Architecture for Kids & American Institute of Architects | Architecture Week 2026: Inspiring the Next Generation – Marcel Wolosik, Sussex County Community College in New Jersey

A flying house, a year that feels impossibly far away, and a teenager who proves that architectural design starts with trying something new. We sit down with Marcel Wolosik, a 16-year-old architecture student from Sussex County Technical School in New Jersey and a dual enrolment student at Sussex County Community College, to talk about his Architecture Week 2026 design challenge: a futuristic home set in 2150, floating above the ground and powered by next-generation energy ideas. What makes this conversation special is how honest it is about the real work of creativity: making lots of options, choosing the boldest direction, and then pushing through the tricky parts until the drawing is finished.  We dig into Marcel’s design process step by step, from quick crayon sketches to more detailed pencil perspectives, then into colour using pen and watercolour markers for the first time. We also connect analogue making to digital architecture skills, including AutoCAD for precision drafting, learning Revit, and using Photoshop to polish a render. Along the way we swap inspiration, from Frank Lloyd Wright and Fallingwater to the visionary 1970s ideas of Archigram, and we talk about why looking closely at everyday places can train your designer’s eye.  If you are a student, parent, or educator searching for practical architecture education ideas, you will leave with clear starting points: build with Legos or blocks, sketch what you see, visit cities, and notice details like train stations, signs, and streets. Subscribe to the Architecture for Kids podcast, share this with a curious young designer, and leave a rating and review so more listeners can find it.