Internship Evaluation
Karen Norheim Ask
Architectural Intern Spring 2020.
Field of education:
Architecture
School:
KADK + exchange semester at McGill, Montreal
Describe your school and field of study:
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has four different institutions in
the School of Architecture. During my Bachelor I was a student at the
institution Institut for Bygningskunst og Teknologi. Fall 2020 I will
continue my education on the Master’s program Cultural Heritage, Transformation and Restoration.
Why did you apply for an internship at DOMUS?
The first time I heard about DOMUS was during an excursion on the 4th
semester of my Bachelor. We visited DOMUS’ housing project Fælledhaven, which I found interesting and inspiring for our semester project at that time. One year later I finished my bachelor, and had started to figure out what topics I find higher interest in. I did some more research on DOMUS, and found the company’s focus on sustainability and variousness of the projects really inspiring. Also due to my interest for transformation and restoration projects, I believed that DOMUS was a good place to start have some more experience in this exact field.
Can you list some of the projects you worked in during your internship at DOMUS, and your role in them?
BIF, Baunegård og Firskovvej, Bistrupvej 137, Blegdamsvej.
What kind of assignments and tasks have you worked with during your internship at DOMUS?
The first three months of my internship I was involved in different
projects with different assignments. I mainly worked on creating 2d drawings, 3d models and some sketching. For the last two months I worked on this transformation/restoration/new construction project, Bistrupvej 137. My task on this project was to create 2D drawings of the existing condition and future condition. We regularly had meetings discussing the status of the drawings and what changes needed to be done, in advance to the meeting with the clients/communication with the municipality.
Whenever there was no tasks that needed to be done, an other intern and I worked on DOMUS UNI – a small study about sustainability and what gives a project a sustainable quality.
Describe the difference between studying and working as an intern at DOMUS?
The main difference I would say is that you get a clearer impression of
how a project is developed in reality, and all the different stages that it
goes through. It is also different when it comes to work flow. In school I
often found it difficult to continue on an idea once I got stuck. And we would have meetings with our teachers only once a week, which made it difficult to continue working. Working as an intern there is always someone you can ask if you get stuck, so you get much better work flow and finish on time.
What did you learn at DOMUS?
When I started at DOMUS I didn’t have much experience. I had been
working for two other companies, but only for short, limited periods. I felt
secure with softwares like Rhino, AutoCAD and the Adobe-package. But at DOMUS I learned how to use other softwares and even became better at the ones I already knew. As a student I often got stuck in smaller detalis, but at DOMUS I learned to focus on the overall result. I also have more knowledge about the process of a project in reality, and in general practical knowledge that I think will be
to my advantage in the future.
Did the internship change your perspective on the building industry?
I would say yes. I knew as a student that there was a «whole other world»
existing out there that I didn’t have any knowledge about. DOMUS introduced me to the different processes and stages of a project, and how different parameters affects the quality of a project.
Did the internship expose you to unknown areas within the building
industry or unexpected interests?
I would definitely say that I experienced unknown areas during my time
at DOMUS, and I am happy to have gained some knowledge about other fields within the building industry.
Did the internship teach you something you can use in your future
education/career?
For my Master’s degree I would definitely say that my experience from
DOMUS will be relevant. I had the chance to work on different transformation/restoration projects, which is very relevant for my master’s program. In general I believe that all the knowledge and experience I gained will be beneficial for my future career.
Which skills did you acquire during your internship at DOMUS?
As an intern I got a better understanding of how a professional environment works. I have strengthened my software skills, and I have gained technical and practical knowledge that will be relevant for my
future.
Other comments:
I would like to thank DOMUS for the opportunity to work for them. I am
thankful for the knowledge and experience I have gained during my stay at DOMUS Arkitekter. I believe it will be relevant for my Master’s degree and a great advance for my future career.