UWSA Fall 2018 Co-op Guide by Julia Nakanishi

FALL 2018

THE CO-OP GUIDE

north america Toronto, Canada Kitchener, Canada Guelph, Canada Calgary, Canada Vancouver, Canada Victoria, Canada New York City, USA Chicago Boston, USA

SoUth america 4 18 20 22 24 28 30 46 48

Sao Paulo, Brazil

eUrope Amsterdam, Netherlands Rotterdam, Netherlands Paris, France Copenhagen, Denmark Berlin, Germany Barcelona, Spain Helsinki, Finland Aarhaus, Denmark London, UK Brussels, Belgium

aSia 58 66 70 77 78 80 81 82 84 86

Beijing, China Singapore Tokyo Hong Kong

90 92 94 96

oceania Brisbane, Australia 100 Wellington, New Zealand 102

north america

Who: Maighdlyn What firm: RDHA Where: Toronto, Canada When: 2016-2018 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Full-service firm with a focus on cultural buildings, operations centres and transportation architecture. ~ 35 employees How did you find your job? Interned there after third year, asked to return upon graduation What are the hours? 9:30 - 6. What tasks were you given? Iterative program and facade design, rendering, diagramming, modelbuilding in Revit Discuss an interesting project. Union Station What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Worked steadily with one design partner for 3 months, often working independently and with a small team How is the team dynamic / work environment? Friendly, opportunities for mentorship What tools of representation are used? Revit, Sketchup, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Any work perks? Friday drinks are taken *very* seriously How is the after work culture at the office? Friendly, open, multi-generational What was the most important thing you learned there? How to liase with clients and other trades at various stages of a project. How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Highlight rendering skills and ability to express design visually City Life

How did you find accommodation? Through friends 4

How safe did you find the city? Pretty safe How did you get around the city? Bike, TTC How did you meet people in the city? Going to shows (art, music) and talking to people; coworkersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; friends

Who: Hayley Sykes What firm: Atelier Kastelic Buffey (AKB) Where: Toronto, Canada When: Summer 2018 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Houses and cottages, high end design, 6 people How did you find your job? Through a classmate What are the hours? 9:00-6:00 What tasks were you given? Physical model making, AutoCAD drafting (plans, sections, site plans), millwork drawings, interior elevations, presentations, sketch up modeling, schedules, house measuring, instagram posts What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Often no design but my input was valued How is the team dynamic / work environment? Small group, very casual and friendly, often have lunch together What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, Sketchup, vray Any work perks? Birthday lunches and going away lunches How is the after work culture at the office? Every Friday we have beers in the afternoon at work, but we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything as an office after work What was the most important thing you learned there? How to prepare millwork drawings, the design process for small residential How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? No special requirements City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The theatre cafe and local restaurants How did you find accommodation? Lived with boyfriend 6

What are some must-see places there? Toronto Island, Trinity Bellwoods Park How safe did you find the city? Very safe in most areas How did you get around the city? Walking, streetcar and bus How did you meet people in the city? I already had friends living there

Who: Hayley Sykes What firm: ZAS Where: Toronto, Canada WheN: 2016 (8 month co-op) Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Community centres, skating arenas, schools, university building How did you find your job? Waterloo Works What are the hours? 8:30-5:30 What tasks were you given? Design of community centre lobby, design of school library, wall sections, rendering, rendered elevations, revit modeling and drawings, site signage, community meetings, bathroom drawings, furniture layouts Discuss an interesting project. Canoe landing community centre and schools, Canoe Lansing Park, Toronto. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Very involved on one project for 8 months. Was able to give my input and was given the chance to design some interior spaces How is the team dynamic / work environment? Fun, friendly, and easy going, want you to learn What tools of representation are used? Revit, Rhino, Photoshop,Illustrator, InDesign Any work perks? Lunch time fitness and health classes, tour of previous buildings, if you stay late you get dinner, many lunch and learns How is the after work culture at the office? Often will get drinks together, sometimes we will grab lunch together, in the summer there are some pool parties, many people are friends outside of work What was the most important thing you learned there? Revit, wall sections, working through schematic design to the beginning of construction documents How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Revit work, renderings, projects like libraries, schools, and community centres 8

City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The restaurants on King and Queen street How did you find accommodation? A family friend What are some must-see places there? Toronto Island, Trinity Bellwoods Park How safe did you find the city? Very safe in most areas How did you get around the city? Walking and street car How did you meet people in the city? Work and friends already in Toronto

Who: anonymous What firm: Diamond Schmitt Where: Spadina/Adelaide, Toronto, Canada When: Summer 2017 (3rd co-op) Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? The firm does a range of work from institutional buildings to museums to art centres to condos to competitions. There are about 200 people in the Toronto office. How did you find your job? Waterloo Works What are the hours? 40 hours a week What tasks were you given? I worked on a single project doing design development and construction documents for most of the 4 months, as well as I had the opportunity to use the 3D printer and the laser cutter to make a model for the client. Discuss an interesting project. I worked on the Canadian Science and Technology Museum collections building in Ottawa. It was a unique look into an archival facility as well as a project that required coordination with multiple preservation groups to properly manage a museum collection. It was also interesting as the timeline for construction was overlapping as we continued to work on construction documents so it was a very fast paced project with many deadlines. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I was involved in all aspects of the design development and construction documents as the team worked on it. They treated me like a full time member of the team however due to the limited time of my employment were not able to give me any long term responsibilities as I would not be around long enough to see them through. How is the team dynamic / work environment? The team I was on was an amazing team where everybody supported everybody. Deadlines were tough but we all worked really hard. The whole office was very friendly and interested in what I was doing and how my time there was. The work environment is very reasonable and in summer time most of the office gets out at 1pm on Fridays (students are still expected to work a 40 hour week but putting a little extra time throughout the week means you still get the early weekend!). Our team went out for really nice lunches after deadlines and on special occasions (my departure!) and they were really sweet with celebrating birthdays (that is all attributed to the awesome people on my team!) 10

What tools of representation are used? Revit, Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator, Blubeam, and CAD Any work perks? 3D printer (makerbot and resin), laser cutter, lunch and learns on Wednesdays (except July and August), fancy coffee makers, tons of good lunch spots in the area, good stocked kitchens, Friday afternoon design meetings (with beer and popcorn), team lunches, and an office band! How is the after work culture at the office? I met some really fun coworkers that would grab drinks with me after design meetings and I made some really great friends that I still keep in touch with. What was the most important thing you learned there? Lots of Revit knowledge and most importantly how to be a contributing essential member of a project team on a fast paced project. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The Wide Open (cheap drinks) or Sneaky Dees or the Lab in the Annex (cheap and less grungy than the Wide Open) How did you find accommodation? Through another architecture student (I moved into their Toronto room after they left their co-op) What are some must-see places there? Right near my office was 401 Richmond which was fun to explore through and 362 Richmond is a pretty wicked building as well, totally caught my eye the first time I walked by it. Any interesting trips during the term? Toronto Brickworks, the Waterfront trail (good for runs) How safe did you find the city? I found it very safe as I lived just off Bloor and Brunswick and the area is very busy and vibrant. Know your neighbourhood (many are not as safe). Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Terroniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Queen (AMAZING italian food) How did you get around the city? Bike (best way in my opinion but WEAR A HELMET), or streetcar How did you meet people in the city? Work and friends of friends

Who: Ethan What firm: Norm Li Where: Toronto, Canada Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Rendering, variety of scales. 30-40 PPL How did you find your job? Waterloo Works What are the hours? 9-6 What tasks were you given? 3d modeling, PhotoShop, Rendering Discuss an interesting project. Artist Alley, Large residential, multiple int/ ext renders What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Allowed to participate in all stages of work/meetings/project management How is the team dynamic / work environment? Fun, young What tools of representation are used? 3DS Max + PhotoShop What was the most important thing you learned there? How to use vray properly How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Show visual skills, photography

Who: Ethan What firm: Partisans Where: Toronto, Canada WheN: 2018 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Residential, Bars, Shops, Research, Large Proposals How did you find your job? Emailed the firm What are the hours? 9-6 What tasks were you given? Diagrams, Orthos, Renders Discuss an interesting project. Re Branding of developers property portfolio What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Mostly involved with a small team How is the team dynamic / work environment? Friendly What tools of representation are used? Rhino, Revit How is the after work culture at the office? Social, casual What was the most important thing you learned there? Firm operation at small scale City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Blood Brother Brewing How did you find accommodation? Facebook sublet groups

Who: Saadman Ahmed, 3B What firm: Brook Mcilroy Architects Where: Spadina and Queen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada When: Fall 2016, Second Co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Landscape Architecture, Urbanism, Masterplan, about 30 people How did you find your job? Personal Search What are the hours? 40 hrs/week What tasks were you given? I was responsible for creating renderings for multiple waterfront projects around Ontario

This is one of the rendering for the

new Hamilton Waterfront I worked on What was your level of involvement and during my work term at Brook Mcilroy. responsibility in projects? I mostly worked with the project managers on multiple waterfront and masterplan projects

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Very friendly people with an eager to help interns with any work challenges Any work perks? Free breakfast on Fridays, free lunch in the office often throughout the week, and good coffee City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Hangout with friends at Kensington market/Chinatown which is close to the workplace How did you find accommodation? I lived at my home in Toronto Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Big Sushi on Spadina Avenue How did you get around the city? Public Transportation (TTC) How did you meet people in the city? I already have friends in Toronto as I grew up here but I met new people through my co-workers from the office as well 14

Who: Victoria Ngai, M1, HBAS class of 2016 What firm: KPMB Architects Where: Toronto - King St W & John St When: fall 2013 (marketing co-op); winter 2016 (arch co-op); oct 2016 sept 2017 (full time) Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? focus on institutional projects - universities, cultural projects; high rises, office towers, interior fitouts, master planning. staff of around 100 How did you find your job? combinations of JobMine / WaterlooWorks and external contacts What tasks were you given? revit modeling, design studies, producing presentation materials, some rendering and photoshop, drawing markups, detailing, product research, some coordination with consultants Discuss an interesting project. massey hall restoration - got to visit the hall and explore all its nooks and crannies. scope of project was wide, including restoration work, reconfiguring existing spaces, and an entirely new addition - lots of different moving pieces. How is the team dynamic / work environment? varies greatly with team size, project status, project managers What tools of representation are used? strong emphasis on revit. legacy projects will be in cad. sketchup and rhino are used for schematic phase and for competitions. some projects may utilize other tools - grasshopper, dyanmo, 3DS max Any work perks? lots of lunch & learns, interesting talks given by guests, great location - 5min walk from st. andrew stn, short walks to many great restaurants and coffee shops, laser cutter and resin 3D printer, exploration in VR What was the most important thing you learned there? working smart > working hard City Life

What are some must-see places there? within [lunch break] walking distance of kpmb - 401 richmond, newly redone grange park, umbra store, QRC west, bell lightbox, roundhouse park, clarence square (dog watching!), design exchange 15

