An essential part of NYCxDesign is a visit to Pratt’s Brooklyn campus and a wander around the massive Arc Building for the design show. 2026 offered another strong collection of undergraduate and graduate student architectural models on view.

A few of the projects I found interesting were those combining industry and agriculture, typically not the focus of aesthetic consideration. As I’ve mentioned before, one thing lacking in the show is a printed project synopsis or key to locate the project board for some explanation. Otherwise walking around and randomly finding information is the only option.

I also observed the move away from swoopy parametric shapes that were all the rage a few years ago. It seemed like the majority of the models relied on elemental geometries and considered proportions over auto-generated forms.

It’s a good experience to see what the tastes of future architects are and get a glimpse of the tone of building design, material and color trends heading our way.

Photos and Text: Dave Pinter