My name is Nicole Ortega and I am a senior Architecture Design major. During the Summer of 2017, I was a student intern for Architects International, Inc., a small architecture firm based in the Design District of Miami, Florida. During my earlier years of study, I would ponder the idea of interning at an architecture firm, but I never felt fully prepared nor did I feel like I was good enough to take on a serious opportunity like this one. I appreciate the patience I had with myself at the time but now I realize how significant and impactful it is to undergo the transformative experience that exists only in the professional field. As the Spring Semester was coming to an end, I touched base with my uncle who is an engineer and has an ample network. He connected me with three different firms in the city, which I immediately researched and contacted. I later received the news that I had been accepted to intern for AI.
Architects International, Inc. primarily work on city projects that deal with water, sewage, and pump stations/plants. They occasionally work on school projects and hotels. Because their main client is the city of Miami-Dade County, they are considered a public sector. My experience as an intern was a culmination of tasks and assignments that challenged my skills, both personal and professional. I worked in an office among designers and individuals who were responsible for different aspects including financial and construction. I was given the advantage of gaining knowledge and skills from each of these departments.
My direct supervisor was Juan Crespi, the president of the firm. Each day was broken into different parts that would change depending whether on a client meeting or a site visit was going to take place. During the morning, I would sit down with my supervisor and the employees and we would brainstorm ideas and plan out the day ahead. The afternoon was spent working on the computer and discussing progress and ideas with the other architects. I was involved in a project for the design of a new bus station. I was responsible for documenting the site and creating drawings and renderings for the design. I am most proud of the work I produced for this project because it not only sharpened my rendering skills and software knowledge, but it exposed me to the unique phases that occur in each design project.