Who: Ron Adriano 3B What firm: MC Architects Where: Davisville & Yonge, Toronto When: Winter 2016, First Co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Mainly schools in the GTA but also on institutional buildings and renovations. At my time of employment 16 people worked there. How did you find your job? Waterloo Works What are the hours? 40 hours a week What tasks were you given? Work ranged from basic drafting of plans to custom detail sections. I was also involved in early schematic design and was brought to site visits and client meetings. Discuss an interesting project. I worked a small renovation to a school that required a custom skylight. This project was interesting in that the skylight was actually quite difficult to integrate into the existing and new roof structures. I worked in collaboration with coworkers to resolve the details and structure. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I had a high level of responsibility for a student on their first co-op. However, I do not think I was expected to do much above my pay grade. A handful of tasks were given to me due to lack of staff availability but resources were made available to me so that it could be done properly. How is the team dynamic / work environment? The office was small but the space was quite spread out so there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much interaction a lot of the time. However, when there was, it was friendly and open. The work environment was very accepting of co-op students and everyone was willing to take a mentor role. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD and Revit drawings were primarily used. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign were used but not very much. Any work perks? Lunch and learns, a really great shawarma place down the street at the back of a 7-eleven How is the after work culture at the office? Not really significant. What was the most important thing you learned there? Architectural detailing. 16

Who: anonymous, graduated 2016 What firm: dkstudio architects inc. Where: North York, Toronto When: Winter 2013, Fall 2013, 1-year (2016-2017) post graduate Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? High-end retail interiors, corporate interiors, single-family residential. 10-15 people. How did you find your job? Initially JobMine What are the hours? 9:30am-6/7pm M-F How is the team dynamic / work environment? You will work very closely with principals and other colleagues to solve everyday problems. The principal and several full time employees are Waterloo graduates, and the staff is a mix of people from all over the world. Do not hesitate to ask questions! Although everyone will be busy, they are all accommodating and willing to help. Not everyone will be checking your work all the time, so best to ask and get it right the first time! Weekly office meetings to get a hold of project progresses and where you can best help. They are a small office and are not afraid to give responsibility to those willing to take it; you can make design decisions, external e-mail correspondences, and site visits if you take the initiative. What tools of representation are used? Autocad, Revit (possibly), Rhino, Sketchup, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, ArchiCAD, basically everything. Any work perks? Nespresso Coffee cups and machine, free tea and drinks, occasional snacks and treats, dinner and taxi if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working really late (I hope not) How is the after work culture at the office? Not much after work. There is the occasional office lunch, dinner, or drinks out if there are birthdays, holidays, turn-overs (for co-ops too), etc. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Home for dinner. How did you find accommodation? I lived with family.

Who: Allegra, M4, HBAS 2016 What firm: WalterFedy Where: 675 Queen St S #111, Kitchener, ON When: All except first co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? WalterFedy is an integrated firm, including engineering and construction in-house in addition to architecture. They do a range of work, but primarily commercial (offices) and institutional (schools and hospitals), and mostly within Southern Ontario. How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? Hours are 8:30-4:30 with very rare overtime. What tasks were you given? Initially, visualization (renders, material boards, etc.) and simple CAD tasks (editing files according to mark-ups), but I was very quickly given greater responsibilities in terms of preparing and coordinating contract documents. By the end of my final term, I was given a small renovation to project-manage. Discuss an interesting project. My favourite project was a complex warehouse-to-office renovation. For this project I was solely responsible for designing and drafting all the new stairs in the building, and additionally worked closely with one of the senior building technologists to design and draft crucial (and very complex) building details. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Very high. Even in my first co-op term at WalterFedy I was given significant responsibility in drafting construction drawings, reviewing shop drawings, and coordinating with Mech/Elec/Struc/Civ. As I demonstrated my enthusiasm and capability, these responsibilities only grew. Other team members also made sure I was involved beyond the office, taking me on several site visits during my first co-op term, to several projects in varying stages of construction. How is the team dynamic / work environment? I was made to feel like a key team member from day one. I found the dynamic of the whole firm to be very friendly and supportive, with everyone, not just the architectural department, approachable and happy to answer questions. What tools of representation are used? Primarily AutoCAD, Google SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/ 18

Indesign. I also used V-ray for SketchUp, and in my final few co-op terms they began to use more Revit.

Any work perks? Lots of Lunch & Learns as well as regular departmental lunches (read: free lunch). There’s a tradition of bringing in treats on your birthday, so frequent yummy snacks available. There’s also a weekly soccer game and a yearly soccer tournament, as well as yoga at lunch once a week. How is the after work culture at the office? Good. As I said, there’s a soccer club, occasionally a group will go out to eat, and every term the co-op students (from all departments) work together to organize an office social. The office also participates in the annual Canstruction contest. What was the most important thing you learned there? On the practical side, I was introduced to all aspects of the architectural process, including some (bidding, addenda, construction management) which are not really covered in school. On the personal side, I gained a lot of confidence in my own architectural abilities. Does the office support a health work-life balance? Yes. There is minimal overtime, a positive office culture, options for flexible hours, a secure bike room, and onsite showers. WalterFedy also supports volunteer work in the community, and in my third term I had the opportunity to do a full day of volunteering with a team from the office at a Habitat for Humanity build. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Archery Club on Main Campus How did you find accommodation? I’m from the area so I lived with my parents What are some must-see places there? The Tannery renovation, CIGI, the new Google offices. What’s the best meal you had there? The Yeti Cafe is a great brunch spot How did you get around the city? Car, bike, bus (GRT)

Habitat for Humanity build team. I’m in the front row on the far left. 19

Who: Jasdeep Multani 3B What firm: Grinham Architects Where: Guelph, Ontario When: Winter 2015 First Co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Small firm, 10 people How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 9-5 Mon- Friday What tasks were you given? AutoCAD drawings, markups, floor plans Discuss an interesting project. Guelph Turf grass Institute - University building at early stages of design What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Worked on various projects, more computer based work than attending team meetings How is the team dynamic / work environment? Quiet firm What tools of representation are used? Auto CAD, Bluebeam How is the after work culture at the office? No real after work culture, older emplyees in the firm and many go home directly after work What was the most important thing you learned there? Learned and expanded CAD skills, would need to ask for work or what needed to be assisted on which allowed me to be a part of many projects City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Close to the University of Guelph so you can always go there after work for events How did you find accommodation? Online How did you get around the city? Bus Transit system How did you meet people in the city? Student Run city so you can always meet people your age that are attending University of Guelph 20

Who: Nick Makhalik 3A What firm: GEC Architecture Where: Calgary, Alberta When: Spring 2016, First co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Large scale projects ie. Arenas, Masterplanning, Transit. About 40 people How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 40 hour/week. What tasks were you given? Model Making for large masterplanning. 3D modelling and Cad work. Discuss an interesting project. CalgaryNext is the large masterplanning project that I worked on. We designed an extension of the city with the inclusion of a bran-new fieldhouse and hockey stadium. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I worked with the partners and other architects sharing my opinions on designs and worked as a part of the collective. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Really friendly. The other younger architects and interns were really fun to hangout with during and off-work What was the most important thing you learned there? Software skills, Actual Design City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Talisman Centre (Olympic-Grade Gym) How did you find accommodation? Kijiji Any interesting trips during the term? Banff for skiing How safe did you find the city? Its Canada fam, it was safe How did you get around the city? Bus, C-Train, Walk Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Cowboy culture is alive and well here, not a barrier, but just an FYI 21

Who: Siobhan Allman What firm: Studio North Where: Calgary. Alberta Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? The firm designs and builds laneway houses primarily. 5-6 guys work at the firm. What are the hours? 40 hours per week. What tasks were you given? I was hired to design their presentation style and do various forms of graphic work. The term was spent drawing for the most part. I was at Studio North in the summer. I spent most Friday’s outside landscaping or constructing on their various sites. One weekend was spent in BC constructing a small design build pavilion on Mark’s family property. I also helped coordinate a house party to showcase their design work for potential clients. It was amazing.

Discuss an interesting project. I worked on various drawings. It was very interesting to spent an entire term researching drawing styles and workflows. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? They were very keen on a high level of engagement. I was given a lot of responsibility. How is the team dynamic / work environment? They were great. I started strong to prove my dependability and it soon led to self directed work weeks. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, sketchup, Adobe Suite Any work perks? They have beer o’clock. They are also based out of an artist collective. You meet many creatives in the city. How is the after work culture at the office? Awesome. They are young guys. I made friend with some of their mutual friends. They really tried to make me feel at home What is the most important thing you learned there? It was interesting to see a new, small firm work out some kinks in their operation. It was a great experience to see how a firm gets started from the ground up.

How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? I think you should tailor your portfolio to the kind of work you want to do during your co-op with them. They are very interested in pursuing and developing your strengths. I had worked at a high profile drawing office in New York, so my portfolio was full of drawings etc. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Calgary is a funny place and I’m very into being alone. I would usually go for bike rides with my friend Phil down to the reservoir to hangout in the sun. (The sun sets at 10pm in Calgary during the summer - perks). I would go hiking almost every weekend in the Rockies. How did you find accommodation? Mark (one of the partners) helped me out and ended up finding a friend of a friend for me. What are some must-see places there? The Rocky Mountains, the Hi-Fi club (if you’re into house music), Village Ice Cream, Milk Tiger (if you’re into whiskey/nicer cocktails). (There are so many.) Any interesting trips during the term? I drove from Vancouver to Calgary through the Rocky Mountains and camped in Salmon Arm along the way. A must do trip (in my opinion). Air Transat has super cheap flights to Vancouver on Friday nights. I went a few times. How safe did you find the city? Very safe. How did you get around the city? I biked. Public Transit is a toss up. I also rented go-cars for day trips - it’s a big thing on the west coast. How did you meet people in the city? I met Phil through Mark and then met most people through those two.

Who: Thomas Noussis What firm: ZGF Architects Where: Vancouver When: Winter 2018 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? A mix of residential with some institutional and urban planning projects. 50 - 60 people. How did you find your job? Waterloo Works What are the hours? 8:30 - 5:30. What tasks were you given? Model Building, Schematic Design Studies, Research, Planning and Detail Studies

What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Quite involved and hands on. Very much an independent and valued member of a team with the same responsibilities and tasks as the rest of the team. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Very open and friendly, sociable with transparent leadership encouraging participation and feedback by all employees What tools of representation are used? Revit Render Exports, Photorealistic Renders from Enscape and V-ray, with Photoshop and post processing. Any work perks? Occasional Social Events How is the after work culture at the office? There is a healthy culture of having some drinks after work on Fridays, most people spend their weekends skiing and enjoying B.C.s wilderness How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Emphasize technical skills as well as creative skills, the firm highly values experience and talent, and a versatile skill set. They need people who are very proactive and have a high degree of initiative. City Life

How did you find accommodation? Kijiji 24

Any interesting trips during the term? Portland, Seattle, Victoria B.C. How safe did you find the city? Quite safe, but Vancouver has an endemic problem with homelessness and seemingly very little support for homeless individuals. Depending on what part of the city, the streets at night may feel somewhat unsafe. How did you get around the city? Walking, Transit How did you meet people in the city? Work, and connections through Friends.

