#georgec

[stepping-wolf]

GERGERC

[bac-connex]

A Consistent Mentor

Irsa, the architect who is also our mentor maintained consistent leadership by continuing her coordination with the contractors and the Housing directors. Like the Wilmington Housing Authority, the housing director at Burlington Housing Authority is the client along with the contractor documented with Isra the materials needed to complete the fixture of damages in the bathroom and evaluated and administered what needed to be removed and installed. Gary the local contractor and the housing director documented the repairs to be improved and fixed for renovation. Isra provided constructive feedback by asking them to send in the construction documents to do some drawings so that they can reveal what needs to be done before the housing unit is ready for tenants to move in. Gannet Fleming is the sponsor of this mixed housing project in Burlington MA. Me and my other colleagues are the mentees listening to Isra, our mentor. This helped us as mentees as good listeners will help us develop our interpersonal skills which are needed to establish ourselves, design professionals, to grow our careers as architects, interior architects and designs, and including landscape architects and designers.

[bac-connex]

A Productive Client

This is a project for low-income housing. Wilmington Housing Authority located in Wilmington MA was the client. Irsa, the architect, who is also the manager coordinates with contractors, housing specialists, and directors for the ongoing remodeling and renovation of the low-income housing project that is also for senior housing. They discussed what needs to be fixed and improved to make it better. They evaluated and administered the housing unit like the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. They discussed what materials are needed for sustainability to complete the construction of the remodeled unit, and ways they can finish it before the tenants can move in. Clear communications, concise methods and strategies, and respectful and meaningful productivity help the firm establish itself as the design culture for making strong and healthy spaces for everyone. Those are some of the things I learned during my site visit.

[bac-connex]

It Looks like Teamwork with a Focus on Built-Environment

Intercultural Competence is the diverse group of teams or individuals showing what they are capable of doing to the needs of their workplace. These people come from diverse ethnic backgrounds showing their strengths and expertise and their talent and capable of doing to impress their clients. If work is poorly done, one can provide unbiased feedback and the person who worked on it can find and look for ways to improve. The Identity of the public space shows how well it fits with people of all races, color, and gender. This is what is shown at the Gannett Fleming firm. Irsa Banks, the architect presents some of her work and what needs to be improved in transportation and housing facilities with the appropriate materials to make them more sustainable. Later, she showed Zoom meetings of workers, and interns from other Gannett Flaming offices, especially the one in NYC, participating in a housing competition. One person showed a work of a low-income housing authority showing interior spaces and materials used to make the building. She even showed a 3D computer model from either Rhino or Sketchup of what a building and space look like. Irsa provided feedback on what can be improved to make it better. Materials like solar panels for the roof would make them more sustainable so people can reduce their reliance on electricity as the cost of power is rising which can lower their energy bill. This is done to promote the development, and awareness of new infrastructure to make sure they are in compliance with housing laws and regulations. This is what Gannett Fleming does to promote intercultural competence since the firm hires people from diverse backgrounds to offer the work experience the firm is looking for to provide the quality of work that meets the needs of the client.

[bac-connex]

Workplace Culture

Today, our firm did an orientation and did a tour of our firm. Isra also stated what our assignments would be during this week and where we meet during site tours this week during the group discussion. I like how she explained what areas of work or fields the firm specializes in and the qualifications someone needs to have to work for them. The workplace values she shared were productivity and teamwork. We later did a tour of Downtown Boston and it was fun. I liked it because some of the places in downtown Boston and public spaces looked very nice and it resonated with me and many other people and we began taking pictures of them.

[bac-connex]

Thank You NBBJ

A copy of my thank-you letter to the NBBJ design firm. My experience was wonderful while doing the externship there.

[bac-connex]

A Mentoring Buddy

I like that NBBJ has architectural, interior design, urban planning and design, and landscape design. What I will commit to this year is to explore opportunities available to me that NBBJ has to offer. I will determine what skills and training are suitable for me and meet the needs of my BLA program. I believe the projects at the BAC gateway program are the first place to start so I can work on design projects suitable for me which will help me get prepared and ready to work at design firms and I plan to do this coming semester. Joining and participating in the SASLA program at the BAC is another opportunity for me. I can even volunteer to mentor K-12 students after gaining enough knowledge and experience in landscape architecture. Externships and Job shadows are a terrific way for young students to explore the job site to learn about what they will be doing in their careers. As mentioned by my mentors, teamwork and time management skills are very important. I believe this will help me achieve my skills as I learned them in the classroom and then apply them at either a job, internship, or volunteer work to gain experience that will help me establish myself as a landscape architect/designer or work in a related field and to show how dedicated I am in the career field. Producing and delivering good results for my work and portfolio will help promote good relationships between me as a student and the mentor that will help make me and the design firm a successful career and business which is very important for students working as designers to maintain relationships with mentors and the clients they will be working with.

[bac-connex]

A Knowledgeable Mentor

I believe that mentors are counselors and advisors to a professional person acting like a teacher or tutor, typically in earlier career stages. They may come from inside or outside of one’s firm; if from within, they will typically have a more senior role. However, many mentoring relationships develop organically and can be filled by one or more colleagues who provide different types of support and share their distinct expertise.

Mentors support self-awareness in their mentees while also supporting their growth in knowledge and skills in the profession. They also provide important insights about and guidance within a firm’s environment, including issues regarding its politics, unwritten rules, and culture. They may also introduce mentees to important professional networks outside of the firm.

Earlier, at the first presentation, one of the guest speakers in the field of architectural design at NBBJ during the presentation I watched highlighted and pinpointed the qualities and importance of mentors and mentees which are:

Mentor: Experienced, Good listener, Empathetic, Self-motivated, Patient, Curious, Encouraging, and Supportive.

Mentee: Willingness to learn, Open-minded, Self-motivated, Curious, Willingness to take risks, Good communicator.

At the second and final presentation, there was a new student orientation where the design leader explained what the architectural field is all about what kind of work they will be doing, and if they will be indoors or outdoors during their work time. He also explains about having good communication skills since you meet with clients getting projects done by the deadline and traveling to the site for monitoring purposes and evaluation. As new students listened, they asked questions and the designer answered all of their questions thoroughly and honestly on the kind of work they will be doing as an architectural designer. Then, another person came by and gave the new BAC students a tour of the NBBJ office of what of kind setting like the office, studio, and workshop they will be using. That was it.

I think these qualities and skills are important in the field of architecture since they help promote workplace and education equality and bring in diverse people with wide ranges of talent that can help achieve goals and address issues and other gaps. These are also important in recruiting and retaining good quality and skillful workers in architecture firms.