MdeAS Hosts Salvadori Summer STEAM Program
MdeAS hosted 30 high school students from Claremont International High School on August 12, 2025 as part of the Salvadori Center’s Summer STEAM programming. The program was designed to teach students about different career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Students had the opportunity to see how what they are learning in the classroom is applicable to the real world. They were exposed to careers they may not have considered previously, inspiring a new generation of STEAM professionals who may not otherwise have seen themselves in those roles.
A group of volunteers from MdeAS showed students what a career in architecture could look like. The morning began with a presentation from Managing Partner Dan Shannon, Associate Brittany Milas, and Intermediate Designer George Tsourounakis. They highlighted what led them to a career in architecture, including courses they took in school and their experiences in college, as well as some of the work they have completed at MdeAS. The students then broke into small groups for hands-on workshops to learn about construction drawings, material selection, and even how AI is influencing the world of architecture.
1) Construction Drawings
Brittany Milas and Edisson Cabrera led the Construction Drawings Workshop, showing students what a full architectural drawing set looks like. They also went through some of the information that needs to be included, and the various challenges that can arise during construction. Different scales of drawings were pinned up throughout the space and students saw how the drawings translated to construction photos, identifying the elements that appeared in each.
2) Materials
George Tsourounakis, Juan Vazquez, and Steff Perna led the Materials Workshop from the MdeAS Materials Library. Among the impressive selection of stones, woods, tiles, and more, the students created their own material palettes based on pre-selected mood boards. As our resident Materials Librarian, George taught the students about the various characteristics of each material, including sustainable attributes such as local sourcing and life-cycle assessments. Swipe to see their creations!
3) AI Image Generation
Rachael Biggane, Ivan Yan, and Colin Cantwell led the AI Workshop. They showed a quick demo of how to create a photo-realistic rendering from a 3D model. The students then collaborated to edit the image in Midjourney, creating their own unique spins on the space. Swipe to see some of their designs!