Who: Jasdeep Multani 3B What firm: HDR | CEI Architects Vancouver Where: Downtown Vancouver When: spring 2017 (3A) Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? 50-60 people How did you find your job? Personal Search What are the hours? 37.5 hrs/ week What tasks were you given? Photoshop, Revit, AutoCAD designed hospital floorplans - Wide variety

Discuss an interesting project. Qingdao China Hospital - 2000 bed hospital competition that was awarded to our firm and I was able to be part of the early design stages to hospital layout planning What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Highly Invloved How is the team dynamic / work environment? Great work environment, loved it and will be returning to the firm What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, Revit- they taught me, Photoshop, Adobe Any work perks? Gym, Bike Storage, Team lunches, Coffee and Snacks How is the after work culture at the office? Great work culture, went out for dinner with team members or for drinks What was the most important thing you learned there? What type of architecture I want to specialize in and how I enjoy working for large corporate firms City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Walk/sit along the waterfront How did you find accommodation? Kijiji What are some places there? a lot of Arthur Erickson work, UBC campus 26

Any interesting trips during the term? Climbed many mountains, beaches, lakes, deep cover, etc How safe did you find the city? Safe, East Hasting known to be a bit dangerous but I have not run into trouble, be cautious if you are in that area but overall very safe just plan accordingly to transit. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Sushi is so fresh, Gelatos everywhere How did you get around the city? Skytrain (super fast and easy) How did you meet people in the city? Waterloo Coop nights are a great way to meek coop students in your area

Who: anonymous, 3B What firm: Studio Robazzo Where: Victoria, BC, Canada When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Parametric interior design, product design, graphic design. There are 3 partners and one full time employee. How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 9-5 How is the team dynamic / work environment? Very open collaborative environment, your input is valued as much as anyone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. A lot of support when you need it as well as allowing you to make decisions independently. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, Adobe Suite Any work perks? Use of 3D printer, laser cutter, photo studio, workshop after hours. Great espresso machine. How is the after work culture at the office? Pretty vibrant, often local arts events hosted by the office. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The beach How did you find accommodation? Online ads What are some must-see places there? The Atrium, on Yates. How safe did you find the city? Pretty safe Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Sushi How did you get around the city? Bike

Who: anonymous What firm: Studio Robazzo Where: Douglas and Pembroke, (downtown) Victoria, BC, Canada When: Fall 2017, second coop, 4 months Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? 7 people, interiors, graphic design, product design, web/apps design, art (sculpture) competition submissions How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 9am-5pm What tasks were you given? 3D modeling, wood working, photoshopping, presentation package layout, office errands, driftwood pickup, concrete casting How is the team dynamic / work environment? They have a good work life balance. Important to learn to take initiative because it’s a smaller office so things just really need to get done. What tools of representation are used? Rhino 5, Adobe Suite, Vray/Maxwell Any work perks? 3D printer, laser cutter, wood workshop, white void photo studio, kitchen, and general office space, all available to use after hours if it is not needed/booked. Also yes, there’s coffee. How is the after work culture at the office? A lot of events are hosted at the office so the work environment changes a lot week to week/ day to evenings depending on what is going on. What was the most important thing you learned there? Tsplines for Rhino, how to run a business City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Victoria Public Market at the Hudson, Ross Bay, Wildfire Cafe How did you find accommodation? Airbnb, super nice landlords (!!) (but it’s a bit on the pricey side, I think cheaper can be found on UsedVictoria) How did you get around the city? Bike everywhere (I think this is the cheapest way, my landlords lent me a bike which was really helpful) 29

Who: Julia Nakanishi What firm: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) Where: Financial District, NYC (The office has now moved to DUMBO) When: January - August 2017 (8 month co-op) Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? All scales; the range is from product design/small residential projects to masterplans such as the BIG U How did you find your job? Applied through BIG’s online application What are the hours? 10am-7ish, 40 hours per week. There are usually overtime hours + weekend work days during deadlines. What tasks were you given? A pretty vast range. Research tasks (GIS, mapping), concept modelling in Rhino, preparing presentation renders, diagrams and drawings as well as building presentation models. Overall a lot of graphic work. Discuss an interesting project. Unfortunately the projects I worked on are confidential and I can’t describe details, but I spent 5 months working on a football stadium and 2 months on a hospitality/residential project What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Very involved. Interns typically contribute to the design work just as much as full time employees and are given individual tasks. How is the team dynamic / work environment? My first project was a large scale project, so my team was 5-6 people. The team dynamic was extremely open and friendly, and provided many opportunities for learning. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, V-Ray 3, Adobe Creative Suite, lots of physical model making Any work perks? Free breakfast + coffee, affordable lunch service, a party at the office once a month (BIG Friday bars), seasonal parties at venues in NYC, Friday beers, team dinners, office sports teams + events, software tutorials How is the after work culture at the office? So much fun! I often made plans for Friday + the weekend with my coworkers. It’s a super social office. What was the most important thing you learned there? Skills in iterating concepts, how to present my ideas in a professional setting, how to prepare presentations for client meetings, efficient 30

workflow, how to make an effective presentation model

How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? A good balance of types of representation (technical drawings, renderings, physical models). City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Bars in Chinatown, Pier A in the summer because it was close to the office, outdoor movies in Bryant Park, bars+restaurants at the Jefferson stop on the L train How did you find accommodation? Craigslist sublet Any notes on the visa application process? I used Cultural Vistas - they were very easy to communicate with + helpful What are some must-see places there? So many! Take advantage of all the museums/galleries there: the Whitney, Noguchi Museum, MOMA PS1, Met Breuer, New Museum Storefront for Art + Architecture, the Met and the Brooklyn Museum are some that I loved Any interesting trips during the term? Storm King (large outdoor sculpture park), Grace Farms by SANAA, DIA Beacon, The Rockaways How safe did you find the city? Overall pretty safe. I lived in Bushwick on the L Train and felt safe walking from the subway alone at night. It does also depend on the neighbourhood. How did you get around the city? Subway How did you meet people in the city? Through work, other Waterloo interns and Waterloo grads working in NYC

Who: Kate Brownlie What firm: WXY Studio Where: NYC When: September - December 2015, January - April 2018, working there currently Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? WXY is a multi-disciplinary studio that operates in the realm of urban design, industrial design and architecture. The studio is focused primarily on issues that engage the public realm. There are currently about 40 designers with a variety of backgrounds working at WXY. How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? Like many firms, the hours differ based on the project demands. On a normal week, the hours are usually 9 am - 7 pm, during project deadlines the hours obviously increase. What tasks were you given? WXY provides interns with the opportunity to get involved with a wide range of project types. I worked at WXY for 8 months, and was responsible for generating graphic content, working on proposals, attending and facilitating community meetings, designing options for a variety of projects, etc. Interns are tasked with both production and design work. Discuss an interesting project. While at WXY, I worked on the Brooklyn Strand Action Plan, an initiative meant to connect downtown Brooklyn to its waterfront through a series of re-imagined series of parks, plazas and greenways. Over 40 stakeholders from the Downtown Brooklyn community were involved in creating a vision for a 21st century Brooklyn. This project provided the local community to take control of their public spaces and have a voice in the development of their neighbourhood What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? WXY allows opportunity for students to get as involved as they want to -- there is definitely some occasional â&#x20AC;&#x153;grunt workâ&#x20AC;?, but for the most part interns are treated as integral members of the team. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Due to the amount of projects WXY has in the office, project teams are usually small (1 - 2 staff members + an intern). This size allows interns to get really involved in every aspect of the project. Interns are usually on more than one project at a time. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, AutoCAD, Adobe Suite are the main tools used. Revit is used on 32

some of the larger architectural projects. Knowledge of GIS software is a plus.

Any work perks? The firm usually organizes helpful/yummy lunch and learns. How is the after work culture at the office? The firm is generally young and very friendly. There are sometimes after work drinks at nearby bars & dinners to celebrate the completion of a deadline. How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Provide a range of projects at differing scales. Showcase a variety of interests and skills. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar (Bushwick) How did you find accommodation? Craigslist sublet Any notes on the visa application process? I used Cultural Vistas - they were very easy to communicate with + helpful What are some must-see places there? Elizabeth Street Gardens, the Syndicate (movie theater), Battery Park Any interesting trips during the term? Upstate NY is very accessible by the train and full of great camping + hiking + cute AirBNB opportunities. How safe did you find the city? Pretty safe, depends on the neighbourhood like any major city. How did you get around the city? Subway How did you meet people in the city? Through people from work, Waterloo Grads.

Who: Ethan What firm: BIG Where: NYC When: 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Variety of scales, 200 employees in NY How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 40 - 60 hr/week. What tasks were you given? Concept development, Diagrams, Orthos, Renders Discuss an interesting project. Galeries Lafayette: New flagship department store in paris, lots of custom furniture and installations What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I started as creating presentations and doing rendering but after a month or so I started to design more and create floorplan iterations. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Fun, Busy, Lots of office activities What tools of representation are used? Rhino, AutoCad, Vray Any work perks? Free Breakfast, Dinner, Cheap Lunch Service How is the after work culture at the office? Wild What was the most important thing you learned there? Performing on a team for large projects City Life

How did you find accommodation? Airbnb How safe did you find the city? Safe How did you get around the city? Subway

Who: Annika What firm: WXY Studio Where: NYC When: September - December 2015, January - April 2018, working there currently Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Architecture + Urban design, approx. 40-50 people (but growing!) What are the hours? Full 8hr+ days & overtime when needed. What tasks were you given? All sorts, from schematic design to renders. Discuss an interesting project. I had the opportunity to work on really grand master plans, quick competitions, temporary installations and planning projects across the US. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I was an intern, but contributed primarily to graphic and urban design. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Young, engaging environment with very hard working people. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, Revit, Sketchup, Adobe + ArchGIS Any work perks? Summer & happy hours! What was the most important thing you learned there? Organizational + contextual design approaches How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Share your interest in sensitive and contemporary urban design. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Milk & Cream Bar How did you get around the city? Public transportation, nycâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infamous subway system. How did you meet people in the city? At parks and events! 35

Who: Logan What firm: CetraRuddy Architecture Where: New York City Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Architecture & Interiors, 75-100 How did you find your job? Independent Application What are the hours? 40-55 hrs/wk What tasks were you given? Presentations, Client Meetings, Construction Drawings, light project mgmt, one competition Discuss an interesting project. Design Devâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t & Construction Documents for a school in India. Offered the opportunity to learn foreign construction techniques and participate in client meetings and presentations. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Responsibility can be low-high depending on what you take on & what you express an interest in. They offer a high degree of involvement and independence in design and presentation of design to clients. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Architecture dept was great What tools of representation are used? Renderings, hand sketches, virtual reality, 3D printed models in-house, presentation models outsourced Any work perks? Friendly company dynamic with office sports teams and clubs How is the after work culture at the office? Very good, friendly and inclusive. Happy hours and going out to bars/ restaurants with colleagues on weekends was very popular. What was the most important thing you learned there? Project Management How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? no must haves. digital or parametric design (eg grasshopper) might help as they are increasingly designing with those tools City Life 36

What was your favorite place to go after work? Puck Fair How did you find accommodation? Streeteasy What are some must-see places there? sunset from a subway car over the manhattan bridge Any interesting trips during the term? Dia:Beacon How safe did you find the city? safe if you stay where other people are How did you get around the city? bicycle, subways How did you meet people in the city? mostly through work

Who: Tianyi Huang What firm: Diller Scofidio + Renfro Where: New York City Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Interdisciplinary between performance art and architecture. About 100 people What are the hours? Typically around 50-60 hours. Could reach up to 90 at deadline. What tasks were you given? Conceptual design, final production, model making

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Constructive criticism is desired and everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion is appreciated What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, sketchup, Adobe Suite Any work perks? They have beer oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock. They are also based out of an artist collective. You meet many creatives in the city. How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Showcase a range of abilities, and should be eye catching at first glance City Life

How safe did you find the city? Quite safe.

