My Intern Experience: Part 1

We’ve had an amazing group of interns this summer and it is hard to believe their time with us is almost over. Before they head back to school, we asked them to share a little about what they have been working on, what they have learned and where they find inspiration. Today we hear from Kofi, Kordrick and Allison.

Kofi Akakpo

What projects have you been working on this summer?
I have been a part of the team working on the new science building at Wesleyan University. We are currently in the Schematic Design phase of the project.

What is one new, surprising or key thing you have learned?
I have been positively surprised at how efficiently the remote work experience has been for the whole team. On a lighter note, I also learned what chiclets are.

Where do you find inspiration for your work/design or what inspires you generally?
I generally have a range of influences from various publication sources etc. but I am also very interested in theory and philosophy, both of which I believe greatly affect how we see and experience buildings.

Kordrick Gibbons

What projects have you been working on this summer?
So far this summer I have been working on the Gloucester Project. Right now, an expansion to the Academy Lab is being designed and so I am documenting and digitally modeling the expansion. I am also working on the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania, Africa). I’m doing an environmental study of the site using Ladybug, Grasshopper, and Rhino as well as research of the area for its potential impacts on the project. Working on the Gloucester Project has given me a better understanding of firm documentation while the Aga Khan Project has allowed me to explore new programs and work in environmental research, something I’m passionate about.

What is one new, surprising or key thing you have learned?
While I’ve learned a lot during my time here at PAYETTE, one thing that has really stuck out to me has been the experience and knowledge gained from interacting with clients. Sitting in on those important meetings, meeting the clients, seeing how my project team presents the project and how they deal with things they didn’t see coming has taught me so much. Whether the client is a princess half way around the world or a teacher that lives down the street, interacting with them has allowed me to learn something I couldn’t learn in school. 

Where do you find inspiration for your work/design or what inspires you generally?
When designing a project I tend to focus on 3 things that inspire the design and me. Concept: I feel as though the concept is the soul of the project and guides many, if not all the decisions in one way or another. If the potential is there the design should tell a story as it sets itself apart and potentially excites the clients for the design as much as me. Community: as an architect I feel that we have a responsibility to the communities we design for and to make it better for the people who are living there. Designing a place that creates opportunities in which the community and the people within it can thrive and grow is important to me and thus important to the design. Sustainability:  with the world in its current state, all professions in some way should do their part to insure the protection of the world in which we all live in. As an architect I am lucky to be able to have an even greater potential positive impact on the environment than most and so sustainability is always a huge part of my work. These three things aren’t the only things I focus on but are where I find my greatest inspiration and what has the greatest impacts on my designs. 

Allison Trittschuh

What projects have you been working on this summer?
I’m working on a confidential project, which has been a wonderfully fast-paced and incredibly exciting.

What is one new, surprising or key thing you have learned?
I’ve learned tactics for how to convey design ideas graphically and the design opportunities that arise within technically challenging programs.

Where do you find inspiration for your work/design or what inspires you generally?
I’m inspired by innovative design approaches that aim to serve a community. The client for the project I’ve been working on actively considers the experiences and desires of all their employees. Even though the project isn’t considered a public building, it also aims to actively engage and activate its context and the urban landscape.