Elevatus Helps Future City Students Design for a Resilient Future

What might a city look like 100 years from now?

Students at Lane Middle School are exploring that question through the Future City Competition, a hands-on STEM program that challenges middle school students to imagine, design, and present innovative cities of the future.

As part of their research, Lane invited Elevatus team members Nicholas Bloom, Timara Conner, Jacob Chavez, and Megan Howk to speak with students about architecture, community design, and this year’s challenge: Fire Resilient Future.

The students are tasked with designing a city that can prevent, protect against, and recover from urban wildfires. During the discussion, our team shared how architects think about resilience, from selecting durable materials to designing buildings and sites that help protect people and property from potential hazards.

The conversation also gave students a chance to learn more about the people behind the profession. They asked thoughtful questions about career paths, the design process, and what it is like to work in architecture.

At Elevatus, we believe great design starts with curiosity, creativity, and a desire to solve problems, qualities these students displayed in abundance. Opportunities like this allow us to connect classroom learning with real-world experience while encouraging the next generation of innovators, designers, and community leaders.

We are grateful to Lane Middle School for the invitation and look forward to seeing the students’ ideas come to life through the Future City Competition.

Good luck to the Lane Middle School Future City team. We’re excited to see what you create.