtober Mingler for Women Architects and Designers at Ligne Roset — a free, RSVP-only event to meet, toast, and connect with other creative women in design. Later in the month, on October 29, get ready for the return of Pumpkitecture, the most delightfully chaotic architectural competition around. Teams of architects go gourd-to-gourd carving for the legendary Pritzkerpumpkin, and the public helps crown the winner.

For design adventurers who love to explore at their own pace, the Archtober Guide on Bloomberg Connects keeps the discovery going year-round. The free app lets you tour architectural icons and hidden gems across the five boroughs (and beyond) with images, interviews, and stories straight from the designers themselves. It’s basically an architecture festival in your pocket — and proof that Archtober’s mission extends well past October.

Behind it all, the Center for Architecture continues to elevate the conversation around urban life, public space, and design culture. Through exhibitions like Searching for Superpublics and public programs like Designing for Public Life, the AIA New York team is turning architecture from a discipline into a shared civic experience.

So grab your tote, your curiosity, and maybe your pumpkin tools — because Archtober’s best days are still ahead.

The new Green-Wood Cemetery expansion designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), Courtesy of Synoesis

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]]> Emerging Architects Gather for Arch30 Minneapolis https://metropolismag.com/programs/emerging-architects-gather-for-arch30-minneapolis/ Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:08:40 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_program&p=119171 METROPOLIS’s Arch30 held an event in September 2025 in Minneapolis celebrating the city’s rising young architects.

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October 15, 2025

Emerging Architects Gather for Arch30 Minneapolis

METROPOLIS’s Arch30 held an event in September 2025 in Minneapolis celebrating the city’s rising young architects.

By: Metropolis Editors

The Arch30 program celebrates the rising stars of architecture, recognizing young leaders selected by top firms in cities across the United States. This year’s Minneapolis cohort represents the future of architectural innovation, with participation from leading practices including BWBR, Gensler, HDR, Perkins&Will, MSR Design, ESG, Leo A Daly, Cunningham, MG2, LSE Architects, Mohagen Hansen Architecture, PKA Architects, SALA Architects, Snow Kreilich Architects, and Studio b-v for a day of inspiration, education, and industry connection.

This interactive workshop facilitated by METROPOLIS Editor in Chief Avinash Rajagopal challenged participants to align their professional ambitions with meaningful, purpose-driven work while developing critical leadership capabilities for tomorrow’s design landscape.

Special thanks to MSR Design for hosting this workshop.

In-Person Education Drives Specification Decisions

Interactive exercises throughout the workshop, including a Mentimeter activity and Ikigai exploration, revealed critical patterns in how emerging architects engage with products and advance their careers.

In-person educational events prove essential for new and innovative product discovery: 90 percent of architects reported specifying materials encountered through these types of learning experiences. The finding underscores the enduring value of face-to-face interaction and collaborating in an increasingly digital industry.

Specialized Knowledge Fuels Career Growth

This group of architects identified expertise in emerging technologies and materials as their primary career accelerator. Yet, paradoxically, they currently rely heavily on mentorship and leadership guidance for product selection—highlighting both the importance of knowledge development and the critical role senior architects play in shaping specification practices in their firms.

A curated product fair and networking session led by METROPOLIS partners—AHF Products, Armstrong Flooring, Patcraft, J+J Flooring, Impact Acoustic, Turf, Tate, and Airfixture—provided these architects direct access to products at the forefront of design innovation. Overall, the event served as a space for meaningful dialogue between highly engaged young professionals and manufacturers, fostering relationships for collaboration.

METROPOLIS Arch30 Event Honorees

Marc Mendoza, Array Architects

Anna Greene, Perkins&Will

Annalee Leggett, WOLD AE

Ashley Vanden Bosch, PKA Architects

Chris Laabs, LSE Architects

Connor McManus, MSR Design

Debanjana Chatterjee, AIA

Emmy Tong, Gensler

Grant Menden, Mohagen Hansen Architecture

Gretta Berens, WOLD AE

Isaiah Scharen, SALA Architects

Jake Ernst, Mohagen Hansen Architecture

Jacob Larson, Mohagen Hansen Architecture

Aniket Nagdive, HDR

Josh Brown, MG2

Patrick Moe, Perkins&Will

Patricia Mutebi, Snow Krielich Architects

Sarah Vermeer, Snow Krielich Architects

Solomon Noble, Gensler

Wenyi Dalbec, HDR

Javkhlan Nyamjav, MSR Design

Kelly Martinez, BWBR

Kristine Wentworth, Studio b-v

Lorren Mueller, MG2

Marie Jacobson Noyes, Studio b-v

Matthew Axtmann, ESG

Max Ouellette-Howitz, SALA Architects

Miles Michlitsch, Cunningham

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]]> Meet the ASID FOCUS Project Awards Winners https://metropolismag.com/profiles/meet-the-asid-focus-project-awards-winners/ Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:13:10 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_profile&p=118783 The post Meet the ASID FOCUS Project Awards Winners appeared first on Metropolis.

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FOCUS Sustainability – Large Firm Winner | Little Diversified Architectural Consulting. Photo courtesy the American Society of Interior Designers

September 19, 2025

Meet the ASID FOCUS Project Awards Winners

The American Society of Interior Designers celebrates projects advancing wellness, community, sustainability, and diversity in design.

By: Metropolis Editors

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has announced the 2025 FOCUS Project Award winners, honoring firms whose built projects exemplify the core values of the interior design profession. From promoting wellness and sustainability to advancing community impact and diversity, this year’s honorees demonstrate how thoughtful design can transform spaces and lives.

