2017 UIUC Architecture Symposium: Design + Public Impact
The trip to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was a major success thanks to the great planning and organization of our pipeline coordinators and the stellar NOMAS members at UIUC. With two high school students in tow, we took a group of about 15 people to join the UIUC Architecture Department’s 2017 Symposium: Design + Public Impact. It was the finale to a week long program of events for UIUC students ranging from professional headshots to Keynote speaking events.
Saturday, February 4th, dynamic speakers shared their ideas and experiences surrounding the topics of equity in the design practice, political influences on architecture, and what education can do to accommodate a changing society. Practicing professionals and educators alike shared an energetic dialogue with students of all stages about the future of the industry and what roles we can each play. The day ended with a design charrette for the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, a staple for the community as an all around creativity mecca for the college town. Participants put the day's discussions into action by interacting with local youth and community members to start to understand the problems that exist and what design could do to solve them. It was an inspiring experience from which everyone could take away valuable insight into potential career paths and themselves alike. Watch the video for an overview of the weeks events. Well done UIUC NOMAS!