h'ok so ive gotten the ubertunity to live and intern in D.C.(im from bfe south carolina) this summer- ive got one sure fire place to work but ill be the first to say this is more for the experiance of D.C. then working at aforementioned firm. So does anyone know what the arch scene is like in D.C? any suggestions on where I should look for a more worth while experiance? Im in my 3rd yr undergrad, and im leaving for Italy on January 9th to study abroad for a semester. Id also like to mention that im new around here but from what ive read, my faith in architecture(and humanity for that matter) is not as bleak as it was before about 3 days ago.
1. pick up a City Paper and look out for an exhibit at the Finnish Embassy while you are here. it is not open often, but when it is, it is a must see building.
2. In Georgetown within Dunbarton Oaks, there is a tiny pavillion designed by Phillip Johnson which is an addition to the museum of Pre-Columbian art. They were renovating it last year, but it should be open by now.
3. The Vietnam Veteran's memorial and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art never get old.
rob(E): Welcome to Archinect. We hope that you'll stick around and contribute to some of the discussions here.
This topic has been discussed in previous threads: 4 Days in DC and many others. Try the search function at the bottom of the main forum page.
Some good things to check out:
The National Building Museum - fantastic lectures
Smithsonian Institution - not just dinosaurs. The Hirshhorn, Sackler,
African Art, and American Art Museums all have modern art. The National Gallery, while not part of the Smithsonian, also has a fine collection.
Tourist Tours - Library of Congress, Capitol Building
Embassies (as mentioned above) - Massachusetts Avenue has a lot of 'em
AIA DC sponsors a few events throughout the year. Their Committee on the Environment (COtE) is rather strong.
Design, with some execptions, is pretty conservative in this town. Please report back to us with your experiences once you've arrived.
Thanks for the sight seeing suggestions, i should rephrase my question a bit- i was looking for more input along the lines of potential firms to intern for, that is what i meant by "any suggestions on where I should look for a more worth while experiance" ill also search other threads, thanks for the heads up
a-ha. Many of the places I mentioned above will give you the opportunity to meet other architects and really see what the "DC architecture scene" is all about.
Have you thought about where you want to work?
Old Town Alexandria
Downtown (Golden Triangle, Gallery Place)
Georgetown
Bethesda / Chevy Chase
Tyson's Corner / Vienna
Did I understand correctly - you'll only be here for a few months in the summer? If you've already got a job lined up, it may be best not to "rock the boat" too much. The firm is probably doing you more of a service - it may take them a good part of the summer for them to train you and before you can be profitable to them. (Perhaps I'm biased because I had year-round internships while in school. Those who had shorter internships may have different opinions.)
Curtclay- im trying to line up a summer gig. i will be visiting DC the weekend aftter new years and want to sling the ol' portfolio in the right places, get the ball rolling so i can intern in the summer. also DCA, i will be living IN the city, got some housing connections for the summer.
(like DCA pointed out, they are doing me a favor since im just a student, and its fort the summer, so i dont want to sound ungrateful) that being said from what i can gather, two cringing words CUSTOM RES...get my drift? id be more comfortable in an office interested in the contemporary landscape, where i could contribute and learn. Plus i can start my IDP this summer, so the more hands on i can be the better.
rob(E)-
If you have a D.C. directory, look up the phone numbers for some of the larger national offices (SOM, ZGF, etc.), or larger firms in D.C. that you recognize.
Call them and simply tell the receptionist that you're an intern and ask for the name of the person, in the office, that you could send a letter of inquiry, resume and small portfolio. Ask if that person is available, but don't be disappointed if they don't have time to talk to you.
Remember, be nice to the receptionist, they're the first line of defense. Ask for their and remember it, because if you visit the office or call again, it will be appreciated.
Good luck.
the AIA website has a good directory that allows you to search by city. i recommend using it to find firms in DC. tc79 is right that the larger national firms are a good place to start. there are a growing number smaller botique firms in DC that do nice work but smaller firms can be hit or miss when it comes to hiring summer help. it still wouldn't hurt to try them either though.
as for gaining experience, i don't think you'll be at any disadvantage (except perhaps in the area of construction administration) if you stick with the custom residential firm. in fact, if the custom residential firm is small you might actually be given exposure to a wider range of responsibilities than you would at a large firm.