FOCUS Wellness

Small Firm Winner: Valor House by McLain by Design Interiors
Medium Firm Winner: Denali Tower Office by Bettisworth North Architects and Planners
Large Firm Winner: Gardner Skelton by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
Large Firm Merit Recipient: Bigfork ImagineIF Library by Cushing Terrell

McLain by Design Interiors
Cushing Terrell
Little Diversified

FOCUS Community

Medium Firm Winner: Greater Chicago Food Depository by Partners by Design
Large Firm Winner: Whitman-Walker Health, Max Robinson Center by Perkins&Will
Large Firm Merit Recipient: Marvin Headquarters by HGA

Perkins&Will

FOCUS Sustainability

Large Firm Winner: 4 Roots Education Building by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting

FOCUS Diversity

Small Firm Winner: LGBT Life Center by INNOVATE Architecture & Interiors

INNOVATE Architecture & Interiors

The winners were recognized during ASID’s national conference, GATHER 2025, held in Atlanta. The FOCUS Project Awards were highlighted during the Opening Keynote and State of Society Session, celebrating firms that are pushing the profession forward through design that inspires well-being, equity, and innovation.

Explore more about ASID’s 2025 FOCUS Project Awards and honorees on ASID’s website.

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]]> METROPOLIS Future100: Where Are They Now? https://metropolismag.com/profiles/metropolis-future100-where-are-they-now/ Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:32:57 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_viewpoint&p=118776 METROPOLIS Future100 alumni are shaping the built environment in bold and inspiring ways. Catch up with past honorees as they share career milestones, lessons learned, and advice for the next generation of designers.

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September 18, 2025

METROPOLIS Future100: Where Are They Now?

METROPOLIS Future100 alumni are shaping the built environment in bold and inspiring ways. Catch up with past honorees as they share career milestones, lessons learned, and advice for the next generation of designers.

By: Metropolis Editors

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.

Enter Future100 2026 Now

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.

Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: comments@metropolismag.com

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]]> Fractals: Nature’s Healing Patterns in Design https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/fractals-natures-healing-patterns-in-design/ Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:45:33 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_viewpoint&p=118716 Dr. Richard Taylor, Anastasija and Martin Lesjak share how bringing nature’s complexity into the built environment reduces stress and supports well-being.

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Momentum’s Fractal Bark from the Renaturation Collection, designed by 13&9 Design in collaboration with Fractals Research and Dr. Richard Taylor. All photos courtesy Momentum.

September 12, 2025

Fractals: Nature’s Healing Patterns in Design

Dr. Richard Taylor and 13&9’s Anastasija and Martin Lesjak explain how bringing nature’s complexity into the built environment reduces stress and supports well-being. 

By: Metropolis Editors

In the 1960s, mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot began exploring a concept he initially called self-similarity—geometric forms whose parts resemble the whole. A simple example is a straight line: any segment of it is also a straight line. But this kind of geometry also appears in nature, like in the head of Romanesco broccoli. Each floret forms a spiral that mirrors the spiral arrangement of the florets on the entire head.

In 1975, Mandelbrot named this phenomenon a fractal. It turns out fractals are everywhere in nature: the way rivers branch into tributaries, or how a tree trunk grows branches, which then grow twigs. More recently, researchers have suggested that human brains recognize these fractal patterns—sometimes subconsciously—and because we associate them with nature, seeing fractals can evoke similar calming effects as being in a natural environment.

So, why discuss fractals on a podcast about sustainable architecture and design? Because fractals are common in pre-modern architecture—found in the ornaments of Gothic cathedrals and the niches of medieval mosques—and today, many designers apply fractal principles to objects and materials, creating products that evoke the same sense of well-being as natural environments.

In the latest episode of Deep Green, created in partnership with Momentum, Avi Rajagopal sits down with Dr. Richard Taylor, whose research underpins our understanding of fractal patterns’ impact, and Anastasija and Martin Lesjak of 13&9, who apply this research in their designs—including a new wallcovering collection for Momentum called Renaturation.

Fractal Bark, Renaturation Collection, Momentum
Fractal Bark, Renaturation Collection, Momentum

Avi Rajagopal: What is fractal fluency? Can you give us a quick overview of that?

Richard Taylor: Looking back in evolution over 600 million years, our visual systems have been gradually tuning themselves to the surroundings. Those surroundings have lots of examples of fractals in them. The visual system has literally become fluent in the visual language of fractals, and the brain craves to see this. When we wander away from what the brain wants to look at, that’s when all these sorts of problems to do with health and wellbeing start to emerge.

AR: But what do we mean by the fluency part of this? Aren’t we already fluent in Fractals? Isn’t it kind of wired into our brains?

RT: I think it’s a fundamental part of being a human being that we all share this heritage of needing to actually see them. For our ancestors it was not a problem because they could spend a lot of time in the forests. It’s over the last 10,000 years where, we’ve changed the way that we operate in life and we end up in these buildings. That’s when the problems start because we’re not fluent in that language that typical buildings present.

When you hang out in nature, you’re at ease because your whole body and your brain speak this language. But when you wander into a typical building, it’s like being transported to some far-off land where you don’t understand the language. Your stress levels go up immediately.

AR: Wow! Martin and Anastasija, when did you start to think about applying this idea of fractals to the way you design things?

Martin Lesjak: We started to think about biophilic design almost a decade ago. It was just at the beginning of this big movement that we have now when biophilic design is existing since a while, but only the recent years are really where it’s become so popular. We tried to bring in real nature, integrating plants, natural materials, etc. but at one point we wanted to know what is behind this romanticism of biophilia. We started to do research and one name regularly popped up, and this was professor Dr. Richard Taylor.

