The High School Design Team comprises students from the Columbus Area Career Connection, called C4. They are Oliver Bush, Trinity Carter, Haniel Cruz, Anushka Damle, Mariana DeLuca, Alexander DePaul, Isabel Garduno, Derik Gratz, Owen Hebert, Eli Kirkland, Brooke Leslie, Eddy Lin, Sam Loheide, Nettie Meeks, Max Nash, Judah Nickoll, Bryce Olson, Ashley Perez, Gloria Phillips, Grishma Pitkar, Joycee Redman, Cameron Rusin, Beatriz Santana, Trent Tyree, and Vaughan Williams.

C4, the career and technical education center, houses 17 various career clusters of study at the secondary level. Architecture students are responsible for designing and constructing the Exhibit Columbus installation. Darin Johnson is the instructor that leads the effort. 

This year the welding program, which is led by teacher Derek Gratz, played a significant role in the construction, and they worked with the architecture students to create the steel structure of Machi. Students were welding and building the installation all summer long. Graphic design and construction students also played a role in the project’s success, and there is a group dedicated to running communication efforts to get more high school students involved.

38 architecture students started the design process in the fall of 2022. The lengthy process culminated in a design proposal in early 2023. The installation formally began in June in the Columbus North High School facilities.

Many of the students participating will either pursue postsecondary education in an engineering, design, or technical skills program after graduation. The students can continue their involvement with this work by joining the recently-formed HSDT Alumni Group, which will have events throughout this exhibition.

This excerpt is from the 2023 Field Guide. Download it here.