
An East Tennessee team took top honors at Tennessee’s Future City Competition on Jan. 18 and will now compete at the national event in Washington, D.C., in February. Applying the theme of “Above the Current,” middle school teams designed and built floating cities of the future to address the challenges of rising sea levels and climate change.

LDA Engineering has supported the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program for eight consecutive years with team members coordinating the regional event, mentoring teams and helping judge student projects.
“We’re honored to work with these kids as they imagine cities of the future using the engineering design process and hope to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers,” said Jason Brooks, CEO of LDA Engineering. “We saw some amazing ideas this year. Congratulations to the Annoor Academy team and best wishes as they move forward to the national competition.”
Since last September, middle school teams worked to conceive floating cities while keeping citizens healthy and safe. They presented their ideas through essays, presentations and models constructed solely of recycled materials.
The following teams took the top honors at the Tennessee Future City Competition:
- 1st Place: Ho Chi Minh from Annoor Academy of Knoxville
- 2nd Place: AquaQuest from Quest Academy
- 3rd Place: Gencity from Thompson’s Station Middle School
This is the third consecutive year a team from Knoxville’s Annoor Academy took home the top honor in the regional event, which was held Jan. 18, 2024, at the Zeanah Engineering Complex at The University of Tennessee Tickle College of Engineering.
More than 67,000 students from more than 37 regions across the country, plus teams from Canada and China, participate each year with winners advancing to the global finals.
LDA Engineering has hosted the regional event for eight years and continues to support STEM education through its $500,000 commitment to STEM education and dedicated $120,000 in college scholarship funds.
About LDA Engineering
For 40 years, LDA Engineering has worked to build stronger, happier communities through sustainable, creative and economic infrastructure solutions. The employee-owned civil engineering firm supports private companies, municipalities and contractors across the Southeast, with offices in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Tri-Cities, Nashville, Memphis and Charlotte. Through its LDA Services division, the company provides cutting-edge geomatics and surveying services and B2B contract implementation. The LDA Fiber division develops high-speed fiber systems for telecommunications and infrastructure clients to meet the need of public and private investments to expand the reach of dependable, high-speed internet. For more information about LDA Engineering’s community-first culture and services, visit LDAinc.com.
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