Work Recap

Thanks to the Nationality Room Intercultural Exchange Program’s Mary Campbell Cross scholarship and Pitt Business’s International Internship Program, I was able to live in Dublin, Ireland, for eight weeks this summer to participate in a full-time internship with georgeboyledesigns, a boutique architecture firm specializing in conservation and masterplanning projects. I was also able to explore both the physical and cultural landscape in Dublin, Galway, and Belfast, surrounding myself with the visual arts, literature, music, nature, language, and architecture. 

At georgeboyledesigns, I helped develop projects at different phases, including initial design, review, and actual construction. I primarily worked at an in-person coworking space, where all of my coworkers were inspired designers, architects, and business owners. During this time, I gained experience in relevant architectural software such as MicroStation and SketchUp, as well as design tools such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. I also practiced historical site analysis and archival research to enrich our conservation projects. Outside of the office, I had the privilege of attending some site visits and meetings with clients, which helped me understand the communication aspect of this field–  something that is difficult to learn in an academic setting.

I primarily focused on three major projects during my internship. The first project involved two clients who purchased a small local grocery store and were looking to transform it into a community-focused photography gallery and studio, with a residential unit on the second floor. They wanted to preserve some of the original architectural features, such as the front facade and the tiles on the ground floor, as an homage to the previous business. This project provided me great experience with adaptive reuse, the practice of combining preexisting parts of a building with new construction to repurpose the space. I also gained practical experience in hand sketching, rendering, MicroStation, and SketchUp. 

For my second project, I created a visualization of the renovation process for the first floor of a private residence, using MicroStation and SketchUp. First, I worked with my supervisors to design multiple options, or variants, for the clients to review. After a few rounds of meetings, we finalized the demolition and construction changes. Finally, I created an animated model in SketchUp, which broke down the renovation into easy-to-understand steps for both the builder and the client. 

My last project focused on masterplanning, which is a long-term development plan for a site, for a boutique hotel and luxury wellness resort concept. I completed a precedent study by compiling unique ideas for the site, including a tree canopy walkway, and private ‘wellness pods.’ I expressed my designs through hand sketching, SketchUp, and eventually in MicroStation for the final deliverable.

Personal Recap

I stayed on University College Dublin’s campus, located around forty-five minutes away from Dublin’s city center, with a group of other International Internship Program students in apartment-style housing. One of my roommates was even in the same architecture program as me at Pitt! Socializing with the other students in my program by comparing our internship and personal experiences abroad greatly enriched my experience. EUSA, the organization that helped me find my internship match, also organized some social events for us, including a field trip to the Wicklow Mountains and Kilkenny!

During my free time, I made sure to experience some of the cultural institutions around Dublin; some of my favorites included the Museum of Literature Ireland, the Irish Modern Museum of Art, and the Museum of Curiosities. I also took advantage of Dublin’s world-class food scene to try new Ethiopian, Ukrainian, and Irish dishes. 

I was also able to visit three major cities outside of my time working in Dublin. My first major trip was to Budapest, Hungary, where I got to enjoy the beautiful architecture of Gothic-style government buildings and Ottoman Empire-era thermal bathhouses. The second trip was a one-night stay in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was very eye-opening to learn more in person about the history of conflict in Northern Ireland, especially after researching it quite extensively last semester. Finally, I spent a long weekend in Galway, and I got to spend time with someone from the Irish Room committee who happened to be staying on the West Coast of Ireland this summer as well! I was able to attend a real Irish ceili and appreciate the rural, stony expanses in contrast to Dublin’s cosmopolitan energy.

Goal Review

Because of this international internship experience, I have grown to become a much more flexible and resilient individual, especially in academic and professional environments.  My main goal at the beginning of the summer was to be flexible and open to new experiences. My coworkers had completely different communication styles than what I was used to in America, and over the two months, I learned how to accept and embrace differences in communication, attitude, and opinion. Outside of work, I quickly adapted to Irish ways of life and sensibilities. I am so grateful to both the Irish Room and the Pitt Business School for making this life-changing experience possible for me.