At one point I said, I would love to talk to this guy because I think he’s the key. We wrote an email, and this was the beginning of everything and the rest is fractal design history.

AR: Anastasija, now you’ve been applying this work in collaboration with Dr. Taylor in a lot of different ways. Tell us about your journey?

Anastasija Lesjak: The journey was amazing. I talked often to Richard. When you first start to read publications, some of the facts are kind of common for you, but there was no interface between design and science. We worked very instinctively. We had our artistic approach, but we were always very multidisciplinary. We never had long term collaboration with science and that was the game changer for us. We learned a completely different way to approach design. We educated ourselves in certain parameters that we must know about fractals. We started to think differently about build environment, integrating health and wellbeing into build environment with our product applications.

There were no more random design trials. Every step that we did was in a collaboration with Dr. Taylor and he gave us a space for our creativity because it’s kind of natural thing as well. Our eyes are also very spontaneous and artistic, and like I said, instinctive, but there is also certain a sweet spot that you have to know when you design fractals that they have a stress reducing effect. And that was also for us was something completely new.

Like Martin mentioned it been eight years, so we became friends, a team, a fractal family. We have our team back in Austria – architects, interior designer, product designer, graphic designer, sound designer, fashion designer, and a textile designer and Richard has his team at the University of Oregon at Fractals Research.

Fractal Moss, Renaturation Collection, Momentum

AR: I wonder if you can give us a little bit of a description of the newest baby from the Fractal family, which is “renaturation” this new collection for momentum.

ML: Renaturation is a big political discussion. We know it is, especially from the European Union. There’s a new law where 15% of agricultural or industrial landscapes need to be given back to nature. It’s similar to what we do with the built environment. We want to give it back to nature or to natural essences like fractals. In recent years, for this collection, we worked with software that we created together with Richard’s team to generate and grow these fractal patterns. With this software, we are able to control the parameters necessary from a scientific perspective to get the result of stress-reductive patterns.

With the renaturation collection, we went the opposite way. We took actual patterns from nature, morphed them, abstracted them, and treated them until we hit the sweet spot where they had these stress-reductive properties. When we created an embed, and Richard and his team did the testing.

But the outcome, from an aesthetic perspective is something completely new compared to the ones before. They’re super organic and even more natural than the computer-generated ones. For example, we have three patterns: the river, the bark, and the moss. The moss looks like real moss growing out of concrete walls when they’re in the shadow, developing that greenish pattern over time. The river looks like an aerial view of a river system, and the bark really captures the texture of real bark that we took but then abstracted in a very sophisticated way to match all the manufacturing criteria, application criteria, and scientific properties.

AR: What are you optimizing for? How do you optimize the patterns?

RT: You may think, why don’t we just take a photograph and just put it on a wall?

The first thing is that, when you wander through a forest that’s a great experience and it’s fundamentally a different environment when you’re walking down a corridor of an airport. Imagine, if we were putting one of these designs on the walls of the airport, the floor and the ceiling are relatively simple compared to anything that you would experience in the forest. That puts extra pressure on the walls to deliver the naturalness. The second thing is not just the environment, but what are people doing in that environment? When you’re in a building, you’re doing something very different than just wandering through a forest. We must adapt things for that as well. The third thing is who is the person? Neurodiversity, not everybody is the same. We have to consider the occupant.

What is special about the fractal pattern in the built environment is all these repeating patterns. What that does is build up an immense visual complexity, and that’s what your visual system craves. So, when you walk into the built environment, which is much simpler, you don’t get that complexity, but we have to tune that complexity in based on the environment that we’re putting it in.

Fractal River, Renaturation Collection, Momentum

AR: Anastasija, you mentioned changing your design approach. What does this collection teach us about product development for the building beyond just the product itself?

AL: You want to understand the context and your design in this case. You don’t end up with product, you end up with a tool the designer can use, express their own creativity, dive deeper into a certain subject and maybe influence something completely different through this product. What is the added value behind this product? Each product has its own added value in material, its creation, sustainability, great manufacturing partners, the team and everything that we create together. But beyond that, there is no story to end. It doesn’t end just with one product, to me it always has a larger context.

RT: Absolutely. Yeah! It would be awful if there was just one fractal design that had to appear everywhere. But there isn’t, with our tool, there’s lots of opportunities to create lots of superficial differences in the design and as long as you get that complexity right, it will trigger these massive stress reductions.

AR: This is incredible! One of the things that makes it work is because you’ve actually figured out a way of measuring this impact. You call it Devalue. Tell me what devalue is?

RT: Yeah. We mentioned earlier that one of the special things about a fractal is its visual complexity, but there are many different fractals out there and some are more complex than others. The way that we quantify that complexity is that we introduce this term called fractal dimension, but we simplify it and just call it the D-value . What it’s doing is charting the complexity on a scale between one and two. The closer to one, the simpler the fractal, and if it is closer to two, the more complex.

The key aspect of our stories is that the most prevalent fractals in nature are complex—those are the ones we’ve become fluent in. We’re making sure that when we are designing, we have that level of complexity to it. Exposing people to these fractals triggers immediate relaxation and boosts cognition. When designing patterns for momentum, that’s our goal. Unlike artificial shapes, where you choose between relaxation or stimulation, fractals—refined over 600 million years—can do both simultaneously. When we’re choosing this devaluation, we decide the balance of relaxation and stimulation. For momentum patterns, we have a slightly higher devaluation because we aim not just to relax but also to engage throughout.

