A new course is giving District 214 students the opportunity to design both commercial and residential spaces – and potentially see their ideas come to life.

The Design214 course launched this winter with 20 students from across the District’s six schools. The majority of the students have taken at least one engineering course, and all have different career interests, from construction to interior design to architecture and real estate.

As part of the semester-long class, students are drawing different floor plans for Lewis University’s new space at the Chicago Executive Airport and a one-story home in the Rolling Meadows community. Led by educators Jeff Bott and Patrick McGing, students will separately pitch their designs at the Future Ready Showcase next month to Lewis University leaders and District 214’s Practical Architecture Construction (PAC) program.

Future Ready Showcase

Monday, May 13

6 to 8:30 p.m.

Forest View Educational Center

2121 S. Goebbert Rd. in Arlington Heights

“The creation of this program has allowed us to better connect the students with the industries and careers that fall under the design and architecture career cluster,” said Bott, who is also the division head of career and technical education at Buffalo Grove High School.

The Future Ready Showcase will be held Monday, May 13 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Forest View Educational Center. Community members are invited to attend the event, which also will include our entrepreneurship students pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges and our computer science students showcasing the iOS apps they have designed and built.

In the Design214 course, students learn how to read and write like an architect, how to use industry tools and software such as Autodesk Revit and gain a better understanding of different roles in project builds, such as what contractors and carpenters do.

Students also deal with real-world factors when designing the spaces – budgets, residential variances and easements, exterior landscapes and the permitting process.

The Aviation Academy space at Chicago Executive Airport features both office and classroom space for Lewis University faculty and District 214 students. This may expand in the future to include maintenance facilities.

The Rolling Meadows home is part of the District’s PAC program, which gives students the opportunity to design and build a home.