For urban youths, architects consider revising their plans

Slides flashed before architects invited to the Children's Museum one recent evening to consider sharing their trade and time with inner-city middle school students.

John Werner, executive director of Citizen Schools, narrated his organization's 12-year history of providing after-school tutoring and apprenticeships. Sensing the architects' competitiveness, he challenged them to best the participation rate of Boston's lawyers.

"We've skewed the number of middle school students who want to pursue a career in law," said Werner. "We want to do the same for Boston's design community." His laugh subsided when a slide of Luis Gerena, 13, appeared above him. "He is part of the reason we're here today," said Werner, of the former Citizen School's participant from Mission Hill, shot and killed last January near the Jackson Square T station in JP. "We want to honor Luis with more than a monument; we want to honor him with opportunity."

Werner pitched the idea of teams of professionals and students competing on new designs for two Orange Line stops: Jackson Square and Charlestown's Sullivan Square.

Kairos Shen, director of planning for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, then announced his office would judge - and seriously consider using - the winning plans.

Ted Landsmark, president of the Boston Architectural Center, asked Werner to revisit the slide of a young African-American in shirt and tie. Landsmark noted the "bright-eyed" optimism of the student, who had appeared before a judge during a mock trial arranged by Citizen Schools. "I was once him . . . growing up in East Harlem" said Landsmark. "I thought I could do a better job designing the space I lived in. People said I couldn't. I said I could."

"That kid is not only your future client; he is your colleague 15 years from now," he said. The architects flipped through their datebooks, looking for an afternoon they could clear to lend a hand.

RON FLETCHER