AR: That’s what I love about this collection.

Listen to the full “Fractals: Nature’s Healing Patterns in Design” episode on the Surround Podcast Network.

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]]> Meet the 2025 Net Zero Conference Trailblazer Award Nominees https://metropolismag.com/profiles/meet-the-2025-net-zero-conference-trailblazer-awards-nominees/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:43:07 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_profile&p=118555 METROPOLIS announces the 2025 honorees for the Trailblazer Awards, celebrating leaders in climate and community impact.

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Meet the 2025 Net Zero Conference Trailblazer Award Nominees

METROPOLIS announces the 2025 honorees for the Trailblazer Awards, celebrating leaders in climate and community impact.

By: Metropolis Editors

Presented annually as part of the Net Zero Conference — founded and organized by Verdical Group’s Drew Shula — the Trailblazer Awards celebrate interdisciplinary leaders making a positive impact on people and the environment. 

Meet this year’s exceptional class of 2025 Net Zero Conference Trailblazer Award nominees and join leaders in decarbonization at the Los Angeles Convention Center on October 1 where the winners will be unveiled! Register here.

Mayor Karen Bass

Mayor Karen Bass has led the nation’s second largest city with unprecedented urgency that has delivered results for all Angelenos.

Thousands more unhoused Angelenos have come inside in her first year than the year before, leading to a reported drop in homelessness for the first time in years.  

Under the Mayor’s leadership, LAPD received record numbers of applicants while homicides and violent crime decreased. One hundred thousand more city services like pothole repair and graffiti removal have been provided. Thousands of businesses opened. Hundreds of millions of dollars were secured through locking arms with state and federal partners as Los Angeles continues to urgently lead on climate. 

Mayor Bass was elected to make change for the people of Los Angeles by breaking with the status quo to deliver for the people of Los Angeles.

Kyle Thomas

Kyle Thomas is a presenter, animal advocate and the U.K.’s most followed TikTok creator, with over 34 million followers. In 2024, at just 19 years old, Thomas was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, cementing his place as one of the U.K.’s most influential young creators. He has also built a loyal fanbase on Instagram, with over 1.3 million followers. Outside of content creation, Kyle has also walked for fashion brands like Dsquared. 

This summer, following his BBC Three documentary We Built a Zoo, he returns with two investigative documentaries yet to be announced—one for BBC Three and the other for Channel 4’s In Too Deep digital-first strand on YouTube. Thomas was recently named UK Roots & Shoots Ambassador by the Jane Goodall Institute and is working at Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park in Suffolk where he has joined the team of animal conservationists. He continues to use his platform to champion conservation, promote responsible pet care, and inspire a new generation of animal lovers.

Greg Curtis

Greg Curtis is the Executive Director of Holdfast Collective, Patagonia’s new non-profit shareholder. Previously, Greg served as Deputy General Counsel for Patagonia for more than 8 years and led the company through its recent ownership transition.

Prior to Patagonia, Curtis was in-house counsel at a large multinational corporation and worked for a number of years in private practice as a corporate lawyer. He serves as a board member for 1% for the Planet and Circ and is a graduate of Brown University and University of Connecticut School of Law.

Sierra Quitiquit

Sierra Quitiquit is a professional athlete, climate activist, speaker, philanthropist and eco-entrepreneur. Born and raised in the mountains of Park City, Utah, Quitiquit developed a deep connection with the natural world from a young age. As Quitiquit’s passion for skiing led her to a career as a professional freeskier, she also aligned her platform for advocacy of Mother Nature.

As an ambassador, Quitiquit advocates on behalf of non-profits including NATO, Protect Our Winters, Climate Power, The Fossil Fuel Treaty, Oceanic and the American Conservation Coalition. Because of her love for surfing and the oceans, she cofounded an environmental organization to help reduce single-use plastic consumption, Plastic Free Fridays. Quitiquit is the founder and CEO of Time for Better, a creative climate communications agency that works with organizations on their digital campaign strategies and experiential events. Time for Better has worked with clients such as The Climate Pledge, Breitling, Nature Conservancy, Good Meat, Amazon Watch and On.

Quitiquit is now the executive director of BETTER Earth, a philanthropic initiative that directly funds youth and indigenous climate activists. The mission of BETTER Earth is to support change makers and storytellers to create a better world by expanding global awareness, education and action on climate.

Peter Templeton

Peter Templeton has worked for more than 25 years to accelerate global adoption of practices that enhance human health, environmental wellbeing and quality of life for all. As president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), he directs organization-wide efforts to increase the reach and impact of green building and green business market transformation activities around the world. He leads the execution of strategic plans and partnerships that expand local capacity and deliver new tools for advancing smart, healthy, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable buildings and communities. Over Templeton’s tenure at USGBC, LEED has become the most widely used and respected green building program in the world.

Templeton served as president and CEO of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) from 2018 to 2021, working to scale Cradle to Cradle Certified as the globally recognized mark of materials and products optimized for human and environmental health, circularity, and social fairness.

Prior to C2CPII, Templeton served in senior leadership roles at USGBC leading global market development, establishing strategic partnerships and directing the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, LEED training and professional credentialing programs, and USGBC’s green building research initiatives.

Jerome Foster II

Jerome Foster II is an environmental justice activist, social entrepreneur, and renowned public speaker. At 18, he made history becoming the youngest person ever to advise the White House by joining the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council to advise the United States President on how best to advance environmental justice. This was made possible by his founding of OneMillionOfUs, a charity that mobilized one million young people to vote in the 2020 Presidential Elections. From being one of the major organizers of the School Strike for Climate Movement, holding weekly climate strikes outside the White House for 80 weeks, Foster II is now the cofounder and Executive Director of Waic Up, an extension of OneMillionOfUs that uses art, journalism, and civic engagement to drive climate justice advocacy alongside his advisory work to the President of the United States of America.

