After graduating with an undergraduate degree in Architectural Studies from a non-accredited liberal arts school in the spring of 2015, I knew that to become a licensed architect I would need to return to school to earn my masters in architecture. The plan was to take a gap year between my undergraduate and graduate education to, hopefully, gain some practical experience within an architectural firm. With my non-accredited degree and no prior design work experience, I understood that I may not be the most qualified candidate for an entry-level position in the field of architecture, but this didn’t deter me from trying. Recalling a Banwell Architects Job Shadow Day, which a fellow high school student and I attended during our senior year at Hartford High School, I reached out to Ingrid with the hopes of coming in to talk with the staff about their early career experiences and to receive any advice that they could give. She graciously invited me in to attend one of Banwell’s Friday cookouts where I received some great advice that was nicely complimented with Zach’s tasty grilled chicken lunch.
A few months had went by when I received another email from Ingrid, this time wondering if I was still looking for architectural work. Excited and nervous, I jumped on this opportunity to begin my career at Banwell Architects. Not sure what to expect, during my first day on the job I jumped right into my first real-world architecture project, Somersworth CTC! It did not take long for Banwell to exceed my expectations for what my first job in design would look like. I have found that the studio’s atmosphere promotes the development of architects by encouraging trust in each employee within a fun and friendly environment, all while bringing collaboration and continued education into the day-to-day practice of architecture.
As I am about to leave Banwell for graduate school, I have taken a moment to highlight some of the transformations that have transpired throughout this past year. I have gone from an “Intern” trying to complete the IDP to an “Architect in Training” (A.I.T.) trying to complete the AXP, from questioning my abilities to being confident and willing to learn the many things that I did not know about architecture, from working on schematic designs to looking at the final designs both on-site and in construction photos (very gratifying feeling seeing designs come to life), and most importantly going from a recent college graduate with no practical experience to a member of the Banwell team which has fostered a sense of confidence in my abilities that will make the transition back to school that much smoother.
Thanks and farewell Banwell!
