Ask a Student Architect!

This week we are featuring an interview with a Penn architecture student balancing working at a firm and attending classes full time. Jacob Anderson (C ’18) shares his thoughts on working at Studio 111 in Philadelphia and some advice for students interested in following his path.

"I’ve been told that my working at a firm during school is putting me ahead of the game and that other people have felt pressure to find a job in fear of falling behind the pack. Being on this side of it, please believe me when I say it’s nonsense. I haven’t jump-started my career by working during school. If there’s anything I can say for sure after this past year learning from my superiors, it’s that architecture is a life-long pursuit."

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Why did you decide to work in a firm while also taking classes instead of a more traditional summer internship?

In short, it was because the opportunity presented itself. When I was considering taking on this second job, I had to question where I was with my coursework, work-study, and personal life. I took a chance on myself, and luckily it has worked out well.

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What is it like balancing professional work with school work?

It’s hard. It would be impossible if not for how understanding and flexible my boss is. Having gone through architecture school, he knows what it’s like to have studio work and extracurriculars constantly competing for time. When I need time off, flexibility on a deadline, or a change in tasks, he has always been quick to help. I cannot stress enough how dependent my ability to balance these aspects of my life hinges on my relationship with my boss, and so I’m thankful for how close we’ve become.

Apart from how hard it can be, I must say that over time there’s less of a distinction between the professional work and the school work. I was expecting work to feel like work and school to feel like school, but when you do them at the same time, they seem to reverse roles. School is where I produce drawings and work is where I learn. By junior year, we have a decent idea of how to work through studio projects, produce drawings, and build models. When I started the job, it felt like I didn’t know anything. I had never done a complete site survey, produced schematics for a client, or even read through a construction document set, much less create one. Every day at work was a crash course on documentation, client relations, and construction. After a few months, I was able to get into a rhythm where I could start applying what I learned in school to work and vice versa.

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What kind of things do you get to do at your job and what do you think is the most exciting part of your work?

I’ve been so fortunate to work at Studio 111 Architecture because of the people I get to spend my time with there. My boss, JP Donohue, has made a point of having me experience every part of the architectural process. I’ve gotten to do site surveys, schematic drawings, construction documents, zoning applications, contractor walkthroughs, and punchlisting. At no point in doing this have I felt that I was the most capable person at the firm to be doing it, but that’s just the nature of learning. I feel like I get to spend every work day working with the kindest, most knowledgeable people with the common goal of making Philly a better place to live one building at a time.

It’s hard to pick the most exciting part of the work. On account of me being the youngest and newest member of the team, it’s nice to bring something unique to the table and be able to apply random skills that I’ve picked up. From setting up the firm’s website and building/upgrading computers to preparing client information materials, there have been tasks that I could do to set myself apart and boost the team.

There’s also something to be said for walking into a newly built space that you designed.

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Has this experience changed how you feel about studying architecture, and if so, in what ways?

There is definitely something uplifting about walking into a space that only existed in your head a few months prior. That and working at a firm with people I’ve come to care a great deal about has made me ready to get back to working full-time. That being said, I now have a better appreciation for the amount of time we spend in studio on phases like the schematic phase, which feels very different when you’re hoping to have something built in the not-too-distant future as opposed to a final review. With that perspective, I’ve been able to think more clearly about how much time should be allocated to analysis vs. schematics vs. construction documentation. That internal voice saying ‘just finish the construction documents, already!’ is a little easier to stave off when you see how valuable the time spent on schematics can be. All of a sudden you don’t feel so bad about spending company time on outlandish concepts.

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Is there anything else that you would like to share about your experience?

I think at some point we all learn what it feels like to be asked ‘what are you doing this summer?’ and fear that our answers are somehow wrong. There’s always this pressure pushing us to find an internship, start networking in as many fields as possible, and lock down a job for after we graduate. We hear about other people doing crazy things and assume that we have to get started as soon as possible if we want to catch up with them. I think we have trouble realizing at first that there is a lot of time between freshman year and senior year. There’s plenty of time to try the things we want to try. I’ve been told that my working at a firm during school is putting me ahead of the game and that other people have felt pressure to find a job in fear of falling behind the pack. Being on this side of it, please believe me when I say it’s nonsense. I haven’t jump-started my career by working during school. If there’s anything I can say for sure after this past year learning from my superiors, it’s that architecture is a life-long pursuit. It’s almost always too much for one person to handle at full-throttle, so we just have to find the right teams and the right projects for us as individuals.

Working during school, doing a summer internship, travelling the world, or sitting at home for a few months – it’s all the same if you’re finding the right people to do it with. Working during school for a boss who doesn’t care about your life is the same as working after school for a boss who doesn’t care about your life. I got a great opportunity early on and took it because the people were right. The rest I just had to make work over time, slowly, and with focus. If it hadn’t started until after school, I’m sure it all would have been the same. Please, enjoy your summer, and enjoy your weeks in school.

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To see Studio 111’s and Jacob’s work please see this link here: Studio 111 Architecture