Named TIME Magazine‘s Next Generation Leader and recognized as a modern historical figure in the curricula of Cambridge University, Foster II has a long history of political advocacy. Growing up in Washington, D.C., he began his journey at 14 by serving on the DC State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Committee, where he worked to modernize high school graduation requirements. At 16, he became one of the youngest-ever Congressional interns for Civil Rights icon Congressman John Lewis. At 18, he made history as the youngest person appointed to a White House Federal Advisory Committee in U.S. history.

Foster II also has a background in tech, having run a virtual reality development company that was featured nationally on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.

Genesis Butler

Genesis Butler is an 18 year old Afro Indigenous climate and animal rights activist who began her activism at the age of 6. She became one of the youngest people to give a TEDx talk when she gave a talk entitled “A Ten Year Old’s Vision for Healing the Planet”, which was inspired by her great uncle, Cesar Chavez. 

Butler is the founder of Youth Climate Save, which is the first global youth-led climate movement to focus on the connection between animal agriculture and climate change. She is also the lead plaintiff in Genesis V. EPA. along with 17 other plaintiffs who are suing the EPA for intentionally allowing discriminatory life-threatening climate pollution, which is emitted by the fossil fuel sources of greenhouse gases it regulates, harming children’s health and welfare.

Nimay Ndolo

Nimay Ndolo is a Nigerian-American content creator known for her unique storytelling and ability to blend fashion with comedy. She began her career as a software developer before transitioning to full-time content creation, where she’s worked with brands like Truly, Victoria’s Secret, and Fashion Brand Co.

Whether she’s talking about skincare, fashion, politics, mental health, or everyday life, she’s always sure to make her audience laugh while forcing them to truly examine the inner workings of the topic at hand. In addition to running environment non profit, City Aesthetica, Nimay was most recently named one of TIME Magazine’s TIME100 Creators 25 Most Influential Creators of 2024 by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Summer Dean

Summer Dean, aka Climate Diva, is a celebrated environmental creative, slow fashion advocate, and climate educator dedicated to healing our broken relationship with the Earth. With a background in environmental science and experience spanning renewable energy, climate science, policy advocacy, air quality science, and zero-emissions mobility, she merges expertise with storytelling to inspire action.

Through Climate Diva Media, she produces interdisciplinary creative content and consulting services that weave sustainability into fashion, wellness, and climate. Dean’s work spans creative direction, film production, and social media, making sustainability accessible and engaging across industries, and she was named one of Harvard’s Climate Creators to Watch and Bustle’s Eco It Girl in 2025.

David Gottfried

David Gottfried is widely recognized as a father of the global green building movement. He founded both the U.S. Green Building Council and the World Green Building Council, which now includes Green Building Councils (GBCs) in over 80 countries. His pioneering efforts catalyzed a global sustainable building movement, resulting in billions of square feet of certified projects across more than 186 countries and hundreds of thousands of accredited professionals.

Gottfried currently serves as Founder & CEO of Regen360, a startup company with the vision of accelerating the next evolution of green building through a collaborative digital infrastructure for the global GBC network. His pilot initiative is underway with USGBC California.

Previously, he was Chief Commercial Officer of Blue Planet Systems, which develops synthetic limestone aggregate by mineralizing industrial CO₂—paving the way for carbon-neutral and carbon-negative concrete.

He spent two decades as CEO of Regenerative Ventures and its RegenNetwork, and earlier held senior leadership roles in real estate, including Senior Vice President at Thomas Properties Group and Managing Director of its Green Building Fund.

Anthony Brower

Anthony Brower designs with physics and feeling. That throughline drives his work, where performance and comfort share the same blueprint. His goal is simple to say and hard to achieve: creating places that work for people and the planet at the same time.

For him, sustainable design begins before the building takes shape. It starts with quiet choices that few will ever see—shading that teaches light to behave, materials selected for both health and strength. He works at the intersection of science and experience: energy analytics, passive solutions, embodied carbon, resilience, material chemistry, and human comfort. The models matter, but for Brower, the true measure of success is how a space feels when you step inside.

Much of his practice lives in translation. He turns carbon math into stories people can use and converts technical constraints into design opportunities that feel intuitive once revealed. Along the way, he has taught, mentored, and learned beside a generation of emerging designers who want to build with purpose. He also writes to make the work accessible to a broader public and is currently at work on a book about climate-first architecture that aims to be practical, clear, and human.

Serious about design. Intentional with impact. Unexpectedly human.

Saloni Agrawal

Saloni Agrawal is a supply chain and materials engineering leader at Lucid Motors, where she drives sustainable innovation in the automotive and energy sectors. With expertise in plastics engineering, electric vehicle powertrains, and global supplier development, she focuses on reducing carbon footprints through lightweight material solutions and resilient, ESG-aligned supply chains.

Agrawal is passionate about creating scalable strategies that promote climate resilience, equity, and circularity in manufacturing. Her work integrates technical excellence with a mission-driven approach to sustainability and operational impact. Through mentoring, speaking, and industry leadership, she empowers the next generation of innovators to advance sustainable solutions in high-impact industries.