Who: Shahal What firm: HLW LLP Where: New York City Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Large scale commercial and residential, 100-300 How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 40/week What tasks were you given? construction drawings, layout, model making Discuss an interesting project. Gateway to Chinatown competition physical model, pretty rare in a corporate office like hlw. I can show images! What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Fixing red line drawings in revit, 3D modelling in Revit for a project proposal and making physical models via lasercut! How is the team dynamic / work environment? Super helpful people, will show you how to do stuff. Very positive work environment and relaxed....overtimes are rare. What tools of representation are used? Revit, Indesign, Sketchup, Rhino Any work perks? Tuesday is wine and cheese, wednesday is snacks, thursday is lunch and learn and friday is for special lunch outings (varies). Early leave on friday during the summer! How is the after work culture at the office? Very Great! offsite outings to bars/cafes and team sport events monthly. What was the most important thing you learned there? Revit and construction drawings How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Clear and concise. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to show all your work! Be prepared to explain your projects during interview. Hint: Being confident with whatever you have is better than feeling down during an interview.

City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Oh so many! Definitely jogging by the water in lower Manhattan How did you find accommodation? trulia.com What are some must-see places there? Highline, central park, etc......(Vanessaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dumplings for super cheap food) Any interesting trips during the term? does queens count? not quite, 3 months in nyc was not enough! How safe did you find the city? meh, a little less safe than toronto at night but generally pretty safe. How did you get around the city? NYC HAS THE BEST SUBWAY How did you meet people in the city? Mostly through work, but my room mates are my friends forever now.

Who: Roni Haravon 3B What firm: HLW LLP Where: Union Square, New York City When: fall 2016, second co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? 15--200 people How did you find your job? waterlooworks What are the hours? 40 hr per week What tasks were you given? creating presentations, 3D modeling in revit and rhino,fixing the red lines on construction documents. Discuss an interesting project. I worked on hotel lobby renovation competition with a supervisor and a partner. I was the only one ho was actually working on it and we had to submit it in 3 days. It was a fact paced project. They were satisfied with i bring to the team and after that The partner assigned me to another faced pace deadline it was great moment as a experience. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I started as creating presentations and doing rendering but after a month or so I started to design more and create floorplan iterations. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Usually project groups are max 2-3 people and the work environment was relaxed and friendly. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, Revit, Photoshop, Indesign Any work perks? wine cheese on tuesday evenings and lunch and learns once a week. How is the after work culture at the office? Usually people do their own things but if there is an office event, people continue after that. What was the most important thing you learned there? Other than the knowledge and experience I started using Revit, which is great asset if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re applying to a large corporate firm.

City Life 42

What was your favorite place to go after work? dont remember its name but there was a pub around union square with happyhour deals. How did you find accommodation? I lived with my 3 friends from my term and we find a house online. What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? guggenheim, highline, whitney museum, skyscraper museum, Via 57 West Any notes on the visa application process? I used Cultural Vistas, they were very helpful Any interesting trips during the term? If it is your summer term I would recommend you to go to Hamptons. How safe did you find the city? Manhattan is pretty safe but Brooklyn is not that safe after 2 am if youre taking subway or walking you should be careful. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Pasta at Piccolo restaurant (Across Dominique Ansel Bakery), Cronut from Dominique Ansel Bakery, and Rubyâ&#x20AC;?s Burger. They are all in Soho How did you get around the city? Subway Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Not that I remember. How did you meet people in the city? through friend or colleagues.

Who: Jeffrey So, 3A What firm: Heitler Houstoun Architects Where: 34th and 6th Ave., NYC When: Fall 2016 & Winter 2017, 8 month Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Mainly small retail franchise and private residential, close to 20 employees How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? Before 10 to after 6. What tools of representation are used? Sketchup, Photoshop Any work perks? Principal bring dog sometimes, both Keurig and Nespresso, frequent lunch and learns, close to 24h food (Koreatown). How is the after work culture at the office? Efficient with emphasis on accuracy. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? BCD Tofu House, or Nike Run Club How did you find accommodation? Padmapper What are some must-see places there? Park Avenue Armory, Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Army Terminal Any notes on the visa application process? Apply as early as possible, be sure to understand whether you, the firm, or both are responsible for SEVIS fee. Any interesting trips during the term? Washington DC day trip in the middle of massive blizzard. How did you get around the city? MTA and Taxi (Uber is bad for locals) Protest on 2nd Ave. after the election of 45th POTUS. 44

Who: Brian Tien What firm: HLW Where: Manhattan, NY When: Winter 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? 130 How did you find your job? WaterlooWorks What are the hours? 9-6 How is the team dynamic / work environment? Great, everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super friendly and easy to work with. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Adobe creative suite, Bluebeam, models Any work perks? Cronuts, sushi, beer, cookies, charcuterie, red wine, white wine, cider, brownies, muffins, MONDAY BAGELS, cookie dough, chocolates, cheesecake City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Chinatown to eat How did you find accommodation? Thank u Brandon What are some must-see places there? Staten Island snug harbor great park Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Flushing Queens best dumplings

Who: Kelsey Malott, 3B What firm: Studio Gang Architects Where: Chicago, IL When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Founded by MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang is an architecture and urban design practice with offices in Chicago and New York. We work as a collective of more than 90 architects, designers, and planners. We collaborated closely with our clients, expert consultants, and specialists from a range of fields to design and realize innovative projects at multiple scales: architecture, urbanism, interiors, and exhibitions. We use design as a medium to connect people socially, experientially, and intellectually. How did you find your job? Personal Search What are the hours? + 40 hr/wk. What tasks were you given? Programming, rendering, graphics, translating, writing, modelling, etc.

Discuss an interesting project. I worked on the international competition of the redesign of the monumental Tour Montparnasse in Paris. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Only two of us were bilingual on the 40 person project... So lots and lots of involvement and responsibility. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Extremely collaborative, lots of charrettes What tools of representation are used? Lots and lots of sketching Any work perks? Birthday lunches, office retreats, yoga, lots of lunch and learns, weekly all office meetings, free dinner if working late What language is used at the workplace? Depends on project, my project was located in Paris, so mostly French. How is the after work culture at the office? Awesome, always headed to bars and partied.

What was the most important thing you learned there? It is very important to collaborate and charrette. Not always the best decision to head straight to the computer, but rather sketching and concept modelling. Other comments: Jeanne is a Rem baby, so pretty exciting to now be a Rem grandbaby. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? I took comedic writing classes at the infamous Second City. How did you find accommodation? Friends What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? Architectural River Boat Tour in general Any notes on the visa application process? US is a very easy online process, my company fully paid for mine. Any interesting trips during the term? Las Vegas How safe did you find the city? I lived downtown in a very safe neighbourhood. South side shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be ventured to alone at night. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? The Purple Pig, Girl and the Goat, Carnivale, Eataly How did you get around the city? Uber, walking, metro Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Everyone thought my Canadian accent was super cute How did you meet people in the city? #tinder, comedy classes, gym, work

Who: Nicholas Frayne What firm: Safdie Architects Where: Boston When: 2017 (8 month) and 2018 (4 months) Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? The firm does a range of work, focusing on large scale mixed use projects, galleries and public buildings, and has a large competition element. Around 60 designers work in the head office, with another 10 in the Singapore office, who mainly focus on executing the building of many of the Asia projects that the firm has underway. How did you find your job? I applied online What are the hours? Depending on the design team, the hours were fairly steady at about 50hrs/week. Competitions often exceed that, but I always found that I had time to pursue activities outside of work. What tasks were you given? I coordinated all in-house rendering and 3D Rhino modelling for a large competition. In addition, I worked closely with the model team on producing the support files they needed. Discuss an interesting project. For my 8-month I worked on a huge competition, which we were shortlisted at the time for. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I was surprised and delighted at the level of ownership and involvement I had in the project. I designed, coordinated, and led several discussions on the project. How is the team dynamic / work environment? The team dynamic is great! The people are hard working and open to making new acquaintances - I still keep in touch with many of them! What tools of representation are used? Mainly Photoshop for post-production, Lumion, and Rhino-vray are used. Any work perks? Monday morning breakfast! And of course dinner if you stay late. How is the after work culture at the office? Great! People like to go out after work and on the weekends. What was the most important thing you learned there? To value my own input. 48

How should students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Be honest about your skills and play them up - the firm will try to play to your strengths, but will also make sure you learn. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Back Bar How did you find accommodation? Through the University housing groups (GSD and MIT both have them..) What are some must-see places there? The whole city is great! The Charles River Esplanade is great, and the whole area is full of history. Also, lots of great things happening at Harvard and MIT, so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always worth checking out. Any interesting trips during the term? Went to NYC to see some friends, went to Cape Cod, went to see Salem. Cape Cod was super nice. How safe did you find the city? Extremely safe. How did you get around the city? Bus and Subway are excellent, though a bit old. I never struggled to get around. How did you meet people in the city? Work and events!

