“It’s been a summer of great memories, great learning, & lifelong friendships.”

Our 2024 summer interns recently completed their architecture and interior design internships and they took the time to sit down to share what a day in the life of a TURNERBATSON student intern really looks like. Whether they were participating in project site visits, meeting with reps from various furniture or textile companies, or playing very intense games of office ping-pong, they shared memories that were made during their time at our firm.

Here’s a snapshot of their feedback:

1. Explain the day in the life of a student intern architect.

“It begins by starting my morning catching up with people over coffee as we settle in to prepare for the day. Throughout the day, you can find me working on markups in Revit from my supervisor or out on a jobsite. I typically have OAC meetings or site visits throughout the week, so each day differs a little!”

2. Is this internship what you thought it would be?

“This internship has surprised me in the best way! I knew I would be learning a lot, but I did not think I would be able to do so many different aspects of the job and get to do so much hands-on work. I am consistently getting to work on projects, talk to clients, and sit in meetings that are preparing me for my future. Because of the opportunities I have been given this summer, I feel much more confident in my abilities than I expected.”

3. Why are student internships important?

“I would really push every student to prioritize internships because there are aspects to the ‘real world’ that you aren’t aware of in school. I am so thankful to have gotten a glimpse of the ‘business’ side of this career this summer. Whether that be OAC meetings, writing documents, or even building relationships with clients and consultants — these are all skills that I am not able to develop while in school.”

4. If you could give students a piece of advice as they prepare for internships, what would that be?

“Find a team that values you outside of just your ability to work! I met a few of the TURNERBATSON team members at the career fair, and what made them stand out is that they discussed aspects of their life outside of their work. I would advise students to really do their research on firms and find one that portrays the values and needs of the student!”

5. What is the best piece of advice you’ve gained from a mentor in architecture/interior design?

“The best piece of advice I have gained from one of my mentors is that communication and clarification is key to successfully working through a project. There are numerous groups of people that can be working on a project all at once. It is important to try to keep everyone in the loop and on the same page.”

6. Tell us a little-known fact about architecture or interior design:

“How closely the two disciplines work together daily. Interior designers are consistently working with architects in every phase of the project. I feel like most people not in our field think they are more separate than they really are.”

7. What is the most important thing that you have learned throughout your internships?

 “It is so important to ask questions and take notes. I always seem to have a list of questions whether it’s about Revit, meetings, or construction on a job site. Thankfully, the team makes it easy to ask all of these questions. This plays into taking notes as well. I have a notebook dedicated to the “How To” questions I’ve asked. I will carry this into the rest of my college career to help guide me.”

8. Tell us what you find humor in during your day?

“I find my humor in the interactions that the team has each day! Whether this includes hearing a senior associate sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of his lungs, our team debating on whether cream cheese icing is good, or the Friday ping-pong competitions — all of these have left me with a laugh!”

9. Tell us about the friendships you have created with the other interns:

“All the interns always go grab lunch together — Pub Subs are our favorite! On Thursdays, we all do dinner and play pickleball, which has been such a fun tradition this summer. That social connection was something I’ll never forget.”