Julia Marsh

Julia Marsh is the CEO and cofounder of Sway, a material innovation company scaling compostable packaging made with seaweed. Marsh spent over a decade designing brand and packaging systems for consumer goods companies, technology startups, and design studios around the world. Her work is driven by a deep passion for regenerative design and biological circularity. Sway’s patented products match the vital performance attributes of conventional plastics and are designed to plug into existing infrastructure, enabling scale and massive impact. Unlike plastic, however, their materials integrate abundant, regenerative resources and decompose into healthy soil after use.

Sway was named a Fast Company World Changing Idea in 2024, won first place in the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize in 2023, and won the Beyond the Bag Challenge in 2021 sponsored by Closed Loop Partners and a consortium of major retailers. Sway’s solutions have also garnered recognition from Vogue, Forbes, Business Insider, and Fast Company.

Evelyn Lee

Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, is an architect turned tech entrepreneur who blends her design background with a passion for innovation. As an angel investor, startup advisor, and fractional COO, she helps drive growth for architecture firms, embracing new ways of practicing.

Lee is the founder of Practice of Architecture and hosts the Practice Disrupted podcast with over 65,000 listeners globally. A sought-after speaker and Architizer columnist, she provides insights on integrating technology, leadership development, and better business operations within the architecture practice. Lee also champions inclusivity as an advisor for Women Defining AI, inspiring women to close the gender gap within the tech industry.

Ryan Gilliam

Dr. Ryan Gilliam is a serial entrepreneur leading the charge in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries like cement, energy, and petrochemicals. In 2019, he cofounded Fortera, where he serves as CEO, championing innovations like ReCarb® and ReAct™ to enable commercially scalable, zero CO₂ cement manufacturing. His leadership was further recognized through a strategic global partnership with Graymont to scale deployment of Fortera’s low carbon technology.

Dr. Gilliam has also founded Verdagy, developing green hydrogen technology via its first gigafactory in California; and Chemetry, which focuses on reducing the energy consumption and CO₂ footprint of producing essential chemicals. Additionally, he served as a Venture Partner at 1955 Capital, investing in breakthrough technologies in energy, food safety, health, and sustainable manufacturing

In September 2024, he delivered the TED Talk “A concrete plan for sustainable cement”, spotlighting the importance and future of low-carbon cement in the global fight against climate change.

Parker Cohn

Parker Cohn is a visionary leader and owner of Performance Resource Management, a cutting-edge company at the forefront of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. As a distinguished soil engineering expert, Cohn specializes in empowering farms, golf courses, and sports fields to enhance both the quality, quantity, and security of crop yields while simultaneously minimizing water, energy, chemical, and labor usage.

Under Cohn’s guidance, Performance Resource Management employs a groundbreaking approach that leverages the synergy of biological processes and remote sensing technologies. This unique combination plays a pivotal role in revitalizing soil on farms and golf courses, with profound implications for global environmental conservation. The results speak volumes, encompassing a healthier food supply, increased carbon cycling to combat climate change, a cleaner water supply by reducing toxic chemicals and runoff, and an overall reduction in carbon footprint.

Cohn’s commitment extends beyond mere business success; he understands the critical role that water and energy infrastructure play in agriculture, especially in the western regions. Recognizing these challenges as significant threats to global health and food security, Cohn’s innovative systems emerge as powerful solutions that support soil carbon sequestration and contribute to addressing the urgent climate crisis. In addition to these environmental benefits, businesses adopting Parker’s methodologies experience substantial cost savings alongside improved crop health and yields.

Sophie Pennetier

Sophie Pennetier is a structural engineer with expertise in façades and sustainability. She founded Digne in 2024 to support manufacturers’ and nonprofits’ decarbonization in the built environment. Digne projects include glass recycling research and innovation, carbon-informed design and procurement support to manufacturers including Enclos, and other circularity projects. Her 17 years’ experience spans from consulting (with RFR, GNA, SHoP Construction, Arup) to contracting with Enclos, where she has lead Sustainability efforts until 2024.

Adjunct Faculty with SCI-Arc since 2021, Pennetier teaches Structures, Facades Tectonics and Embodied Carbon. Serving on the Board of Directors of the Façade Tectonics Institute, she has developed the FTI Carbon group research and grown its educational content. In 2023 she was awarded, in the individual category, the US Glass Sustainability Award for her contributions to industry research and education.

Serena Overhoff

Serena Overhoff has over 25 years of experience advising innovative early-stage, mid-size companies and non-profits in the areas of strategic business development and ESG (Social Impact) market positioning; particularly, in the industries of commercial real estate; sustainable architectural design; media + digital commerce; academia and the arts. Overhoff’s mission is to establish ‘impact’ investment partnerships that specifically aim to strengthen communities across the globe. Overhoff’s motto is ‘doing good for humanity and the earth.’

Overhoff received her B.A. from the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communications and earned a Certificate of Professional Studies from the University of Oxford, England. She is President of The Jacques Overhoff Foundation, advisor to Tack & Gybe, a privately owned global strategic business development advisory firm, immediate Past President of the USC Trojan League of LA and, and member of the US Green Building Council in California.

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]]> METROPOLIS Future100: Where Are They Now? https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/metropolis-future100-where-are-they-now/ Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:09:39 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_viewpoint&p=118544 METROPOLIS Future100 alumni are shaping the built environment in bold and inspiring ways. Catch up with past honorees as they share career milestones, lessons learned, and advice for the next generation of designers.

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September 4, 2025

METROPOLIS Future100: Where Are They Now?

METROPOLIS Future100 alumni are shaping the built environment in bold and inspiring ways. Catch up with past honorees as they share career milestones, lessons learned, and advice for the next generation of designers.