Who: Angus Dunn, 3A What firm: Ann Beha Architects Where: Downtown Crossing, Boston, Massachusetts When: Fall 2016 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Mainly renovations and additions for institutional buildings, some new construction like a consulate building. How did you find your job? Personal Search What are the hours? 9-5, Overtime depending on your project How is the team dynamic / work environment? Great, everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super friendly and easy to work with. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Adobe creative suite, Bluebeam, models Any work perks? Super cute dogs every once in awhile How is the after work culture at the office? Pretty sweet, every friday we either went out to a bar or the firm buys drinks and we hang out in the office for a bit. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Boston Common, the Climbing Gym What are some must-see places there? Carpenter Center, Harvard Art Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art Any notes on the visa application process? Be on top of all the different forms. Any interesting trips during the term? New York, Providence, Portland, Washington D.C. How safe did you find the city? Safe near the colleges, it can get sketchy around Dorchester & Roxbury Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Lobster roll How did you get around the city? Metro How did you meet people in the city? 50

Who: Steven Lin, 3B What firm: Gould Evans Associates Where: San Francisco When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Wineries, K-12, Higher Ed, Residential. Roughly 20 people work there. How did you find your job? Recommendation from a friend What are the hours? 9-6:30 Monday to Friday. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Very collaborative. Excellent corporate structure and reasonable management of expectations. What tools of representation are used? Everything from Adobe Suite to Autodesk Any work perks? Office dog, 3D printer, snacks, lunch and learns City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? Bike ride home How did you find accommodation? Family What are some must-see places there? Ferry Terminal Building, Lands End, Marine Museum Any notes on the visa application process? For non-American students, submit your J-1 Application as soon as possible Any interesting trips during the term? Wine County!!!

Go hiking and biking while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there.

How safe did you find the city? Lots of homeless people camping in tents. Be careful. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? A selection of 6 local west coast oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co. How did you meet people in the city? Register for co-ed intramural soccer. Tinder. Coworkers. 51

south america

Who: Nick Makhalik, 3B What firm: Atelier Marko Brajovic Where: Sao Paulo, Brazil When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Mostly artistic exhibitions and pavilions, about 7 people. How did you find your job? Personal search. What are the hours? 35 hours/week. What tasks were you given? Full creative liberties in designing pavilions, product design, exhibition work. Discuss an interesting project. Tidelli Wave was a storefront pavilion that I entirely designed from conception, and I got to see it constructed and then host the event for the store. I designed and worked on everything from the single elements that came together to form the composition, to the colouring and structure. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Greatly involved with all projects that I worked on, with some being my project that I would just touch base with the boss sometime. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Super fun and exciting. The office would play music out loud from 90s rap to techno to Brazilian Rock. What tools of representation are used? Renderings, Models, drawings. Any work perks? Flexible hours, fun environment, I bartended at events at the office.

What language is used at the workplace? Portuguese, English. How is the after work culture at the office? Super Fun! we would go out to bars, clubs, raves. Lots of drinking, lots of dancing, and lots of fun! What was the most important thing you learned there? How to be better inspired by the natural world. And how to have fun and enjoy life. Maybe we forgot something important? Legit the best experience that I could have living in a foreign country! 54

City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? Clubs, Bars, Raves, hanging out with friends. How did you find accommodation? Airbnb What are some must-see places there? MASP, Copan, SESC Pompiea, Ibirapuera Park, Jaragua Mountain, Football Museum. Any notes on the visa application process? Go on a tourist visa (3 months), It is a significantly more easier process, and you can ask for an extension (+3 months) once you arrive. Any interesting trips during the term? Went to Rio de Janeiro twice, Ouro Preto, also I didnt go but Paraty is also a really cool place, and its in the middle between Rio and Sao Paulo How safe did you find the city? Its Brazil, dont carry a lot of cash, keep watch for pickpockets, dont use your phone late at night in sketchier places. I felt comfortable in Sao Paulo and SP is pretty safe, and I never had anything happen to me while I was in Brazil, but Rio is more sketch. SP is super gay and LGBTQ+ friendly so its mostly safe to be “out” in public, but I have heard of people being super homophobic. Things change from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, so it all depends. Vila Pompeia and Perdizes (where the office is and where I lived) are considered the safest areas in SP. What’s the best meal you had there? The fruit is legit the best you will ever have. How did you get around the city? Metro, Walk, Uber, Bus. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Yes, SP is still very much a Portuguese-speaking city, so you might want to learn a bit. Culturally, people in Brazil are more sexual and passionate, so expect every kiss to be french. How did you meet people in the city? Work, Dating Apps, Online, Roommates. Maybe we forgot something important? Dont be afraid if you dont know portuguese (I didnt, and I had the best summer/winter of my life)

europe

Who: Jade Manbodh What firm: Fabrications Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands When: Fall 2015 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? 20 people // urban design // sustainable methodology // architecture How did you find your job? personal research What are the hours? Typically 8-10 hour work day but depends on the project and deadlines. What tasks were you given? The research and design of a city in Holland as well as other conceptual design and research initiatives Discuss an interesting project. Urban Metabolism: Breda What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects?

High // I lead the research and design of the project in an energy, logistics, transportation, environment and water research initiative to derive a resilient redevelopment of the old town

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Great // Usually there are 3 people to each team. There is a very horizontal hierarchy and you need to take a lot of initiative. Everyone is friendly. What tools of representation are used? GIS // Vectorworks // Rhino // Photoshop // Illustrator Any work perks? You eat lunch together paid for by the office // Meet a lot of great people // How is the after work culture at the office? Fun! There are gatherings and parties the office will throw and coworkers become friends. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite relaxed What was the most important thing you learned there? How to research and find information. With that software and methods to transform research into informative design. How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? They care a lot about graphics and urban design.

City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Local bars close to the office, Bim Huis.. weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d bike everywhere to go out How did you find accommodation? Kamernet and friends What are some must see places there? Contact me for a list :) Any interesting trips during the term? Yes!! Other cities in the Netherlands and exploring the rural areas around the city How safe did you find the city? Extremely How did you get around the city? Bicycle How did you meet people in the city? Through classmates, colleagues and going out by myself on daily adventures

Who: Julia Nakanishi What firm: NL Architects Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands When: Fall 2015 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Single family residential - large scale residential + institutional projects. Also some product design. There are about 25 people in the office. How did you find your job? personal research What are the hours? 40 hours/week. Overtime for deadlines, but I never worked overtime/ weekends while I was there. What tasks were you given? Model-making, rendering for client presentations, preparing drawings for publications, drawing set for a design development phase of a small residential project. Discuss an interesting project. A flexible student housing/co-living project in Amersfoort What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects?

Very high. Interns are often in charge of iterating concepts through digital and physical models, and I worked on both the drawing set and renderings for a residential project on my own.

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Very friendly! There were many opportunities to learn new software skills and to have productive design discussions. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, rendering in V-Ray for 3DS Max, Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD Any work perks? The entire office takes a lunch break together, and lunch is provided by the office. Everyone sits around a large table together! There are also seasonal office parties. How is the after work culture at the office? Fun! There are usually 4-5 interns at one time and we did a lot of activities together after work, like going to shows, getting drinks, going to museums, etc What was the most important thing you learned there? To have confidence in my own ideas and how to contribute to a team in a professional setting.

How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Show a variety of work, ideally at different scales. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Jazz night at Bim Huis, bars near the office, Mediamatic for some really interesting lectures How did you find accommodation? Kamernet What are some must see places there? So many- Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d recommend getting a museum pass and seeing everything around Museumplein (The Stedelijk Design Museum, the Rijksmuseum + Van Gogh), a number of famous buildings, Amsterdam Noord+ NDSM... feel free to contact me for more! Any interesting trips during the term? Quite a few! In the Netherlands I travelled to Rotterdam, Eindhoven for Dutch Design Week, as well as some very picturesque rural areas at a biking distance from Amsterdam. I also travelled to Paris, Copenhagen, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. How safe did you find the city? Extremely How did you get around the city? Bicycle, but the tram system is very convenient How did you meet people in the city? Through my office

Who: Angus Dunn, 3A What firm: Dam & Partners Architecten Where: Overtoomsveld, Amsterdam, The Netherlands When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? From Private villas to residential towers to master planning. How did you find your job? Personal Search. What are the hours? 9-5 with very little overtime How is the team dynamic / work environment? It’s definitely a lot of work but it’s fun. What tools of representation are used? Renderings, Models. Any work perks? Catered lunch and dinner and lots of nice people! What language is used at the workplace? English, though almost everyone will know another language. How is the after work culture at the office? Really great, everyone hangs out together and are very inclusive. There are many interns and they become really good friends. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Kødbyen for some nice food, drinks, chills. How did you find accommodation? Boligportal.com, though it’s very challenging in Copenhagen. What are some must-see places there? Grundtvig’s Church. Any notes on the visa application process? Get your visa application in early. For mine, they took the full 90 days to process it. How safe did you find the city? Super duper safe, you might get your bike stolen though. How did you get around the city? Bike. You bike absolutely everywhere all the time.

Who: Jeffrey So, 3A What firm: Sauebruch Hutton Where: Berlin, Germany When: Fall 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Institutional, Office, and Cultural, ~70. How did you find your job? Personal search, email is on their website. What are the hours? 10 - after 7. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Really friendly and energetic, everyone comes from a different place. Any work perks? Paid travel to competition entry destinations, free language class. What language is used at the workplace? English is lingua franca, German as predominant language. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Suss War Gestern. How did you find accommodation? WG Gesucht (search as early as possible). What are some must-see places there? Kraftwerk, Interbau 57, Pallasseum. Any notes on the visa application process? Go at least a month before you leave Canada, don’t think you can cheat the system. Any interesting trips during the term? Geneva and Vienna to deliver submissions. How did you get around the city? Bike.

Berlin sunset from the 12th floor of a friend’s apartment.

Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Basic German is a necessary skill, as Berliner “schnauze” can make English speakers feel inadequate.

Who: Lorenzo Nicolini What firm: Paul de Ruiter Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Environmentally conscious design How did you find your job? Past student & regional interest What are the hours? 40hrs/week What tasks were you given? A lot of design responsibilities involving competitions, and current projects. Also modelling, site visits, and marketing Discuss an interesting project. Net positive housing project thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facades are overgrown What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Very high.

