Archinect
anchor

lifeform internship

melivt

Does anyone else find it hypocritical that Lifeform (see jobs) is offering an unpaid internship (in return for school credit, wtf-that's compensation?), even though their website says that they "approach a new form of social consciousness."

I don't understand this practice, really, where is the incentive to work hard? won't these students be worked to death (i averaged 50+ hours a week during mine) and surely this form of compensation is illegal.

thoughts/criticisms desired

 
Apr 26, 05 9:07 pm
citizen

The title of this thread sounds like a scientific term for "fetus." But I digress...

If not hypocritical, at least unethical. I'm a proponent of such firms being deluged by email from Archinecters shaming them for their regressive hiring policies.

Apr 26, 05 9:31 pm  · 
 · 
AP

word

Apr 26, 05 9:40 pm  · 
 · 
kissy_face

If they can pay an architect for his or her CAD, 3-D modeling, and CD skills they can pay the 'intern' as well. As if...

Apr 26, 05 9:59 pm  · 
 · 
eeayeeayo

It isn't illegal to offer school credit as compensation, though it usually makes such a situation less complicated for both intern and employer if the student's school has an official internship-for-academic-credit program. In fact many schools won't grant school credit for an internship in which the student is also paid. Some schools don't grant academic credit for off-campus internships at all, so this might not be a good deal for some students from some schools....

To some students the academic credit might be worth more than the typical internship pay - in fact our office pays interns but we have been asked more than once whether an internship for school credit is possible instead. When we did agree to such an arrangement for one student we found that the student's school required extensive documentation both from us and from the student to document the nature and quality of the internship as an educational experience (remember that Seinfeld episode where the woman from NYU's internship program gets upset that Kramer has his intern Darren mending chicken wire for "Kramerica Industries"?)

So I don't see this job post as hypocritical or unethical. I see this as an opportunity for the right student who is looking for this sort of thing - though clearly not a good deal for some.

One drawback though is that NCARB won't grant IDP credit for an internship for which a student receives academic credit.

Apr 26, 05 11:01 pm  · 
 · 
AP

still seems like exploitation

Apr 26, 05 11:39 pm  · 
 · 
harveylamar

"All of our projects are site specific spatial configurations derived from thorough analysis desired human interactions"

first question: doesn't any project ever done fit into this category. I mean what project isn't a spatial configuration that is derived from some sort of analysis of desired consequences?

second question: what projects? you mean the friends' apartments with a fresh coat of paint, cool mod furniture, and ikea-d kitchen? or the flashy studio project formz models? or the cafe you arranged some chairs in.

This place stinks of "pretend" firm. Probably some professor trying to play architect and hoping to win a competition to launch them into the stratosphere.

My advise: If your going to work. Get a job in a real firm. pump some cad. learn the business. get some stuff built. and start your own "lifeform" and sweat out those competition boards for yourself. Don't do it for some phony ass wanna be.


Apr 29, 05 5:16 am  · 
 · 
artmak

At least they give college credit, but funny thing is, they are not going to hire college students, they will hire a graduate for the price of unpaid internship.

Sep 2, 09 10:43 pm  · 
 · 

Block this user


Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?

Archinect


This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.

  • ×Search in: