Internship Evaluation
Agata Ulaszewska
Intern Spring 2022
Field of education: Architecture and Construction Management
School: School: UCL, Odense
Describe your school and field of study:
I am on the bachelor’s degree in Architectural Technology and Construction Management at UCL in Odense.
This program takes knowledge from the architecture and engineering, but the difference can be described as organizational skills. Architect works with aesthetics, engineer with the physics, whereas the job of a construction architect includes parts of both of those elements focusing mostly on the management.
Why did you apply for an internship at DOMUS?
I was looking for a small, architect’s office where can I work both with the architects and construction architects on different projects. I found it successful at DOMUS. Moreover, the advantage was that the office is a member of DGNB, whose goal is to look at the relationship between the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability.
Can you list some of the projects you worked in during your internship at DOMUS, and your role in them?
During my internship I was involved in various projects – both renovation and new construction, but mainly I was working on Folehaven. I was helping with a modelling part by preparing floor plans, principal views and families in Revit.
What kind of assignments and tasks have you worked with during your internship at DOMUS?
My tasks consisted of 3D modelling, preparing principal sheets, creating visualizations in Enscape and Photoshop for renovation projects and finding design solutions for the floor plans and façade in the new projects.
Describe the difference between studying and working as an intern at DOMUS?
Work in the office differs in a significant way when we speak about
teamwork and communication. DOMUS has well-organized structure of managing projects and internal communication. At the university we get assigned to particular people and work together through the whole semester. In a real-life, people might be involved into many projects on different stages but still each person knows exactly what their part is in a project and what kind of impact one can make, to be paid off on a common work.
What did you learn at DOMUS?
I am mostly glad that I had an opportunity to learn new software and graphic programs, which I didn’t use before. That gave me a confidence to expand my competencies within the industry and be able to work with an extra range of duties than before. The experience I have gained
in the last 5 months gave me a hint, about what can construction architect deal with and what kind of options I have after I finish my studies.
Did the internship change your perspective on the building industry?
It has changed in the respect that I have been able to see how communication management is held between contractors, architects and all the people engaged in a project. Moreover, I can say with a bit of sarcasm ‘the devil’s not so black as he’s painted’. I was associating building industry mostly as a men’s world. What I have noticed during internship, is that projects’ tasks in DOMUS are divided equally to people depending on their experience and skills only. I have found work environment at DOMUS very professional and welcoming.
Did the internship expose you to unknown areas within the building industry or unexpected interests?
By being a part of a huge renovation project (additionally, associated with a commune), I got a chance to see how much time it takes and how many decisions must be made from the very beginning to the modeling part. I have to admit, that the whole process got me interested.
Did the internship teach you something you can use in your future education/career?
I have learned how to adjust my workflow to be the most efficient and meet the deadlines without any unreasonable delays. That skill will help me a lot when it comes to writing thesis and finishing project for my bachelor’s degree as well as in my future career.
Which skills did you acquire during your internship at DOMUS?
For sure I got more comfortable in digital drawing and modeling, I have
also experienced how to deal with a project and manage its structure from
professional point of view.
Other comments?
In the end, I wanted to thank my colleagues at DOMUS for their commitment and patience in sharing knowledge and experience with me. I strongly believe it will have a positive impact on my future career.