My project is a model of a cafeteria for HTH in the treehouse building. I have put together a slide show of the progression of the project, and I hope to put together a portfolio of images for the final model, wich is not done yet. When I give my presentation I will talk about my ideas and how they evolved into the final model, as well as how I have grown and what skills I have learned.
1. Being an intern over the past few weeks I have learned a lot. It was a big change from school, without people telling me to tay on task I really had to manage my own time, which was a challenge for me at the beginning. After a week or so I could comfortably jungle all of my tasks and spend time working on each of them. In addition I leaned how it feels to have someone depend on you, and have become more responsible as a result.
2. Architecture is amazing, the ability to create something that people use and enjoy everyday is so enriching. Being at StudioE for these 3 weeks I have gained a better understanding of what being an architect actually entails. Its a lot of responsibility and can be very stressful, but it is something that I am seriously considering as a profession. I have gotten a smal glimpse into the world of architecture and I liked what I saw. Like with every profession not every project will be amazing, but when you have free reign to create whatever you can imagine it is all worth it. 3. At work, my colleagues are always on the phone and talking to each other They need to discuss all of the small details that go into designing a building. I have learned that in a professional environment people depend on each other and if one person slacks off it can impact everyone else. I am happy that I have been able to experience this earlier than most high school students so I can apply what i have learned to my school work and personal life. 1. My project was not a real architectural project, but I did go through many of the development steps as a real project. When I was not working on my project I was assisting the firm. I helped my mentor Maxine with measurements for another project and joined her on several trips for her projects. I also organized the sample library for the firm. The work that I did not do on my project was very significant to StudioE and I feel that I helped them.
2. I knew that I would not be working on an actual project going into my internship, but when Maxine told me that I would be designing a cafeteria for HTH in point loma I was so excited. We began by discussing where to put the building. The most obvious option was the "treehouse". I began by building the old building in sketchup, from floor plans that maxine had given me. Once I had the model I went to work, brainstorming ideas for the outside and inside. I drew many different concept ideas on paper first. I knew that I wanted it to be very open so i began with large bay door type windows that could open and allow fluid movement from the inside to the outside areas. I eventually added a second story and encased the top foor with glass, as a sort of multi purpose room with an outdoor terrace on the roof. When I began I also wanted a lot of green, but going with the theme of the buildings in point loma, I made the building more industrial. I did this by using glass and a large amount of metal. I decided that the trade off for the green was making the building semi-green. I added solar cells and solar water heating tubes. Over the course of designing the building maxine would meet with me to discuss ideas and provide feedback. The inside was a bit different, I tried to keep it as simple as possible knowing that each school only has about 400 kids out at lunch at any give time. The actual area for receiving lunch is a simple counter area, but I really wanted to use the seating to make the room a place where kids would want to spend time. I tried to use a lot of couch like seating and few tables to give it a coffe shop feel. I am still not done with my project, I still need to put in the seating and pick some colors. I really need to get to work over the next 3 days to finish and prep for a presentation. Internship is very different, it definitely take time to get used to. In school you have grades and teachers, but in the workplace its just you. You have a mentor to teach you and you should listen to them, but ultimately its up to you to succeed. If you miss a deadline or do a inadequate job its not just a grade, its your life that gets affected. I noticed this in the first week of my internship. Most of the time I am left alone to work on my project. My mentor, Maxine meets with me through out the week to discuss ideas and provide feedback, but its up to me to finish and do a good job. I need to keep track of my own deadlines and manage my own time, and as I have noticed of the past few weeks I am severely lacking these skills. I am very glad that am getting a view into the professional world before I actually start searching for a career. This internship has also opened my eyes to all of the different aspects of being an architect, and all of the steps that go into each project that an architect works on.
Today I spent the afternoon reading the blogs of Adam Bartell, Evie Connolly, and Alex Smith. It is really interesting to see how different all of their internships are and how much each of them is learning from their mentors. I cant wait to hear more about their internships when we get back.
Internship has been a very welcome change of pace from school. Having the ability to work on something that I actually find enjoyment in is very enriching. It has been quite busy around the office over the past couple of weeks with several large projects that the firm is working on so get a lot of time to work on my own project. I have almost completed the building design. Maxine meets with me several times a week to offer her input on my ideas. When ever Maxine leaves the office for an architecture related task I join her. Today we went to the development services building at the city to get some plans for a project approved. As far as funny uncomfortable or funny moments I have not experienced any, although I have jammed the shredder several times and it makes a loud noise. The office is really mellow and I really enjoy coming in every day.
The project I will be working on over the course of my internship is a cafeteria for the HTH schools in point loma. I have the blueprints for the "treehouse" which I will be converting into the cafeteria. So far I have only been experimenting with very outlandish designs, because I really want the cafeteria to be a place where students want to be rather that have to. A big idea that I want to include is a rooftop garden/patio as well as moveable walls to create a very open space. I am also trying to take as much advantage of the san diego climate as possible. I am worried that many of my ideas will be too difficult to consider as real possibilities, because I am not Educated as an architect. I am trying to stay in the real of what I have seen and what seems to be do able. On the inside I have been trying to come up with ideas to make the process of getting your lunch very easy and run very smoothly, so far I have come up empty handed, but I am confident something will come to me over the next two weeks.
I was pleasantly surprised on my first day of work when I was shown to my desk. It was what I expected an intern desk to look like. It is situated at the back corner of the office next to the heads of StudioE. When I first arrived it was blank except for the black swivel chair that accompanied it. Over my first couple of days I started to accumulate papers and pens which began to make my desk feel more like my own. Every day I come to work at 8:30 and begin working on my project, an idea for a HTH cafeteria. Through out the day I switch between my other tasks, the major one being to reorganize the basement. I expected the basement to be cold and musty, but in fact it is warmer than the office. I dont think that it will tame me long to finish working in the basement because I am already almost done. When i am not working on my project or other tasks my time is usually taken up by meetings, which much to my surprise i actually found interesting. I did not get a chance to take pictures of my work space today but be sure to look for them tomorrow!
Today I worked with Jorge, the google sketchup expert at StudioE. He showed some new tricks to help me with making time consuming tasks easier. Although I only spent a short amount of time with him I learned a lot and over the next several weeks I think that he can helpe become a sketchup master. There are other employees at StudioE and although I haven't talked to all of them yet I can see through the work that the firm has done that every one at StudioE is so talented and accomplished. I hope that I can learn from them and gain new skills tht I can use later in life.
Tomorrow is my first day at my internship and I am really looking forward to it, however I do not really know what to expect. I have never had a professional job before and I am worried about the work load. I am sure that it wont be a problem because I am interested in the work I will be doing. Another worry for me are the hours, I work from 8:30-4:30 which is almost an hour and a half longer than my average school day. However I am sure that the time will fly by. From what I have seen during my site visit the people at StudioE were very friendly and inviting. Although I am nervous about working at such an accomplished firm I am still excited because I believe that I will pursue a career in the architectural field. I am looking forward to starting my internship tomorrow!
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AuthorI am a high school student conducting a month long internship at StudioE architects. This blog is designed to document my internship. ArchivesCategories |