Nudists and Other Reasons to Intern at Drake/Anderson

Nudists and Other Reasons to Intern at Drake/Anderson Tasha Urban 2018

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2............................................................................................................................................................... Hi. 4....................................................................................................... How did I end up here?

8............................................................................................ So this is Drake/Anderson...

9................................................................................................................................ What they do 10..................................................................................................................................... What I did 12................................................................................................................................ What I loved 13.............................................................................................................................. What I hated 14................................................................................................................................ What I wore 16............................................................................................................ What I called “home�

18...................................................... New York City is a dream... just not mine.

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Hi. So, this is me: Utah born and raised, and a bit of a homebody. I like backpacking, walking around barefoot, reading, and playing the piano.

I’m pretty boring, actually.

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Before I went to New York for my internship, I wasn’t sure if I’d like the city, and I didn’t know whether I wanted to focus on commercial or residential design. Now I know I dislike NYC and love commercial.

Word of Advice (WOA): Don’t be afraid to go someplace out of your comfort zone!

How did I end up here?

I asked myself this almost constantly while I was in New York City. How did this mountain-loving, tree-climbing girl end up in one of the busiest metropolises in the world? I blame it on Caleb Anderson’s visit to Utah State in 2017. His designs were the first I’d seen that I both loved and could actually live in. I decided then and there that I was going to intern at Drake/Anderson in New York City.

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It took 2 months and many followup emails before I heard back from Drake/Anderson, but by the middle of April, I had my dream internship.

WOA: Don’t be afraid to aim high.

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So this is Drake/Anderson...

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What they do: Located in Manhattan, Drake/Anderson focuses on high-end residential design.

And when I say “high-end,� I mean their clients spend more on furniture than I have on college.

They employ four architects who work closely with the designers so that their designs are not purely surface-level, but are integrated and structural.

Jamie Drake (right) and Caleb Anderson (left) are the principle designers and firm partners. Everyone in the office has a good work ethic and a sense of humor.

They have to, because the conference room faces a nudist apartment.

WOA: Don’t be afraid to be an intern. They expect you to ask questions and make mistakes!

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1. Attend and assist on site visits.

(My favorite part!)

2. Participate in client meetings.

3. Increase knowledge of the business and financial side of design.

(An apartment here costs millions!)

What I did:

4. Increase familiarity with vendors and

5. Visit the D&D Building, showrooms,

professionals.

shop for clients, and order and return

(Hudson was the mascot of the

samples.

Christopher Hyland showroom.)

(There was another elevator full of

practice those skills, too!

pillows besides these!)

WOA: Don’t be afraid to speak up about your skills. You know your stuff - make sure they know that, too!

I was also the only one in the office who knew how to work in 3D AutoCad and Revit, so I got to

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What I loved:

1. Site visits to 56 Leonard, a penthouse with 360 views. (minus the time I got stuck in the service elevator).

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2. Working at a glass house in Hudson Valley, with which I fell in love.

3. Running errands and visiting showrooms!

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What I hated: Well, seeing as I didn’t hate anything, I’ll keep telling you what I loved!

4. The bathrooms at D/A are gorgeous (and honestly my favorite parts of the office)!

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5. This was my view as I walked to and from work every day.

6. Since I was the only one in the office who knew Revit, I got to do renderings for two 5.

French clients.

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What I wore: New York City is hot and humid during the summer, so I dressed light.

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And basically, I wore whatever I wanted, as long as it looked good.

Sometimes that meant a dress, and sometimes that meant jeans.

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I found housing with the friends of a friend of a friend. DJ and Caitlin became my adopted parents.

What I called “home�:

I lived in a shoebox. When I sat on

My backyard was China Town (and the

the edge of the bed, my feet stuck

Manhattan Bridge was a five minute

out the doorway.

stroll away).

One day at work I got a text.

I no longer had a bedroom, the shower

And I had a fire escape, which made

“We have a new address! It’s the

was in the kitchen, and the toilet was

for great late-night phone calls and

address of everything you have and

down the hall, but at least I now had

people watching. There was also

everything we have in NYC.”

a view, and the firm was only a ten

dollar pizza around the corner!

minute walk away.

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New York City is a dream...

There were a lot of things I loved about New York: the food, the art, and how many sites there were to see.

WOA: Don’t be afraid to look like a tourist. It’s okay to do things alone, just do things. Take pictures in crosswalks.

...just not mine

But I was glad to see Utah again. New York City is too hot, too humid, too busy, and too dirty for me!

WOA: Just don’t be afraid. You can survive anything if there’s an end in sight!

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