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Really cool people that guarantee lots of fun at work What tools of representation are used? Adobe suite, sketch up, AutoCAD, rhino, revit. Any work perks? Friday beers, free lunch, great coffee How is the after work culture at the office? Fun. No further explanation needed. What was the most important thing you learned there? Too much to write How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Present yourself honestly City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Enjoyed my bike ride home, and the brewery How did you find accommodation? Various websites and Facebook 64

Any interesting trips during the term? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Europe you will see lots How safe did you find the city? Too safe How did you get around the city? Bike How did you meet people in the city? The pub and coworkers

Who: Natalie Kopp, 3B What firm: Kraaijvanger architects Where: Rotterdam, NL When: Summer 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? All kinds of public and commercial buildings, about 50 people work there. How did you find your job? Through my classmate, Giulia. What are the hours? 36 hours/week, What tasks were you given? Creating representational drawings and diagrams, building and updating digital and physical models, reviewing construction drawings, attending site visits and meetings. Also, sometimes grocery shopping and loading the dishwasher. How is the team dynamic / work environment? Everyone is really friendly! There are several teams which have a lively amount of competition between them, and they all work well together. What tools of representation are used? Revit, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), AutoCAD, Sketchup. Any work perks? Lots of cake, Fridays off, a latte machine with a screen that plays a slideshow of the firm’s projects when it’s not making coffee. Lunch is provided on Mondays. How is the after work culture at the office? It’s really fun! There’s drinks almost every Thursday, in the park when the weather is nice, and once we all took our co-worker’s boat out to a national park and had a barbeque. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The park across the street when the weather was nice, or just walking around the city and checking out all the little shops and restaurants. How did you find accommodation? Housinganywhere.com What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? The Boijmans Museum, the Markthal. 66

Any interesting trips during the term? I travelled all over the Netherlands by train (Amsterdam, Maastricht, the Hague, etc) and also to a bunch of cities nearby like Antwerp, Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris, and London. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Kapsalon, its like poutine plus shawarma plus a tiny bit of salad. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so bad for you but so good. How did you get around the city? Mainly walking or by bicycle, the bike lanes are great in Rotterdam and you can get anywhere in the city on a bike. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? It was a little hard to communicate since everything is in Dutch, but most people speak English so you can get by without knowing any. There are also a lot of cultural differences which were interesting to discover as the term went on.

Who: anonymous What firm: OMA Where: Rotterdam, The Netherlands Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? there were around 150 ppl who do work at every scale How did you find your job? website application What are the hours? hours are longer than most What tasks were you given? a bit of everything in the sd+dd scope Discuss an interesting project. A flexible student housing/co-living project in Amersfoort What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects?

the teams have fairly flat power dynamics, so everyone is given work up to their ability regardless of position

How is the team dynamic / work environment? You meet lots of interesting people and have really engaging conversations What tools of representation are used? physical models, drawings, diagrams, renderings, collages + more Any work perks? free lunch and coffee How is the after work culture at the office? always beers at sunshine or mono What was the most important thing you learned there? nothing is off the table City Life

How did you find accommodation? Facebook housing groups What are some must see places there? the saturday market next to markthal Any interesting trips during the term? terschelling is a bit of a journey but well worth going

How safe did you find the city? very How did you get around the city? Bicycle

Who: Thomas Noussis What firm: Kengo Kuma + Associates Where: Paris When: Spring 2016 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Virtually all types of architectural projects, many competition entries, as well as small scale experimental Pavilions and industrial design projects How did you find your job? Magazine Article, and Independent Application What are the hours? Contract specifies 35 hours a week, but they range in reality. I worked average of 50-60 hours a week. Others have worked 100+ hours at times. What tasks were you given? Mainly scripting in grasshopper, Design Development and Rendering, Drawings for Presentations, Model Making What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects?

I was highly involved for the 4 months on one small project with one other architect, with a great deal of responsibility and close communication with the PA.

How is the team dynamic / work environment? The work environment is quite focused, very little chit-chat and mostly quiet and diligent work. Lunch time is usually social, the culture of France demands a break for lunch and meals shared with colleagues. What tools of representation are used? Mainly Rendering and Detailed or Rendered Orthographics, Physical Models Any work perks? The office is located in quite a homey and secluded residential street, with many plants in summer, and the occasional visit by a house cat. Transit passes are Partially subsidized. How is the after work culture at the office? Occasionally will go out for drinks as a group, and to celebrate notable accomplishments in the firm. What was the most important thing you learned there? How a high level of technical proficiency, rigorousness, philosophical consistency, and frankly, unreasonable working conditions, enable excellent design. How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? 70

Highlight unconventional projects and modes of representation, French Language is significant asset. At the least, a cover letter and CV translated into French would be a helpful attachment. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The Local Bars in the 11th arrondissement How did you find accommodation? Paris Housing company, it was overpriced What are some must see places there? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paris! The List is endless! Musee Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orsay is an even more valuable visit than the louvre. Any interesting trips during the term? Holland, England, Spain, How safe did you find the city? Like any metropolis, it has its seedy neighborhoods, but there is a huge police presence in many areas of the city, because of the security situation in recent years, and the tendency of Parisians for frequent protest and civil disobedience. Because of the huge role of tourism in Parisian economy, Central Paris is generally quite safe, and well policed. How did you get around the city? Metro, Walking, Biking How did you meet people in the city? All my friends were Waterloo students or Co-workers.

Who: Michelle Castro Bullough - M1, H.BAS 2016 What firm: Taktyk [landscape + urbanism] Where: 10 ème arr., Paris, France When: Winter 2016, final co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? A fairly young landscape architecture and urbanism office of four “paysagistes” plus me. There’s also an office in Brussels. Most of their work is at the urban or territorial scale, but they occasionally do landscape installations. How did you find your job? Personal search. What are the hours? 10-6. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? It depended on the project. For the Saclay masterplan, which had been going on for a couple of years, I just executed CAD drawings for construction. For competitions and studies, I worked closely with a landscape architect to generate concepts, then I would create the maps and presentation drawings. For local studies someone else would generate the French text, but I did all English writing for international competitions. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD drawings, Illustrator diagrams, Photoshop collages, and physical models. Any work perks? Belgian chocolate. What language is used at the workplace? French as lingua franca - French for local projects and English for international competitions. What was the most important thing you learned there? How to design beyond the scale of the building. Coming from an architectural background, I went to Taktyk to take on the challenge of designing at larger scales. I learned a lot through doing studies for the city of Toulouse and the Canal du Midi heritage territory. Additionally, the office occasionally had reading seminars, in which we would discuss landscape urbanism texts.

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What was your favorite place to go after work? Jardin du Luxembourg (across the street from my apartment) or Le Grenier à Pain (best baguette in Paris 2010 & 2015, there is an actual competition) How did you find accommodation? Leboncoin What are some must-see places there? Parc André Citroën (by Gilles Clément), the Coulée verte René-Dumont (think Parisian Highline), the Musée de l’Orangerie (part of Monet’s Water Lilies series), and the classic Louvre Any interesting trips during the term? A weekend road trip through Normandy - medieval Rouen, the Cliffs of Étretat, fortified Caen, D-Day’s Juno Beach, and the iconic Mont-SaintMichel What’s the best meal you had there? Cheese fondue at Le Chalet Savoyard How did you get around the city? Métro Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? My French is pretty terrible, so I found it difficult to speak beyond basic conversation with locals.

My British francophone friend wandering the Galerie Vivienne. 73

Who: Daniel Abad, M1 What firm: Vincent Eschalier Studio Where: Rue Martel, Paris, France When: 2016-2017 (Full Time) Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Interior design of restaurants and specialty offices. Mid-rise residential, roof-top additions, some schools. How did you find your job? Personal Search How is the team dynamic / work environment? Great, the average age of the firm is 27, everyone is super friendly, easy to work with and fun to hang out after hours. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe creative suite, 3D Printing BCN3D. Any work perks? Lunch provided everyday, half of transporation cost covered. 3D Printing is fun since you can print personal stuff if needed. How is the after work culture at the office? Great, often Vincent will invite the entire firm for dinner and drinks to very nice restaurants and bars in Paris. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Running along the canal, hanging out with friends around Rue Paradis and Rue Mouffetard, Les Etolies.. What are some must-see places there? Villa Savoye, Orangerie Museum, Rodin Museum, Parc des ButtesChaumont, Parc Citroen, Arenes sur la Seine, Plages de Paris, Pettite Ceinture, Parc de la Vilette, Chateau de Fontainbleu, Pompidou Centre... Any notes on the visa application process? Use the International Youth Agreement, it was pretty fast for me, it only took 3 buisness days to get my visa. Any interesting trips during the term? Berlin, Rome, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Irun, Toulouse, Mont-Saint-Michel, Avignion, Province, Fontainbleu, Versailles, Lyon, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Carcassone, Val de Loire, Bayonne... How safe did you find the city? Safe near the colleges, it can get sketchy around Dorchester & Roxbury 74

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Tartiflette from the studio lunches lol How did you get around the city? Velib, Walk, Longboard, Metro, Uber How did you meet people in the city? Bars, coworkers, capoeira, salsa, through friends of friends, other co-op students...

Who: Niki Farfel, 3B What firm: Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects Where: Paris When: Summer 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? 15 How did you find your job? Personal What are the hours? 50+ How is the team dynamic / work environment? Competitive but overall, friendly. What tools of representation are used? 1:10 Models and drawings Any work perks? Good coffee and even better parties. What language is used at the workplace? English, French, Japanese. How is the after work culture at the office? Experimental and fun! City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? CafĂŠ Charbon. How did you find accommodation? Airbnb. What are some must-see places there? Arab World Institute. Any notes on the visa application process? The visa is free for Canadians. Any interesting trips during the term? Amsterdam, Lisbon, Berlin. How did you get around the city? Metro.

Who: Emmeily Zhang, Masters What firm: BIG Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: Dec 2016 - May 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Everything from model building to rendering to conceptual design to construction documents. About 200 people now. How did you find your job? Personal Search. What are the hours? 9-5 with very little overtime How is the team dynamic / work environment? Everyone is very nice and easy to work with, and all their english is excellent. What tools of representation are used? AutoCAD, Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator, Models. Any work perks? Great espresso machine, and you get to play with VR a lot, and make 3-D models for use in VR. What language is used at the workplace? English. How is the after work culture at the office? Pretty relaxed, a small group go out together on Fridays. city life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Any of the parks. How did you find accommodation? Facebook. Christianshavn in the Winter, my What are some must-see places there? favourite neighbourhood. Not necessarily a building but NDSM Wharf.

Any notes on the visa application process? I only did a 3 month work term so I only needed a work permit, which the firm puts together for you. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require a form, fee, or taxes. How did you get around the city? Get a bike as soon as you can! 77

Who: Dhisana D’Sa What firm: Sauerbruch Hutton Architects Where: Berlin, Germany Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Around 85 What are the hours? Hours varied depending on project/competition priority but regular hours were from 9:30-6:00 pm. What tasks were you given? Tasks ranged depending on the project but primarily included making 3D models of the project and site, drafting drawings and perspectives for presentations and physical model making. Discuss an interesting project. Not at liberty to discuss my favorite project... still in competition phase What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects?

Interns were given a fair load of responsibility and were integral with portions of projects and competitions in their schematic developmental phase.

How is the team dynamic / work environment? The teams and people at the office are very enthusiastic, helpful and educational with new program software and tasks. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite and Bentley: Microstation Any work perks? Free ice-cream when its extremely hot, free dinners when you stayed very late and free German classes taught by an amazing tutor. How is the after work culture at the office? Made a lot of friends through work, so we’d hang out on the regular. What was the most important thing you learned there? How to prioritize work flow depending on projects and clients How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Tough question....can’t be directly answered, do what you love, it’ll show through in your work. Although, if you do love colour and facade designing, showcase those works in the beginning of your portfolio. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Hackescher Markt :) 78

How did you find accommodation? Airbnb What are some must-see places there? Every inch of the city Any interesting trips during the term? Too many to list... How safe did you find the city? Very safe! one of the safest cities Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been to How did you get around the city? Public transit is excellent. Best Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced so far! How did you meet people in the city? Mostly through work.

