I got an email on the week of the 20th of September from the Architecture Department asking if anyone in the 501 studios would want to participate in the Architectural League of NY's Student Program and I thought this would be a great experience. The program gathered many schools from the NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, and DC area to network with various architecture firms within the city. I and four other students were able to represent UPenn and choose to tour a handful of architecture firms such as OMA, Foster+Partners, Susan T Rodrigues, Think!, Smith-Miller + Hawkinson, SHoP, and many more.
The morning session started off with a panel of a few practicing architects, engineers, and educators discussing how their career paths took off in all different directions. It was a great opportunity to think about the various career outcomes and possibilities that architecture allows for. Most of all, it was informative to learn about their career timelines and how long it takes to get licensed. After the morning session, everyone was split up into their assigned firm tours and I headed over to Canal Street which is where Smith-Miller + Hawkinson is located.
When we arrived, the studio was located within an older building that was above a Dunkin' (as I, native to the Boston area, refer to it) and surrounded by the craziness of all the street vendors. The elevator in the building was old and hydraulic-powered, operated by pulling on a cable to send it up. When we walked into the actual studio, we were met with so many architectural models displayed on the walls. It was such a nice vibe! Being able to see a majority of the firm's work and being able to appreciate it is always something I look forward to when attending tours. We were lucky enough to briefly meet Henry Smith Miller who is one of the firm's partners, and he told us about how he transferred from Yale to UPenn after seeing Robert Venturri guest speak at Yale. The semester after Smith-Miller left Yale, Venturi went to join Yale's faculty.
Our day ended with a tour of ShoP Architects' studio, which was polar opposite to the first visit. ShoP is a modern-day architecture firm that focuses on the production of spaces in a short amount of time and in a large quantity. ShoP's office employs around 100 people whereas Smith-Miller + Hawkinson employs 15. After the tour of ShoP's office, I and a few others in the program met up with one of my friends from undergrad to visit the A83 gallery and see the Stools exhibition. I hope to take more advantages of the wonderful networking and professional development opportunities that Weitzman offers in the future.
View Slideshow
