As working professionals in the architecture, design, and construction fields, we know the importance of mentorship. We belong to a practice-based tradition and across our working life we are always both a mentor and mentee.

As life-long mentees in a constant-learning environment it’s how we learn, advance our knowledge, develop our skills, evolve our design process, and expand our understanding of what is possible.

And as mentors, we foster those coming up behind us, those who will carry on in the profession. We offer them our insights based on our own experiences. We answer questions about what it means to practice and the different educational paths into the profession.

We emphasize why the design and construction world always needs fresh and diverse ideas from as many perspectives as possible. We support, foster, and encourage them with all of our reality-based passion about the architecture, design, and construction professions.

We know that as working design and construction professionals we are always busy.  Our schedules are demanding and we are always pushing towards the next deadline.

But giving just 1-hr/week as a mentor to a youth designer can have a profound impact on them. It will reinforce their current interest and goals or introduce them to educational and professional pathways they might never have considered.

We work with high school students grades 9-12 as well as post-secondary school young adults ages 18-22. Led by a teaching design professional, our programs include both virtual and on-site studios options. Our youth designers represent a diverse group of young people from San Francisco and the Bay Area, other parts of the US, and Internationally. 

In studio they wrestle with complex design projects based on current real-life needs and learn important basic design skills. In our studios, the youth designers develop and cultivate those essential studio skills: Communication, Collaboration, Process-Driven Design Development, Creative Problem-Solving, and Confidence in One’s Own Independent Thinking.

Our mission: Our mission is to provide architectural and design students with learning programs, mentorships, and tools for a better education. We strive to inspire our future AEC leaders to become a part of the industry workforce and community. Help us achieve our goal to “design” student success – which will shape the future and diversity of the built industry, as well as to create a learning environment that offers AEC-related mentorship programs, real world experience, and design competitions for the next generation of architectural and construction professionals.

Please sign up today to become a mentor to a youth designer and contribute 1 hr/week to support the future architects, designers, and builders. 

Enter your information above to learn more information and find out how you can get involved.