By: Metropolis Editors

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.

Enter Future100 2026 Now

Sushmita Shekar

Future100 Class of 2021
Degree: Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Current Role: Urban Designer & Project Manager, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

What kind of work are you doing now?
I am an Urban Designer and Project Manager at SOM with experience leading complex master planning, urban design, and public realm projects across the U.S., China, Russia, India, and the Middle East. I bring strong knowledge of sustainable planning and governance processes—including regulatory frameworks, budgeting, and scheduling—to ensure visionary planning aligns with practical implementation. At SOM, I also co-lead the firm’s Equity Design Lab, advancing inclusive and sustainable design practices.

Outside of SOM, I serve as a Consultative Delegate to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), contributing to global urban policy discussions on sustainable development. I regularly participate in high-level convenings, including the UN General Assembly and the High-Level Political Forum.

What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
I am proud to have the opportunity to work on global sustainable planning and urban design projects at SOM. I co-lead the firmwide Equity Design Lab at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a group dedicated to delivering an equitable, healthy, and resilient built environment. Our mission is to establish standards and best practices that champion sustainable and resilient environments, enriching human needs with equity at the forefront while emphasizing bottom-up, community-driven design processes.

Alongside this, my role as a consultative delegate engaging with the United Nations on sustainable development initiatives has deepened my commitment to aligning design strategies with the global Sustainable Development Goals—creating resilient, inclusive urban spaces that advance climate action.

How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
Being named one of METROPOLIS’s Future100 designers has been a gateway to deeper engagement in the global conversation on sustainable design. This platform has provided access to high-caliber events and curated discussions with industry leaders and innovators shaping the future of our built environment. It has significantly expanded and strengthened my professional network, creating valuable opportunities for cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration. Being part of this dynamic community provides a sense of purpose, empowering me to connect with like-minded professionals dedicated to advancing sustainable design solutions.

What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Embrace curiosity and resilience. The world you’re stepping into is constantly evolving—technologies, climate impacts, cultures, and challenges will shape the future of design in ways we can’t fully predict. Stay curious and keep learning. Your unique perspectives are essential for shaping more sustainable and innovative spaces. Embrace open collaboration, listen with intention, and remember that design requires as much persistence as it does creativity.

Design with empathy—because at its core, architecture and design serve people’s lives and experiences. Your work can shape not just buildings, but the way people feel, connect, and thrive.

Shreya Jaiswal

Future100 Class of 2023
Degree: Master of Architecture, State University of New York at Buffalo
Current Role: Senior Sustainability Designer, D2D Green Design

What kind of work are you doing now?
I focus on sustainable architecture and design across various New York State projects—including SUNY campuses, Department of Energy facilities, police stations, and more. My work spans building design and construction, space planning, and interior design, with a strong emphasis on code compliance, accessibility, and sustainable practices. This includes—but is not limited to—compliance with LEED, LBC, and WELL certifications. I bring deep expertise in integrating environmental standards into every phase of design.

What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
Since being recognized as part of the Future100, I’ve become a New York State Certified Code Enforcement Official, which has deepened my understanding of regulatory frameworks and how to integrate them into architectural design. I’ve also broadened my sustainability expertise beyond LEED to include WELL, Living Building Challenge (LBC), and other advanced rating systems. One project I lead involves helping universities develop custom sustainability standards that go far beyond baseline requirements—something I’m incredibly proud of. Furthermore, my research on the role of fire in multisensory design, specifically in relation to the concept of biophilia, was recognized with The Best Paper Award at the Environmental Design Research Association conference.

How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
Being named to the Future100 gave me a powerful sense of validation—it affirmed that I’m not only skilled but also a creative leader in my field. That recognition boosted my confidence and inspired me to keep pushing boundaries, exploring new dimensions of architecture and design, and trusting in the value of my work. It helped me get recognized when applying for opportunities in the architecture community, and it even helped me take conversations further at my current job.

What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
Graduation can feel like a leap into the unknown, and it’s easy to question whether you’re prepared. But trust that everything you’ve learned will find its place—sometimes in unexpected ways. Keep creating, stay curious, and most importantly, design in a way that’s true to you. Your authenticity will evolve into your unique style and signature. That’s what will set you apart.

Kartik Sharma

Future100 Class of 2024
Degree: Master of Architecture, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Current Role: Technical Designer, Gensler Chicago

What kind of work are you doing now?
I currently work as a Technical Designer at Gensler’s Chicago office, where I contribute to a diverse range of projects in retail, hospitality, and aviation. In addition to design work, I’ve been actively exploring emerging technologies—including AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality—to support innovation across projects and practice areas.

What’s something you’ve achieved or learned since being named to the Future100 that you’re proud of?
During my graduation ceremony from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Architecture Director Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Suárez, FAIA, gave me a surprise acknowledgement while speaking about our bright futures. In front of the entire graduating class, distinguished luminaries in the industry, and most importantly, my parents, he mentioned my recognition in the Future100 issue. That moment symbolized years of hard work, and I carry it with great pride.

Since then, I have returned to review the work of students at my alma mater, and I supported our studio’s intern at Gensler this summer. I also have a group of former students I check in with often—so there’s been a fulfilling evolution since being named to the Future100. I’m able to give back to the next generation while continuing to grow as an architect.

How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
The timing for the Future100 recognition couldn’t have been better, as I was just graduating when I received it. This recognition gave me a sense of validation and a valuable edge in my job search. It became a highlight of my resume and a great way to direct meaningful conversations in interviews.

