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Hastily sketched buddies
I will commit to standing out. I’ve found that people have been receptive to my hobbies and art I do outside of school work. I placed some of my personal work at the end of my portfolio, and both coworkers and this time my externship host have expressed interest and support for my drawings. I will try to make this a greater part of myself, and have it come through in my professional work as well.
One of the main points I got from talking to both junior designers and senior architects at GFT was the cultivation of a constant curiosity. Many have expressed the feeling that they learn something new everyday, and I see this trait as something both mentor and mentee should strive to develop.
I am not aware of a formal, HR-approved, written down and assigned mentorship program being implemented at GFT. However, I would not be surprised if the dynamics between a junior designer and senior architect developed towards a mentoring dynamic.
Today I had the opportunity to receive comments on my resume and portfolio from GFT’s host Isra. The opportunity was very similar to how mentorship was described in today’s readings, and I hope in the future I will be able to find a mentor that can cultivate a similar dynamic.
A Future Facing Client
Today we had the pleasure of meeting with GFT’s architectural director Stephen Lis, who showed us some key standout projects done by GFT / Gannett Fleming in the past. Skyport was made for a design challenge from Uber in 2018. The project imagines vertical take off vehicles as a future solution to transportation. Stephen explained that this proposal was only a concept back in 2018, but these vehicles have been going through approval phases with the FAA, and may one day be viable. It is fascinating to see the company’s culture of curiosity and innovation take shape as a concept for a design challenge. I hope to see what future projects GFT works on to push the engineering / architecture field forward.
It looks like a place of discussion
The majority of the day was spent in the conference room.
We externs had lunch together with Isra, the superior in charge of us. We had discussions about professional development, workplace culture, and challenges faced in the industry.
Later we had a meeting with GFT’s office in Toronto, meeting with designer Mary and architect Adrian. Great emphasis was placed on the values one should bring to a company, and how a proactive approach and constant curiosity can shape a workplace’s culture.
We ended the day working on our assigned design challenge. Us three externs presented our ideas and plans for a transit expansion space. We questioned, challenged, expanded upon, and supported each other’s proposals, and divided up the work in a way we hope will be on track to completion by the end of the externship.
Workplace Calm
The architecture industry’s obsession with working long hours and moonlighting is so ubiquitous with the general public such that whenever I introduce myself as an architecture student, the immediate follow up is always about workload and school / work-life balance. In this week’s readings, page 19, we see an example of managing expectations and deadlines. This is definitely an aspect of both industry and education that needs a more critical view.
My first day at GFT was very calm. From chatting with some of the people that came in on Monday, most work a hybrid schedule, and choose to work remotely on Monday. Most of the desks are empty today, and the office is quiet with only the intermittent sounds of keyboards and mouse clicks. To be able to offer flexibility in how people choose to work, in a time where the attitude is a strong push for return to office is greatly appreciated.
Just as postmodern architecture focused on small-scale, local and unique perspectives, perhaps one aspect that can guide contemporary architecture is a better understanding of the local and unique ways of life people engage with, and how it relates to buildings, spaces, and architecture.
Daniel C.'s Introduction
I'm Daniel, M.Arch at the BAC since January 2025. My externship is at GFT, and I'm excited to learn about infrastructure and transportation projects happening around the Boston Area!
