Last weekend, RIBA’s 66 Portland Place was filled with something we don’t see often enough in architectural institutions: young people. Over 2,000 of them, to be precise. The Festival of the Future 2025, organised by Beyond the Box in partnership with RIBA, brought together energy, ideas, and a determination to break down barriers to the built environment professions.

The event was the brainchild of Neil Onions, founding director of youth-engagement specialists Beyond the Box, who worked with RIBA education manager Sophie Draper and a wide range of partner organisations to make it a reality. The goal was simple: to inspire and excite young people from all backgrounds about careers in architecture and the built environment, while opening their eyes to alternative routes in.

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