Connecting Curriculum to the Workplace

As an undergraduate architecture student at the University of Detroit Mercy, Maria Jose studied the work of Philadelphia firm KieranTimberlake, founded by alums Stephen Kieran (MArch’76) and James Timberlake (MArch’77), in her design and environmental systems courses.

So when Jose, now in her second year of the Master of Architecture program at the Weitzman, got the opportunity to complete a week-long externship at the award-winning firm over spring break, she said it was a “full circle moment.”

“It's interesting to come from a school environment where we talk about pushing the edge of design, into a real-world context and to be able to implement those ideas. It's really amazing to see that happen in real life.”

As an extern, Jose dove into the schematic design process for the renovation and re-imagining of the historic Sackett Building on Penn State’s campus. “It’s a really immersive experience,” she says about the week filled with team meetings and fabrication. Her primary directive has been using laser cutting and 3-D printing to create a site model for the upcoming client meetings.

Taking on an historic building was an interesting entry point, she says. The team is focused on creating a design that’s rooted in sustainability, but that also responds to the campus master plan and the building’s historical status. “The clients are interested in forward-thinking design as well, and the design team is exploring many different design iterations.”

Weitzman’s externship program was launched in 2019 by the Office of Professional Development & Career Services. Kali Meeks, who directs the program as part of a growing suite of resources for students, has grown the program from a handful of architecture firms to more than a dozen opportunities in city planning, landscape architecture, and historic preservation students as well.

Over 100 students have participated in externships since the program started four years ago, and many of those experiences have turned into summer internships and full-time employment. “It's almost like a pre-interview for summer,” says Meeks. “Many of the firms ask the students back for an internship because they really like them.”

This year Meeks matched 20 students to 14 different firms for one-day and week-long placements during winter and spring breaks. She says that the KieranTimberlake placement was highly sought-after and competitive. But, the range of firm partners is an advantage of the program, as it allows for students to get to know companies of different sizes and specialties.

Jose says that at a relatively large firm like KieranTimberlake. she enjoyed seeing the culture of collaboration and teamwork play out day-to-day. During the schematic design process, she was surprised to see how quickly iterations and design studies move, even through such a large and diverse team, then coming together to create resolution. The firm's partners include alum Matthew Krissel (MArch’05) and Billie Faircloth, adjunct professor of architecture.

“It really helps inform what I am looking for in a full-time position,” Jose says. “What kind of team do I want to work with? How do I want that teamwork to look like, especially for a profession like architecture, where it's so collaborative?”