Namrata Dadawala | AYON Studio

I was hired by AYON Studios as a Summer Intern as a part of their Internship programme. AYON Studios is a small-scaled firm with in-total of 6 people including the Principal Architect, Angel Ayon. Major job role for me was to help in NYC LPC filing, preparing memorandums in response to LPC comments, preparing cost-estimates, drafting of necessary drawings with the help of AutoCAD, correspondence with the contractors by preparing submittals of approval on behalf of the firm and keeping up with the pace of the projects. Major part of the internship was curated remotely so the office consisted of my computer, the mouse, my desk and an ambient atmosphere in my room in Philadelphia.

Courses like HSPV-600 Documentation-II helped a lot in preparing the construction drawings needed for the easy communications on the site for construction. Courses like Conservation Science proved to be an integral part of my internship as it helped in understanding the materiality of each material in depth and then prepare a condition analysis document for some of the projects in Historic Districts. The understanding from Preservation Economics eased my way in order to carry out filing all sorts of permits with the Local Preservation Commission.

Being an International student, a major part of learning for my internship was to know more about the professional working conditions in the Northern America. The internship didn’t prove beneficiary just to teach the conservation aspect of a practice but how to manage, curate and up-keep a business. During the course of my internship, I met a bunch of like-minded people who thrive to preserve the cultural and architectural historic aspects of New York City. That consisted of my colleagues who have been really helpful throughout my time at the office. The contractors with whom I have had correspondences related to an interior renovation project, taught me how to analyse a material which is suitable for that particular project. My Principal architect taught me how to manage time with numerous tasks on my hand without losing patience. Taught me how to establish a clear line of communication with clients, contractors and with the peers.