At Gensler, I have the pleasure of contributing to multiple stages of design. I present work to clients, share workflows internally, and build relationships within the firm and across the region. Future100 gave me a significant confidence boost, especially as an international student building a life and career in a new country.

What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
One of the most important insights I’ve learned at Gensler is that every challenge presents an opportunity to learn and grow. Not all lessons need to be profound—shifting my mindset to look beyond my immediate experience helps me focus on the greater impact, encouraging the freedom to find the most successful design solutions.

When we find alignment between our creative work and our personal development, even briefly, those become the most rewarding moments.

Jesse Smith

Future100 Class of 2025
Degree: BFA in Interior Design with minors in Construction Graphics and Design & Innovation, Purdue University
Current Role: Interior Designer, Populous

What kind of work are you doing now?
Shortly after graduation, I started my professional career as an Interior Designer I at Populous in their Los Angeles office. Design at Populous is all about sports and entertainment, and currently I am working in the arenas market.

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 been honored to be selected as one of the Top 10 Finalists in the 2025 ASID National Student Portfolio Competition.

How did the Future100 recognition impact your early career?
Being recognized as part of the Future100 truly inspired me to keep pushing for more. It ignited my ambition, fueled my future, and deepened my passion for design.

What insight or encouragement would you offer the next graduating class of emerging designers and architects?
To emerging designers and architects, my advice is to give yourself room to breathe—don’t take everything so seriously that you lose the joy in your work. Passion runs deep in this field, and it’s easy to become your own toughest critic, but finding balance is essential. Stay engaged, ask questions, connect with everyone you can, and keep pushing yourself forward.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to go beyond the brief. Whenever I was given a task, I aimed not just to meet the requirements, but to deliver more than expected.

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]]> Be Recognized as One of the Top 100 A&D Graduates in North America https://metropolismag.com/programs/future100-2026-submissions-open/ Sun, 03 Aug 2025 14:56:00 +0000 https://metropolismag.com/?post_type=metro_program&p=118474 Future100 connects top graduating talent with leading architecture and design firms across North America.

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Be Recognized as One of the Top 100 A&D Graduates in North America

ABOUT

KEY DATE

FAQ

EXPLORE THE FUTURE100 COHORT

Launched in 2021 by METROPOLIS, the Future100 program celebrates the top 100 graduating students from accredited architecture and interior design programs in the United States and Canada. These outstanding students are introduced to METROPOLIS’s vast network of A&D professionals, connecting a diverse and talented pipeline with firms seeking the next generation of design leaders.

Students may apply directly or be nominated by instructors, professional organizations, and mentors. Required materials include a brief application, academic information, portfolio, and a nomination letter.

Deadline: December 5, 2025

ENTER NOW

Why Enter Future100?

EXPERT REVIEW
Nominations are reviewed by the METROPOLS editorial team, led by Editor in Chief Avinash Rajagopal.

UNMATCHED INDUSTRY EXPOSURE
Selected Future100 honorees are promoted to top firms, recruiters, and design leaders nationwide.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Future100 students are featured in the Spring 2026 print issue of METROPOLIS, as well as across our digital and social media platforms. Programs, nominators, and schools will also be acknowledged.

JOIN AN ESTEEMED ALUMNI NETWORK
The class of 2026 will join a growing community of 600+ Future100 alumni across North America, offering professional connections and peer support.

ELEVATE YOUR SCHOOL OR PROGRAM
Nominating instructors and academic programs are spotlighted, enhancing visibility to prospective students and industry partners.

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Honorees will be invited to special METROPOLIS events and programs, gaining direct access to industry leaders and resources to support their growth.

Explore Future100 Issues:

Who Should Apply?

Future100 is open to students who meet the following:

  • Enrolled at a public or private university or college in the U.S. or Canada
  • Studying in a CIDA-, NAAB-, or CACB-accredited architecture or interior design program
  • Graduating in 2026 (winter or spring) at the undergraduate or graduate level
  • Currently working on studio- or research-based projects
  • In good academic standing (GPA 3.0+ or equivalent)

Key Dates:

  • December 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET – Submission Deadline (Deadline won’t be extended)
  • February 2026 – Honorees Selected and Notified
  • Spring 2026 (April/May) – Future100 Announced in Print + Digital, Shared with A&D Firms

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who can enter?

The program is open to students graduating in 2026 with a degree in architecture or interior design from a U.S. or Canadian school.

How do I enter?

Click [HERE] to access the application form via Submittable. You’ll need to upload basic information, your nominator’s details, and a link to your portfolio.

Who fills out the form—student or professor?

Either can complete the form. If you’re a student, include your nominator’s letter. If you’re a professor nominating a student, you’ll need their academic and portfolio materials.

What should the portfolio include?

There are no rigid requirements, but we recommend showcasing at least 3–5 projects that reflect your design abilities, creativity, and values.

When will I hear back?

All entrants will be notified of their status via email in February 2026. Selected students will be celebrated publicly in the Spring 2026 issue of METROPOLIS and online.

Does it cost anything to apply?

No. Submission to the Future100 program is completely free.

Can international students apply?

Yes—as long as you’re enrolled at a U.S. or Canadian institution and meet the other eligibility criteria.

Still Have Questions?

Contact us at: awards@metropolismag.com

In Partnership With:

Sherwin-Williams illuminates the up-and-coming colors that will shape the future of residential and commercial design with Colormix® Anthology Volume Two. Highly sought after by designers, this second iteration of our biennial color trend report is here. Expertly curated by the Sherwin-Williams Trendsight Team, these four palettes dive deeper into the evolution of specific color families poised to shape the future of design 2026 and beyond.

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