Summer 2005

After my first year at Rice, I signed up for a summer program introducing architecture to elementary school children at HISD (which was an intense exercise of being thrown deep end of the pool without training along with my teaching partner Malini Fuangvuthi).

That part-time commitment limited my summer internship options, but I was fortunate to find an opportunity with Acumen Design. Their original founding team included a couple architects, but the firm was heavily focused on branding and graphics.

Some internships push you towards where you want to go, and others reveal that certain paths will not be a good fit. Acumen Design had a great team and it was fun to work in a cool studio, but I realized that I dig buildings.

It would take a decade for the realization to fully crystalize, but splashy design is not my strength. When it comes to the Vitruvian tripod, my strengths lie in the legs of firmness and commodity.

www.acumendesign.com

I worked with three different firms over the summers of my college years. The wide breadth of these firms exposed me to different aspects of the profession as I was charting my path into the industry.

I’d like to believe I provided good value during my time with these firms, but after entering into middle management, I appreciate how much effort is needed to properly train up entry level staff. As such, I’ve only become more grateful for their hospitality to a summer short-timer.