YArch, Youth Architecture for Community Solutions

Community and Location

New York City + International Audience

Provide accessible opportunities for middle and high school students to engage in architectural thinking.
Use design challenges to connect students with real-world urban issues, starting with Chinatown.
Build awareness of how sustainable and community-centered design can improve local spaces.
Foster creativity, collaboration, and leadership among youth participants.

Launch at least one pilot architectural competition for 100-200 students within the next year.
Collect participant feedback showing at least 80% feel more confident in architecture and design thinking after the program.
Engage at least 10 local partners (schools, nonprofits, or community organizations) to support and sustain the project.
Produce a showcase of student projects (online or in-person) with measurable community engagement (minimum 50 attendees/visitors).

Phase 1: Identify community challenges (ex. public space use, sustainability issues, accessibility in Chinatown).
Phase 2: Develop design challenge prompts that are age-appropriate and engaging.
Phase 3: Organize workshops to introduce architectural methods and sustainable design principles.
Phase 4: Run the competition, guiding students through ideation, design, and presentation.
Phase 5: Host a showcase where students present their work to peers, families, and community leaders.
Phase 6: Evaluate outcomes, collect feedback, and refine the model for expansion beyond Chinatown.