Our Noll & Tam team spent a full day with students from The Hidden Genius Project at the RYSE Youth Center in Richmond, sharing architecture as a creative, technical, and community-centered career path. The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills, and our visit built on that mission by giving students a hands-on look at how architects, designers, visualization specialists, and construction teams work together to shape the built environment.
The day began with an introduction to architecture, followed by a plan-reading activity where students learned how to understand floor plans and then tried drawing the room they were in as an architectural plan. From there, students rotated through four interactive sessions: Revit, visualization, interior design, and construction. Each station included tools, materials, models, drawings, or digital demonstrations so students could connect big ideas to real design practice.
A few favorite moments included students testing design ideas, asking thoughtful questions, and seeing how many different skills and roles contribute to a successful project. We also shared lunch and ended the day with reflections, gratitude, and takeaways that made clear how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved.
Thank you to The Hidden Genius Project for welcoming us into your space and to the students for bringing such curiosity, energy, and openness to the day. We were grateful for the chance to share what we love about architecture and to see the excitement as the Geniuses explored how buildings come together, from the first ideas and drawings to the tools, materials, technology, and teamwork that bring a project to life.