Previous week, I had the honor of chairing the State Examination Committee for graduates majoring in Architectural Design and Interior Design at the Kyiv Vocational College of Architecture, Construction and Management.
For me, this wasn’t just an official event, but a powerful flashback. Exactly 15 years ago, I was standing in that very same room, feeling incredibly nervous and anxious while defending my own diploma. Now, the roles have reversed: I was evaluating the projects as an industry professional, remembering my younger self and trying my best not to look like an overly strict critic.
Two groups of architects and nearly four dozen projects passed before the committee. What can I say — the youth today are highly driven and the level of preparation is impressive, though not across the board.
Forget about drawing with ruling pens or finelined markers on drafting paper, ink washes or stencils. All projects were executed using up-to-date, modern BIM software — the very toolkit that anchors the entire industry and real architectural firms today. Some of them completed their internship under my guidance, so I know exactly what I am talking about.
The boldness in selecting project themes was particularly striking. Aside from the usual residential complexes, students ventured into exciting and unconventional concepts: from a high-tech robotics hub and a modern planetarium to an equestrian club and even a racing academy. The majority of the graduates defended their work with excellence, and it was entirely well-deserved.
Special credit goes to the visual presentation. The deliverables in certain projects were executed at a highly solid level — both in terms of general graphics and 3D renderings. Some students went even further and presented dynamic fly-through videos. It is inspiring to see that young architects don't just model, they are already leveraging AI tools for rapid video generation and post-processing — a standard that aligns with real commercial projects.
Looking at them, I was reminded once again: architecture is always about the courage to create new spaces, even when it seems like everything has already been designed and built before you.
What is the takeaway here? Dear fellow employers, if you are still complaining that "there is a lack of decent talent these days," you are simply looking in the wrong places. Fresh minds are ready to disrupt the market with their ideas. And to the graduates, I want to say: keep this momentum going! You have already begun to master advanced software; now it's time to take on real construction sites and large-scale projects. Wishing you the best of luck and inspiration in this challenging journey!