D.C. in all its glory
h'ok so ive gotten the ubertunity to live and intern in D.C.(im from bfe south carolina) this summer- ive got one sure fire place to work but ill be the first to say this is more for the experiance of D.C. then working at aforementioned firm. So does anyone know what the arch scene is like in D.C? any suggestions on where I should look for a more worth while experiance? Im in my 3rd yr undergrad, and im leaving for Italy on January 9th to study abroad for a semester. Id also like to mention that im new around here but from what ive read, my faith in architecture(and humanity for that matter) is not as bleak as it was before about 3 days ago.
In DC I would do the following:
1. pick up a City Paper and look out for an exhibit at the Finnish Embassy while you are here. it is not open often, but when it is, it is a must see building.
2. In Georgetown within Dunbarton Oaks, there is a tiny pavillion designed by Phillip Johnson which is an addition to the museum of Pre-Columbian art. They were renovating it last year, but it should be open by now.
3. The Vietnam Veteran's memorial and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art never get old.
rob(E): Welcome to Archinect. We hope that you'll stick around and contribute to some of the discussions here.
This topic has been discussed in previous threads:
4 Days in DC and many others. Try the search function at the bottom of the main forum page.
Some good things to check out:
The National Building Museum - fantastic lectures
Smithsonian Institution - not just dinosaurs. The Hirshhorn, Sackler,
African Art, and American Art Museums all have modern art. The National Gallery, while not part of the Smithsonian, also has a fine collection.
Tourist Tours - Library of Congress, Capitol Building
Embassies (as mentioned above) - Massachusetts Avenue has a lot of 'em
AIA DC sponsors a few events throughout the year. Their Committee on the Environment (COtE) is rather strong.
Design, with some execptions, is pretty conservative in this town. Please report back to us with your experiences once you've arrived.
Thanks for the sight seeing suggestions, i should rephrase my question a bit- i was looking for more input along the lines of potential firms to intern for, that is what i meant by "any suggestions on where I should look for a more worth while experiance" ill also search other threads, thanks for the heads up
but you're leaving on january 9th? you want to intern for a week?
a-ha. Many of the places I mentioned above will give you the opportunity to meet other architects and really see what the "DC architecture scene" is all about.
Have you thought about where you want to work?
Old Town Alexandria
Downtown (Golden Triangle, Gallery Place)
Georgetown
Bethesda / Chevy Chase
Tyson's Corner / Vienna
Did I understand correctly - you'll only be here for a few months in the summer? If you've already got a job lined up, it may be best not to "rock the boat" too much. The firm is probably doing you more of a service - it may take them a good part of the summer for them to train you and before you can be profitable to them. (Perhaps I'm biased because I had year-round internships while in school. Those who had shorter internships may have different opinions.)
Curtclay- im trying to line up a summer gig. i will be visiting DC the weekend aftter new years and want to sling the ol' portfolio in the right places, get the ball rolling so i can intern in the summer. also DCA, i will be living IN the city, got some housing connections for the summer.
as far as the firms go it would be good if you could tell us why you think the firm where you've landed the internship might not be worth your while.
(like DCA pointed out, they are doing me a favor since im just a student, and its fort the summer, so i dont want to sound ungrateful) that being said from what i can gather, two cringing words CUSTOM RES...get my drift? id be more comfortable in an office interested in the contemporary landscape, where i could contribute and learn. Plus i can start my IDP this summer, so the more hands on i can be the better.
rob(E)-
If you have a D.C. directory, look up the phone numbers for some of the larger national offices (SOM, ZGF, etc.), or larger firms in D.C. that you recognize.
Call them and simply tell the receptionist that you're an intern and ask for the name of the person, in the office, that you could send a letter of inquiry, resume and small portfolio. Ask if that person is available, but don't be disappointed if they don't have time to talk to you.
Remember, be nice to the receptionist, they're the first line of defense. Ask for their and remember it, because if you visit the office or call again, it will be appreciated.
Good luck.
the AIA website has a good directory that allows you to search by city. i recommend using it to find firms in DC. tc79 is right that the larger national firms are a good place to start. there are a growing number smaller botique firms in DC that do nice work but smaller firms can be hit or miss when it comes to hiring summer help. it still wouldn't hurt to try them either though.
as for gaining experience, i don't think you'll be at any disadvantage (except perhaps in the area of construction administration) if you stick with the custom residential firm. in fact, if the custom residential firm is small you might actually be given exposure to a wider range of responsibilities than you would at a large firm.
rob(E): My gift to you - links to 118 firms in DC on
my del.icio.us page.
(I make no claim of opinion for any of the firms. I've compiled the list over the last 5 years.)
gracias DCA!
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