Unpaid interns are common in architecture firms, but recent lawsuits brought by interns across other industries may have the architecture industry forking out some cash.
In many industries, the term ‘intern’ is often used to describe someone who works for no pay, but the NCARB’s IDP has been trying to detach interns from the assumption by architecture firms that they are willing to work for free. The council defines architectural internships as post-graduate, pre-registration professional work.
— DesignBuild Source
15 Comments
Question, isn't it illegal to have someone work for a company for free? I'm pretty sure it is a Labor Relations violation. Second, why would a required part of becoming an architect, especially when they are providing assistance to a group and a client, be done for free?
Lots of high profile offices don't actually have the cash to put an intern on the payroll - so your compensation is the 'experience' and their name on the resume.
Like many high-prestige industries, entry level design work is (mostly) considered a liability - learning the ropes means you aren't an asset to the business.
This may sound Marxist, but it seems to also function as a way to preserve social stratification and the prestige of exclusivity which seems to be the 'unknown-known' of architecture.
But i'd like to point out how this clarifies some of the flaws in our design education - universities aren't graduating (at the very least) people who businesses see as technical-assets worthy of employment. The disconnect between academics and the profession is nothing new, but the economics of the last few years has made it clear how irresponsibly short-sighted this type of curriculum is.
It's great that the article cites a Columbia professor as teaching his students to avoid working for free while C-LAB continues to advertise unpaid positions, even on archinect.
Lots of high profile offices don't actually have the cash to put an intern on the payroll - so your compensation is the 'experience' and their name on the resume.
AWW...Then they don't get to hire interns. Fuck em. It's the law! Architects expet a strict interpretation of the law when it comes to title protection but want slack with employment laws..haha nice try.
Like many high-prestige industries, entry level design work is (mostly) considered a liability - learning the ropes means you aren't an asset to the business.
And this is exactly why IDP is a bullshit sham.
This may sound Marxist, but it seems to also function as a way to preserve social stratification and the prestige of exclusivity which seems to be the 'unknown-known' of architecture.
And this is why the profession is going down the tubes. All about facades (literally and metaphorically). Prestige, title, and archibabble is valued over quality work and talent. Fuck your social stratification bullshit.
But i'd like to point out how this clarifies some of the flaws in our design education - universities aren't graduating (at the very least) people who businesses see as technical-assets worthy of employment. The disconnect between academics and the profession is nothing new, but the economics of the last few years has made it clear how irresponsibly short-sighted this type of curriculum is.
"The Profession of architecture is all thats wrong with architecture" FLW
If you are willing to work for free, you only downgrade the profession.
You only get to do real work if you are getting paid. What's the point of putting a name on your resume if all you did was get people coffee?
Guess what, you are never going to be a starctitect if you intern for a starchitect. Why? Because it's not social climbing that gets you to the top, but creativity, business sense, innovation and real smarts. Smart people don't work for free.
"It's great that the article cites a Columbia professor as teaching his students to avoid working for free while C-LAB continues to advertise unpaid positions, even on archinect."
It's no wonder why no good work has come out of C-Lab, only disposable nonsense.
"Lots of high profile offices don't actually have the cash to put an intern on the payroll - so your compensation is the 'experience' and their name on the resume."
Bluesidd, high profile offices DO have the cash. They chose to have people who want to work for free, otherwise the high profile offices would NOT be high profile offices if they not have the cash. I have to agree with Darkman, if you are willing to work for free, you downgrade the profession. Bluesidd, ask yourself, are you or were you ever willing to work for free?
I really didn't think this was a problem in North America. I've done about 6 internships during my school years and have always been paid. Infact, at one firm, some fulltime employees actually got irritated that my pay was nearly as high as theirs even though I was almost always asking them questions on how to do this or that xD
Darkman, that is a really interesting point. How long has C-LAB been around for (6-7 years?) and what has it actually contributed to the Architectural discourse? I remember thinking that Volume magazine was really interesting in like 2007 but it has totally dropped off my radar. Nobody refers to anything coming out of C-LAB or Volume Mag.
Remember these trash cans C-LAB cae up with in 2007/2008? http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/trash-mandala.html
While it is sad that C-lab doesn't pay. It hasn't contributed nothing.
The writings on counterculture alone were quite good.
if you want your mind blown, don't hang out with architects.
"Guess what, you are never going to be a starctitect if you intern for a starchitect. Why? Because it's not social climbing that gets you to the top, but creativity, business sense, innovation and real smarts. Smart people don't work for free. "
This is a cute idea, but actually most of the current and past stars did internships at their generation's stars. What gets you a prestigious firm is prestigious clients, not talent. If you can get those clients through talent, great, but connections and family money work just as well.
"Guess what, you are never going to be a starctitect if you intern for a starchitect. Why? Because it's not social climbing that gets you to the top, but creativity, business sense, innovation and real smarts. Smart people don't work for free. "
First of all, who want's to be a starchitect? Secondly, while I admire your idealism and have persued it myself, it's not entirely true that social climbing dosen't get you to the top. Some, like Philip Johnson where born on third base, while others have clawed there way up socially. However you get to bat though, the idea that "If you are willing to work for free, you only downgrade the profession." has no basis in reality or history. In the Italian Rennaisance, apprentices had to pay to work under a master becasue they where learning their profession. It's called an investment in your future.
Many older archtiects have funny stories (in retrospect) of having eaten a load through out our profession, but how is that any different than any other aspect of ones life. Archtiecture schools do a disservice not teaching some basic skills they'll need as soon as they get out of school. My quess is you might get to do "real work" if you actually brought something to the table. As for wanting to be a starchitect, your on your own.
Thayer,
In the rennaisance there was no idp and no legal title protection, so it was voluntary. Can't have your cake and eat it too. That is very different from how it works nowadays.
Wow never met a group of people who feel so entitled as architects do. We want free labor wahhhwahhh we have to pay people to work wahhhwahhh......
only job I would ever ever work for free would be a beer taster
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