Who: Michelle Castro Bullough - M1, H.BAS 2016 What firm: Vilalta Arquitectura Where: L’Eixample, Barcelona, Spain When: Spring 2014, 3rd co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Two full-time employees and five interns. How did you find your job? Personal search (previous Waterloo student had worked there) What are the hours? 10-7, with 2 hours for lunch. What tasks were you given? Mostly rendering, lecture writing, and English-Spanish translation, but also participating in design charettes. Discuss an interesting project. I worked closely with the firm’s director to write a TED talk. What tools of representation are used? SketchUp models, renderings through Artlantis & Photoshop, Illustrator diagrams, and CAD drawings. What language is used at the workplace? English & Spanish How is the after work culture at the office? Us five interns became good friends, and often made international weeknight dinners together and went to the beach or out dancing on weekends. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Walking around the old city (Ciutat Vella). How did you find accommodation? Called the phone number on a rental sign in a window.

Plaça del Rei outside the Museum of the History of Barcelona

What are some must-see places there? Parc del Centre del Poblenou (by Jean Nouvel), CaixaForum gallery, and as much Gaudí as possible (la Sagrada Família, Parc Güell). Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Spaniards are incredibly friendly! Even though the regional language is Catalán, I had no problems using Castilian Spanish instead. A couple of the interns in my office didn’t speak any Spanish and got by, although they said it was quite difficult. 80

Who: T.K. Justin Ng, 3B What firm: ALA Architects Where: Helsinki, Finland When: Winter 2016, first co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? 40 people. How did you find your job? Personal Search. What are the hours? 9-5. What tasks were you given? Photoshop, Revit, Fabrication drawings. Discuss an interesting project. Helsinki Central Library is the largest project the office is working on. The company won the competition back in 2014 and the building is currently under construction. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Most of the time, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working on renderings and diagrams but occasionally I get to do a little design as well. What tools of representation are used? Physical model, Renderings. What language is used at the workplace? Finnish mostly, English just for non-Finns. City Life

A sketch of Helsinki Cathedral.

What was your favorite place to go after work? A cafe near Stockmann. How did you find accommodation? Facebook groups. What are some must-see places there? Kiasma Museum by Steven Holl, Rautatienasema by Eliel Saarinen (Eeroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dad). Any notes on the visa application process? You would need to go to Ottawa.

Who: Mac Van Dam What firm: Cebra Where: Aarhus, Denmark When: Winter 2018 Workplace

What is the scope of work at the firm? How many people work there? Mixed Typologies, 40 people How did you find your job? Emailed the office What are the hours? 8 hour days, with extended working hours during deadlines. What tasks were you given? Model making, small decision decisions, presentation drawings and renderings. Discuss an interesting project. A very large and modern home for a high profile client in the UAE What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? very involved. Smalled teams make you an important player.

How is the team dynamic / work environment? Super! What tools of representation are used? Adobe, Rhino, Vray Any work perks? Friends How is the after work culture at the office? Generally about 4 international interns, so there is a culture of going out on weekends together. What was the most important thing you learned there? The Danes are crazy How can students prepare their portfolio/cv if they want to work at this firm? Id say some high quality renderings and models will help get you a look. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? le coq. How did you find accommodation? the office. 82

How safe did you find the city? 10/10 How did you get around the city? Bicycle

Who: Mia Milanovic in 3B, graduation class of 2019 What firm: Alison Brooks Architects Where: Kentish Town, London, England When: Fall 2016, second co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Mainly residential, however a few educational, cultural and medical projects have been done/are being done. As well as constant competitions. The firm consists of about 30 people. How did you find your job? Personal Application but I found out about the firm when Alison Brooks herself came to give a lecture at the school. What are the hours? The hours are 9-6 with an hour break for lunch, there was quite a bit of overtime. What tasks were you given? Photoshop, Revit, Fabrication drawings. Discuss an interesting project. A Multipurpose Building competition for Tottenham Court was a very interesting project have worked on. It took a couple all nighters and jumping from task to task where needed. I required a lot of discusion with the firm directors personally and fast desicions/ coordination in order to meet the deadline. Which all in the end payed off because the project won the competition. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Depending on on the project, sometimes I would be responsible for all physical models, to even making sure all the bathrooms in a townhouse complex were correct on the revit files. How is the team dynamic / work environment? It is an absolutely incredible envrionment, everyone respects each others work and time, the work is devided accordingly by personal strengths are experience and when need be anyone is willing to lendf a helping hand. What tools of representation are used? Revit, Rhino, Vray/Maxwell, Physical Models. Any work perks? Every Friday we would stop working at our computers at 5pm (an hour early) and go to the meeting table for a CPD (presentation by one of the employees ranging from new skills to a recent trip they had been on) Drinks and snacks were provided during this last hour. How is the after work culture at the office? 84

Every Friday after the CPD’s most of the firm would walk to the pub across the street and enjoy some quality time together. Also there was a great work christmas party.

What was the most important thing you learned there? When doing a competition take an extra step, add something that wasn’t a requirement but is essential to the projects and makes the competion commisioner question why they didn’t put it as a requirement in the first place. Other comments: I found it very important that everyone in the firm made an effort to interact with one another and keep track of what was happening on projects that they didn’t work on. It showed that at the end of the day we are all working towards the same goals and are valuable firm members. City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? The airport, when in London there are so many oppotunities to fly around Europe for a short amount of time and cheap flights. Especially with the banked time in lieu I could afford a few trips during my work term. How did you find accommodation? I have family there and stayed with them. What are some must-see places there? The British Museum, the Wallace collection, The Shard, Camden area, Hyde Park and much more, the list is too long.

Inside the SMILE with the ABA

team. Any notes on the visa application process? Make sure to give enough time for the whole visa process, sometimes it is the last piece to actually starting your term and waiting can be frustrating.

Any interesting trips during the term? As I mentioned above from London it was easy to travel so I had the pleasure to go to Berlin, Milan, and visit family in Serbia while working. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? At first it was surprisingly harder to understand the british accent than I thought and some terms, but it was very easy to pick up on it all within a few days. 85

Who: Kelsey Dawson What firm: Taktyk Where: Brussels, Belgium When: Summer after 3A Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? The office has a great environment (4-6 people employees), it is shared with an architecture firm so there are lots of young people around and we all ate lunch together every day. They are a landscape office but also do large scale urban design + planning. How did you find your job? Personal search: I knew older students who had worked at the firm. I knew about the officeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation for being very good at teaching and providing design opportunities. What are the hours? 9:30-6 pm, What tasks were you given? Project leader for a competition; model maker; graphic designer for poster commisions; presentation preparations; Discuss an interesting project. The competition I led with another UWSA student focused on reclaiming a no-longer used military campus in the core of a historic city. The largest challenge was unlocking this previously restricted space and inviting in the community. One of the ways we chose to do this was through accessible graphic design. As Belgium is quite famous for their comic artists we chose to use this style as a way to communicate the design to professionals and community members. This was a fairly risky decision and I appreciated that the office was open to trying something new and having fun with the project. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? You are expected to be a leader in this office and be able to work on your own. The boss is also a professor so he is not in all the time. It is important to be able to move forward with the work without constant supervision. How is the team dynamic / work environment? The office is very fun and friendly, we would go out for drinks after work and eat lunch together everyday. It is an asset to speak french. What tools of representation are used? I worked in Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign. Any work perks? Brussels is fairly small, so it is unlikely you would have to buy a transit 86

pass. Walking to work should be fine. Mondays.

What language is used at the workplace? French (most people also speak english). How is the after work culture at the office? Good! I learned about many great bars from going with co-workers. What was the most important thing you learned there? How to work independently and take ownership of a project and the work of the office. Other comments: Where to live in Brussels: Saint Gilles!!! (steer away from the north side of the pentagon, around the train stations, and Molenbeek). City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Cafe Bebo. How did you find accommodation? Made a deal with my Airbnb Host. What are some must-see places there? Horta Museum, Van Burren Museum, Magritte Museum. Any interesting trips during the term? Belgium is very centrally located, you can travel anywhere in Europe very easily. There is also a student railcard that is 50 euro for 10 train rides anywhere in Belgium. Grand Place How safe did you find the city? Belgium has a lot of people who live on the street, buying a bike will help you to feel safe getting around at night.

Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Best to speak french if you are living in a neighborhood, you can get away with english in the downtown.

asia

Who: Nina Wang What firm: MAD Architects Where: Beijing, China When: Spring 2014 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Architectural design. Roughly 40 staff (including media and HR) with 20 interns. How did you find your job? Personal Search What are the hours? Hours depend heavily on project deadlines and what you want out of the experience. How is the team dynamic / work environment? International environment, with staff all over the world. Any work perks? Catered buffet lunch every day, just need to sign your name at the restaurants downstairs for free dinners if you are staying late, ugliest office stray cat What language is used at the workplace? Majority of staff will be able to speak english. Mandarin Chinese is still the most common language used. Within teams, sometimes French or Italian or Spanish or Japanese... depends on the staff involved. How is the after work culture at the office? Studio environment with the main task force being young architects, so movie nights in the office or nights out are very common. There are some restaurants near the office that staff can eat free at during overtime nights, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually pretty rowdy. Maybe we forgot something important? It really is what you make of it. Good place for motivated individuals who want to see more and do more. Also great place to make connections with ambitious aspiring architects from all over the world.

City Life

What was your favorite place to go after work? Stay in the office forever c: There is a very nice live music bar at HouHai, with a patio facing the water.] How did you find accommodation? House sat for family friends. Any interesting trips during the term? Lots to do in China - the speed train will take you anywhere, relatively cheaply. I also made a birthday/visa renewal trip to Hong Kong. How safe did you find the city? I once dialed 110 (emergency services in Beijing) and received the dial tone, lol. Keep your eyes open, especially during those late night/early morning trips back from the office. What’s the best meal you had there? China’s cuisine is too blessed, there’s too much to recommend. I particularly love the street/to-go breakfasts from the carts in the mornings. Delicious, convenient, and practically free. Try the DouFuNao (a savoury soft toff pudding). They’ll serve it to you in a bubble tea cup with a straw if you’re on the run. How did you get around the city? Taxis are very cheap. Sunway is practically free.

