Reclaiming Space, Reimagining Futures: How Next Great Architects is Laying the Foundation for a More Equitable Industry
On the surface, Next Great Architects might appear to be a summer camp. But step inside a classroom led by Kionna Louise, and you’ll quickly see that it’s so much more.
You’ll see students sketching buildings inspired by their neighborhoods. You’ll hear conversations about gentrification, heritage preservation, and affordable housing. You’ll witness middle and high schoolers standing tall as they present their solutions to real-world challenges.
What Kionna Louise has built through Next Great Architects is not only an introduction to design. It’s a radical act of possibility—a hands-on invitation for young people to see themselves as the visionaries, problem-solvers, and change-makers they are.
A New Blueprint for Representation
The architecture profession is one of the least diverse in the country. Black women, in particular, make up just 0.4% of licensed architects in the U.S. In the state of Indiana, that gap is even more striking. Kionna is only the third Black woman to receive her initial license in Indiana’s history—and one of just eight Black women to hold an architecture license in the state today.
“It’s 2025, and I’m still one of only a handful,” she said. “That number should be shocking. But it’s also the reason I do this work.”
She doesn’t just teach design—she tells students the truth: that the pathway to architecture is complex, that the industry can feel exclusive, and that without early exposure and mentorship, many talented young people—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—never make it through the pipeline.
Kionna experienced this firsthand. In architecture school, she faced open discouragement. Some professors made her feel she didn’t belong, and she saw peers drop out after similar experiences. Rather than leave the field, she built a new on-ramp for those coming behind her.
“I started Next Great Architects to be the resource I needed,” she said. “Because if no one shows you what’s possible, or supports you along the way, it’s easy to give up.”
Summer 2025: Centering Indiana Avenue
Each summer, Next Great Architects explores a different design challenge rooted in place, culture, and inclusion. Past years have included designing housing solutions for unhoused veterans and reimagining neighborhoods like Norwood that are fighting to preserve their identity.
This year, students will turn their attention to Indiana Avenue, a historic Black cultural district in Indianapolis. Once home to thriving Black-owned businesses, jazz clubs, and generations of families, today, urban development has replaced or erased much of the Avenue.
Working in collaboration with Indiana Landmarks and the Black Heritage Preservation Program, students will research the Avenue’s past, understand its present, and propose ideas for its future. Their designs will culminate in a public showcase—a first for the program.
“I want this year’s work to be seen,” Kionna said. “Not just by parents or friends, but by the city. These students engage with complex issues—gentrification, identity, memory—and offer creative, thoughtful solutions.”
The weeklong program welcomes middle and high school students from across Indianapolis. While there is a cost to participate, the final showcase will be free and open to the public—a celebration of youth voice and architectural storytelling.
A Design Strategy Rooted in Inclusion
Though summer camps are a centerpiece of the program, Kionna’s impact doesn’t stop there.
Over the past decade, she has worked with more than 7,000 students, many from under-resourced schools and communities. She designed a full-scale curriculum for K-12 classrooms, provided one-on-one portfolio coaching to aspiring architects, and introduced design literacy to kindergartners who had never heard of architecture as a career.
She also teaches at Ball State University, where she’s the first Black woman to teach architecture. Her dual role as educator and practitioner gives her a unique lens into students’ gaps, especially when they lack the social capital, portfolio development, or exposure others might take for granted.
And that, she says, is one of the biggest challenges the industry needs to reckon with.
“We don’t have a shortage of talent. We have a shortage of nurturing talent,” Kionna explained. “There are brilliant kids out there who just need access—access to mentors, design tools, environments where their ideas are taken seriously.”
Next Great Architects is built on that philosophy. It’s not just about developing technical skills. It’s about cultivating confidence, purpose, and community. Students leave not only knowing how to design a space but also knowing that they belong in the rooms where decisions are made.
From Outreach to Ownership
Kionna is now expanding her vision. After years of mentoring young people and supporting them through school, she’s growing her architecture firm, NGA Design Studio, to serve as the professional arm of Next Great Architects. Her goal? Employing former students, providing the experience to gain professional hours, and ultimately helping them become licensed architects.
“Most firms succeed first, then reach back. I built this backwards,” she said. “I invested in the students before I ever had the firm. But now, this is about sustainability. It’s about creating direct pathways to licensure.”
That makes Next Great Architects more than a camp or a pipeline—it’s a community infrastructure for equity and economic advancement.
What Can the Business Equity for Indy Community Do?
Kionna is clear-eyed about what she needs next. She’s calling on BEI member companies and civic organizations to show up—and not just in performative ways.
Here’s how you can help:
- Sponsor student participation for youth who cannot afford to attend camp.
- Host a Next Great Architects camp or charrette at your venue.
- Integrate youth in real-world design projects. If your organization is working on a construction or renovation project, include Next Great Architects students in the visioning process.
- Advocate for student engagement with architecture firms. Next Great Architects is a great community partnership that connects education and experience with a concurrent curriculum to the design process.
- Support social enterprises. Though not a nonprofit, Next Great Architects is mission-driven. Investment in this work is an investment in Indiana’s creative and economic future.
Architecture shapes our world, and those who become architects should reflect the people of the world,
Through Next Great Architects, Kionna Louise is not just preparing students to design buildings—she’s empowering them to create lives of purpose, impact, and visibility. From Indiana Avenue to Indiana classrooms, her work is building something bold: a future where everyone sees themselves reflected in the skyline.
Visit the Next Great Architects website to learn more, sponsor a student, or get involved!
