This year's gang of ten young design firms offers intriguing ideas of where architecture is headed. Think of it as a road map to the future.

Like any small sampling, the following group of 10 design firms cannot reflect the full range of work being done by a new generation of architects. But it offers at least a partial view of the talent pool and who's making waves today. The work presented here includes both built projects and jobs that are still on the boards. Three of the firms are foreign, two include identical siblings, several involve married couples, seven have never been published in our pages before, and only one comes from southern California. The firms were selected after record consulted deans of architecture and critics around the country and then reviewed design portfolios. We plan to make an annual event of showcasing emerging voices, dedicating much of our December issue to architects new to our readers.

See the December, 2000 issue of Architectural Record for complete coverage of these firms, including the full version of the essay excerpted above.