Who: Iryna, 3A What firm: Foreign Policy Design Group Where: Singapore When: Fall 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? ~15 How did you find your job? Instagram What are the hours? 40 hours/week. What tasks were you given? I’m an editorial intern, but they’ve got a great interiors and product team. Personally I’ve been: writing and researching a policy paper on coliving, helping a photo essay for publication, writing miscellaneous copy and grants. Discuss an interesting project. Researching, writing and making my own diagrams for a cohousing paper (great if you like writing!) What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? They have given me so much autonomy; they schedule weekly crits and checkins and the like but a have a lot of room to give my own input. How is the team dynamic / work environment? SO CUTE. The team gives each other rapper names (lol) and they go on a roster where we change daily who gets control over the Spotify playlist playing over the office speakers. :) mm we always do lunch together and of course everyone is completely welcoming and friendly. Occassional Friday afternoon drinking :) What tools of representation are used? Hmm the ID team used mostly rhino, sketch up and autocad Any work perks? Located in an adorable hipster neighbourhood super close to a great hawker centre with wonderful Hainanese food :) and the office has an amazinnnng library collection. Sometimes the occasional mooncakes + alcohol in the fridge for grabs :) What language is used at the workplace? English What was the most important thing you learned there? STILL HERE. but thinking a lot about the wonderful interdisciplinary opportunities between design/creative disciplines. 92

City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? home??? Sleep??? Nah singapore’s pretty beautiful and lush for a city, and the office is close to downtown so you can go out How did you find accommodation? Facebook renting group, but ask the office and they can give you some old contacts What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? Marina Bay anyone? Gardens by the Bay? But honestly this city takes such pride in their architectural maintenance new and old, it’s a small but wonderful downtown Any interesting trips during the term? Dude you are in the middle of Southeast Asia and flights all cost less than $100 one way GO How safe did you find the city? Literally no safer city in the world tell your parents How did you get around the city? Bus/subway/bike! Everything is so close bc the island is so small, half the time it’s just as fast to walk somewhere How did you meet people in the city? Rooming with a group of exchange students was definitely a great way to have a social circle right from the start

Who: anonymous What firm: Shigeru Ban Architects Where: Higashi Matsubara, Setagaya, Tokyo When: Spring 2017, 3rd co-op Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Model building, drawing. How did you find your job? Personal search What are the hours? 10am-10pm, What tasks were you given? Model making, building paper tube housing Discuss an interesting project. Going to kamakura to build a non for profit paper tube houses for the earthquake victims. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? I had a big responsibility working 1 on 1 with my supervisor. How is the team dynamic / work environment? 1 to 2 interns per supervisor. What tools of representation are used? Physical model making, rhino. Any work perks? No. What language is used at the workplace? English, Japanese How is the after work culture at the office? The interns were spent more time interacting with each other more so than the full time employees after work What was the most important thing you learned there? working patiently.

City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? No mo hodai (all you can drink). How did you find accommodation? Online research (borderless housing). What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? Chi Chu Museum on Naoshima island. Any notes on the visa application process? (for international co-op) I went in as a Canadian tourist since i was not getting paid it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a problem Any interesting trips during the term? Naoshima and Teshima Islands How safe did you find the city? Extremely safe, be respectful. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? SUSHI How did you get around the city? Train/subways. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? No i speak beginner japanese. How did you meet people in the city? My roommates.

Who: Jonas Chin, M1, H.BAS 2016 What firm: PlusClover Where: Hong Kong When: Post-undergrad Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Small office of 5-6 designers. Residental / interior design, retail and installations. How did you find your job? Personal search. What are the hours? 9-7, What tasks were you given? Everything from schematic design to design mock ups and on-site work. Discuss an interesting project. A project for an outdoor lounge where the scope ranges from branding and menu design to full lounge design. Hong Kong is prone to typhoons in the summer so a lot of time was put into resolving wind issues. What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? You are usually working with a senior designer on the projects, and report directly to the lead designer. The level of involvement depends on the amount of of care and effort you are willing to contribute to the job. The projects require a lot of client meetings and on-site monitoring. How is the team dynamic / work environment? It is an open studio and the office culture is quite laidback, we usually shout out any ideas or questions we have. The team goes out for for lunch once a week and for special occassions. The teams operate on a small scale but the other teams help out during deadlines. What tools of representation are used? Rhino, CAD, Photoshop, Physical models. What language is used at the workplace? English, Chinese How is the after work culture at the office? People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really stay around after work, occassionally we went for drinks but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about it. What was the most important thing you learned there? How to communicate with all parties involved so everyone is on the same page, which saves a lot of unnecessary work.

City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? Night markets, street food stalls, rooftops. How did you find accommodation? Originally from Hong Kong, but the office usually helps. What are some must-see places there? Housing Estates from the 70s. Any interesting trips during the term? Vietnam, Kansai West Region, day trips to the local islands. How safe did you find the city? Hong Kong is very safe, and the streets are well lit until late at night. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best meal you had there? Cow intestines, harder to find good ones these days but they are around. Also seafood in Sai Kung is a delicacy. How did you get around the city? Subway, bus, mini bus (Not really a bike friendly city). The tram is amazing. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? People in Hong Kong usually speak some English. How did you meet people in the city? Meet ups, friends of friends, gallery openings. Maybe we forgot something important? There is no city quite like Hong Kong. The streets are full of stories to be discovered and there are always hidden pockets of space buried in the dense city. You can find food ranging from street food to high end cuisine; from ordering a pint to drinking on an empty tram. It is not a cheap to live in, but it is a charming city and I highly recommend it. Banana with man

oceania

Who: Olivera Neskovic, 3B What firm: SBUILT Where: Brisbane, Australia When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? SBUILT is a design-build firm primarly focussed on residential construction. There are 3-4 people in the office daily and around 30 on site. How did you find your job? I found my job via interweb (aka personal search). What are the hours? 9:00-5:00. What tasks were you given? I was given a lot of responsibility at the office due to my capabilities in managing a wide variety of tasks including drawing, project management and coordination. How is the team dynamic / work environment? The team dynamic was super fun and friendly, so I felt comfortable asking questions whenever. What tools of representation are used? Adobe Suite, Autocad, Archicad. Any work perks? Coffee shop meetings, great free lunch and an office baby!

Bondi to Bronte Walk in Sydney 100

City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? Southbank for a run to unwind after a day of work, followed by some watermelon by the river. How did you find accommodation? I lived with my boyfriend’s family. But there are lot’s of share-house websites you can use to find a place. What are some must-see buildings/projects/museums there? the GOMA, the architecture school at UQ and the Powerhouse in New Farm. Any notes on the visa application process? (for international co-op) Pretty straightforward. Canadian citizens get lots of perks - and I got my visa in a week. Any interesting trips during the term? I visited Sydnet, Melbourne, Noosa and Auckland. I got to try surfing and hiked up lots of big rocks and hills. How safe did you find the city? The city was super safe. You just have to plan your time out wisely if you’re taking public transport. What’s the best meal you had there? BRUNCH! Aussies do amazing brunch. I had the best smashed avo on thick sourdough toast with poached eggs and field mushrooms. How did you get around the city? I took the bus or was driven around by friends and family. Did you encounter any cultural or linguistic barriers? Nope. Australia has a very similar culture to Canada. How did you meet people in the city? Through my running club, my boyfriend and colleagues.

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Who: Mariah Palantzas, 3B What firm: Architecture Plus Ltd. Where: Wellington, New Zealand When: Spring 2017 Workplace

What is the scope of work? How many people work there? Mainly commercial and office buildings. Around 20 people. How did you find your job? Personal search. What are the hours? Lenient 40hrs/wk. What tasks were you given? Digitizing hand drafted projects, material and colour schedules, lead a reroofing project, construction detailing, permit set creation etc. Discuss an interesting project. Tiratora. On of the directors Stuart Gardyne’s own family home. A Victorian ‘four-square’ house that has been the subject of two major renovations and numerous minor amendments, and now exhibits an eclectic mix of contemporary additions and alterations. With courtyards, new materials and also old brick walls, the project really can’t be done justice in this short description. Look it up! What was your level of involvement and responsibility in projects? Fairly high. With a smaller number of people and a lot of work coming through the door, everyone was very collaborative. This allowed others and myself to always be highly involved in every aspect of the projects. What tools of representation are used? Auto CAD, Adobe Suite, Revit, Excel, physical samples as needed. Any work perks? Mandatory 15 min tea/ coffee break at 10am and 3pm every day, and every morning we’d do the quiz in the paper as an office. “Whitaker Wednesdays” were free chocolate bars once a week during afternoon tea. Occasional “Lunch and Learns”. Every Friday at 5 all work stops and we have “wine and cheese” (mostly beer) to finish off the week. Once a month we went out for an office yum cha lunch. Extra perks: Got tons of balloons on my birthday and presents upon leaving! How is the after work culture at the office? We had a mid-winter Christmas office party/ dinner (in July). A common New Zealand tradition, because all popularized American Christmas songs are about winter/ snow and the NZ Christmas is in the summer. Also went out on my last day as an office for burgers as part of a burger festival (like Summerlicious). 102

What was the most important thing you learned there? As sappy as it sounds, that the right people and environment can make you feel comfortable and at home even across the entire world. City Life

What was your favourite place to go after work? Cuba St, to look at the shops, eat food and experience a completely different vitality than the rest of the city. How did you find accommodation? Lived with friends of friends. What are some must-see places there? “The Beehive” - government building, Te Papa Museum and the boardwalk, Watch a rugby game at the Westpac Stadium. Any notes on the visa application process? The visa was online, easy to fill out, and generally gets easily approved for Canadian Citizens.

Nevis Bungee, the highest bungee jump in the country that invented bungee jumping. Queenstown, NZ

Any interesting trips during the term? Visited other areas in NZ (Auckland aka “the big city” and Queenstown, a smell ski town in the mountains). Went bungee jumping in both cities (QT being the highest jump in NZ!) Also went over to Melbourne, Australia for a week to see family and friends. How safe did you find the city? The city was very safe. The downtown core is fairly condensed/ small, so there are always people around the popular places. There are smaller areas that are less welcoming, but this comes with any capital city. What’s the best meal you had there? Best meal: home cooked at home. Most interesting meal: Easey’s in Melbourne. Burgers & Beers served five stories up in a rooftop train carriage overlooking Melbourne City. How did you get around the city? By car was easiest (the family I stayed with drove to and from work every day) but thw tradition system is great as well. Ubers at night. How did you meet people in the city? My twin sister came with me and we met people through her rugby team. Other than that, I don’t think we would have met many people our age. 103

Special thanks to: BRIDGE Waterloo Architecture + UWSA Peer Support Ron Adriano Saadman Ahmed Shahal Ahmed Siobhan Allman Annika Babra Kate Brownlie Kelsey Dawson Dhisana Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sa Ethan Duffey Angus Dunn Niki Farfel Omar Ferwati Nicholas Frayne Allegra Friesen Roni Haravon Tianyi Huang Iryna Natalie Kopp Steven Lin Nick Makhalik Kelsey Malott Mia Milanovic Jasdeep Multani Julia Nakanishi Olivera Neskovic T.K. Justin Ng Victoria Ngai Lorenzo Nicoloni Thomas Noussis Mariah Palantzas Jeffrey So Logan Steele Hayley Sykes Brian Tien Mac Van Dam Nina Wang Emmeily Zhang anonymous contributors waterlooarchitecture.com