Architecture Students Named to Metropolis Future100
College of Design Students Lira Gomes and Cameron Johnson have been selected for the prestigious Metropolis Future100 program, which recognizes outstanding students for their contributions to architecture.
The class of 2026 comprises 100 exceptional young designers across the United States and Canada whose portfolios demonstrate a shared dedication to purposeful design. Grounded in research and driven by experimentation, their work addresses community, culture, inclusivity and sustainability with care and conviction, establishing them as rising voices in the profession.
Lira Gomes
Lira Gomes completed her Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Advanced Architectural Studies from the School of Architecture, and now serves as an adjunct teaching in the first year studio. “This recognition affirms that taking ownership of my architectural education and continuing to build on what I’m genuinely interested in, across a range of projects, is what drives my work,” says Lira Gomes. “There are so many ways to apply what you learn, and this is just a reflection of that.”
“Lira is a rare talent: technically skilled, ecologically minded, and unfailingly generous. She has been a force multiplier in our department, elevating the quality of work and the spirit of the studio for everyone around her,” says Shawn Protz, assistant professor of architecture, digital technology.
See Lira Gomes’ portfolio of work
A visualization of a speculative abattoir organized around a central atrium, unveiling the hidden processes of meat production. As visitors move upward through catwalks, they witness the staged transformation of cattle, reframing consumption through exposure and defamiliarization.
This project marked a shift in my work toward exploring alternative processes in architecture by translating smoke simulations into automated systems and choreographed spatial experiences.
A diagram illustrating design terroir as a system of physical, biological, and cultural relationships that shape food production. Design terroir describes the constructed identity of a space through its local conditions, materials, and processes. Human intervention operates as an active agent in constructing and transforming these conditions.
This project reflects my interest in developing a framework that translates systems of production into resilient design strategies.
A bee hotel is designed to accommodate the nest behaviors of both ground- and twig-nesting bees through a combination of clay substrates and hollow cavities. Using locally sourced North Carolina clay alongside methods of rammed earth and ceramic 3d printing, the structure provides durable nesting conditions to create resilient habitats and mitigate parasitism.
This project investigates the intersection of applied ecology and architecture, translating local materials and material processes into site-responsive ecological interventions.
Cameron Johnson
Cameron Johnson is a Master of Architecture student in the School of Architecture. “Being recognized in the Metropolis Future100 is both humbling and deeply meaningful to me. Architecture has opened doors I never imagined—not just professionally, but in how I see and understand the world. It’s pushed me to be more curious—about space, about people, and about the systems that shape our everyday lives—and to translate those ideas into experiences people can actually feel,” he says.
“Cameron possesses a desire to find the story embedded in each project, peeling back the surface to discover a deep core of meaning and creating forms and technical resolutions that make these essential discoveries material,” says Matthew Griffith, principal at in situ studio and associate professor of architecture at the College of Design.
“I’ve come to believe that architecture is not just about buildings, but a depository of stories, a bridge between reason and imagination—a means for readying communities. It should exist to be tending, creating spaces of significance and intent. This recognition reminds me that the curiosity, the work, and the vision all matter—and it motivates me to keep designing with purpose and intention. More than anything, it affirms that I’m just getting started,” Cameron says.
See Cameron Johnson’s portfolio of work
Situated at the edge where forest dissolves into marsh, the Nature Center engages the site as a condition of transition rather than boundary. The architecture is shaped by the landscape—aligned with trails, filtered through trees, and opened toward water—prioritizing restraint and responsiveness. Subtractive massing, framed views, and extended thresholds create moments of pause and release, allowing the building to act as an extension of the environment. A slender tower rises above the canopy as a quiet marker, inviting observation and deepened awareness of the surrounding ecology.
A funerary chapel exploring the spatial language of compression and release as an architectural expression of grief. The procession is choreographed through narrowing thresholds and expanding volumes, mirroring cycles of solitude, reflection, and collective gathering. Inspired by surrounding rooflines and informed by dynamic spatial strategies, the superstructure unifies multiple programmatic elements while irregular courtyards and shifting geometries distort scale to heighten emotional transitions. The result is a sequence of spaces that culminates in spiritual elevation, where architecture becomes a vessel for mourning and transcendence.
This project draws a parallel between Wilmington’s historic cotton trade and its contemporary film industry, positioning the cotton exchange as a bridge between material and narrative production. Processes of compression—cotton into bales, film into reels—serve as a conceptual driver, linking past and present economies. The architecture reflects systems of refinement, distribution, and exchange, framing the site as both a cultural and infrastructural node. Through this lens, the project reinterprets the cotton exchange as a space where trade, storytelling, and global connectivity converge.
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