A-School Students and Faculty Participate in the 2024 Design Futures Forum

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This summer, Assistant Professors Isaac Alejandro Mangual-Martínez and Lauren McQuistion and a group of School of Architecture students, Lorena Castillo (BSArch ’25), Alex Glick (BSArch ’25), Sachida Pradhan (MLA ’25), Cole Rozwadowski (BSArch ’26), and Madeleine Zahn (MArch ’25) attended the 2024 Design Futures Forum hosted by the University of Washington in St. Louis’ Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.

The annual forum, in its 12th year, is an interdisciplinary leadership development convening that is attended by students and faculty representing a wide range of design expertise from schools across the country. 

The program centered student engagement around topics focused on spatial justice and equitable design practices, while also learning about the local context of St. Louis. A-School student participants had a chance to visit notable sites in the city and build community amongst other emerging design leaders. We asked them to reflect on this unique experience — read their excerpts below.

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Alex Glick
BSArch '25

It really was a surreal experience to converge on a new city with hundreds of students and bond over our shared vision for a just future. It felt like summer camp. If summer camp had you face humanity's most complex, systemic, seemingly unyielding issues.

I was in awe at the thoughtfulness of the students, presenters, and faculty. Nobody was content with designing the default way.

The validation of being around people who share my interest in designing a more just world was also very impactful.  

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Cole Rozwadowski
BSArch '26

It was great meeting so many wonderful people (from schools across the nation, but also my UVA cohort) and the rewarding conversations that have resulted (and continue to result) from those conversations.

If I had to choose one word to describe my time at Design Futures 2024, it would be reinvigorating. Hearing from a diverse range of practitioners across demographics, professions, and experiences exposed me to new ways of thinking, modes of making, and approaches to design more generally. 

Having the opportunity to engage with those same practitioners as fellow students in other workshops and activities throughout the week meant connecting with people on a more personal level and led to some great conversations. The student and faculty cohort were so welcoming, making it easy to make new friends every day of the conference. I come away from St. Louis feeling optimistic about the impact we can have as designers, the power of student voices in advocating for change, and the opportunities to share what we have learned with the A-School to pursue a more just, equitable, and inclusive design pedagogy.

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Madeleine Zahn
MArch '25

Design Futures Forum is a unique opportunity to experience design outside of an academic context. The Forum equipped me with resources and skills that I feel comfortable using in my education and sharing with other A School students and faculty.

I am grateful for our two faculty that joined us, Lauren McQuiston and Isaac Mangual, they allowed us to dive deeper into conversations and topics that some of the sessions brought up, like Racism Untaught and Insider/Outsider training. Together, our group also enjoyed the city of St. Louis, seeing the Gateway Arch by Eero Saarinen and the Cahokia Mounds, a Native American burial site, and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.

One of the highlights from the Forum was visiting the Cherokee neighborhood in St. Louis. We heard from organizations that facilitate engagement and interaction between designers and community members. One group in particular spoke about Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in the neighborhood and how they are helping artists purchase affordable homes and build equity. This past spring Luis Oyola spoke about CLTs at the A-School as part of manifestA’s collaboration with What You Need Wednesdays, it was compelling to hear how CLTs are being used across the country to support communities and build wealth.

Design Futures was energizing in that I was able to be surrounded by like-minded people who to discuss and develop ways of being aware of who you are designing for and with. 

In reflecting on my experiences at the Forum, I see that it is necessary as a designer to understand community needs in your own city, even if you are a student with limited time and resources.