Work has begun. My internship that is. I'm just wrapping up my second week, and I love my job. It's been two weeks, and I feel like I've learned SO much! It's definitely not your typical architectural internship. At Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), we don't design buildings. Instead, we restore them. And to clarify, I do mean we. I'm not the coffee girl, running mindless errands. No. I'm considered part of the team! So, here is a quick glimpse into some of the fun-tivities I've been doing during my first weeks on the job:
For my fellow architects (and non-architects alike), to give you a sense of what we do, WJE is considered a consultant. As I said, we don't design the building or the spaces inside it. We are typically part of the post-construction process, after the dust settles and people start inhabiting the spaces that have been designed for them...except there's a problem, like meddlesome Mother Nature coming into your apartment in the form of water stains on the wall; or there are visible cracks in the concrete that makes up the exterior of your condo building; or you just can't figure out why the stainless steel St. Louis Arch suddenly has discoloration on the outside...hopefully this gives you an idea of the kind of projects I have gotten a chance to work on and the scope of projects WJE tackles on a day-to-day basis.
When I have the opportunity to go on site visits, which actually happen quite often (yay for breaking free from the confinements of cubicle-life!), I feel like I'm part of a CSI episode...although without the blood, gore, and horrible acting. My fellow investigators and I enter the scene of the crime and listen to what the witnesses on scene have to say as they take us around the site. With our Spiderman-like "Spidey-senses" (moreso for my colleagues - I'm more like Robin, the sidekick), we can pick up on details unseen to the casual observer, and, using our vast knowledge of all things architectural, solve the mystery!
When I have the opportunity to go on site visits, which actually happen quite often (yay for breaking free from the confinements of cubicle-life!), I feel like I'm part of a CSI episode...although without the blood, gore, and horrible acting. My fellow investigators and I enter the scene of the crime and listen to what the witnesses on scene have to say as they take us around the site. With our Spiderman-like "Spidey-senses" (moreso for my colleagues - I'm more like Robin, the sidekick), we can pick up on details unseen to the casual observer, and, using our vast knowledge of all things architectural, solve the mystery!
I feel like the "theme" of my year thus far has been about "home" - leaving my new home in Barcelona, returning to my home in the States, and finding a new home at WJE. The office culture is so welcoming and exciting. I never have a dull day when I look at work like I'm solving a mystery. It's somewhat ironic because I've never been particularly fond of Whodunnit's...well, there's hope for me yet!