Architecture for Kids & American Institute of Architects | Architecture Week 2026: Inspiring the Next Generation – Ella Williams, AIA Fort Worth, Texas

A teenager starts an architecture club because her school offers no architecture classes. That single choice says a lot about where the profession is heading, and who gets to take part. I’m joined by Ella Davis, a rising senior from Fort Worth, Texas, who is founding the first AIAS chapter at her school and using Architecture Week 2026 as fuel to bring more young people into design, the built environment, and the creative industries.   We talk about where her love of architecture begins: a century-old craftsman house, a dad who once wanted to be an architect, and the simple habit of going on drives to look at buildings closely. Ella breaks down what AIAS (The American Institute of Architecture Students) actually is, why the AIA K–12 initiative matters, and how hands-on events can turn curiosity into confidence for students who have never had a pathway into architecture.   Then we get into her Architecture Week design, inspired by the song “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Ella explains how music can shape concept, mood, and material choices, and why she gravitates towards 1970s modernist warmth: timber, brick, open windows, and outdoor spaces that keep you connected to nature. We also explore Frank Lloyd Wright influences, lessons learned from drawing multiple views, and her clear-eyed view on the rise of AI, human-centred design, and sustainable architecture that builds with the environment rather than on it.   Subscribe to Architecture for Kids, share the episode with someone curious about design, and leave a rating and review so more young designers can find their way in.