Designing the Future – Spotlight on CO’s 2023 College Interns
By Lauren Coles
It is my belief that professional practice and work are the last teacher in any architect’s career, so internships should be considered an extension of one’s education. At CO Architects, we believe it is important for our interns to gain mentorship, skill development and lifelong career connections during their time with us.
The responsibility to mentor falls on each one of us. To provide this, CO's internship committee created a robust program that gives the interns hands-on experience on our projects, along with a series of "crash courses" and site visits, as well as in-house yoga, weekly in-office networking and events, and endless snacks. This year, we were excited to welcome Akira Maclin from Cal Poly Pomona, Austin Neuman from SCI-Arc, Daniela Liang from the University of Southern California, and Tao Chou from the University of Michigan. Their time with CO was a great success, but don't take my word for it, read more to hear their firsthand accounts!
Each intern was assigned to a project, gaining insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of an architect. They participated in team meetings and worked to meet project deadlines. We are thankful for all their help this summer and excited to see where the future takes them.
"It was insightful to see all the details and care that goes into designing spaces for people who might not be in the best situation. My favorite part was the MRI room, I thought it was cool how they made a separate floor slab on top of springs so the vibrations from the rest of the building didn’t affect the scan."
Akira Maclin, Bachelor of Architecture Student at California State PolytechnicUniversity, Pomona
"The tour was fascinating! I learned so much more about hospital design that I didn’t know before. I didn’t realize how much coordination it takes on the CO side of things to make sure all the hospital equipment has a place to go and a way to get to that place."
Austin Neumann, Master of Architecture Student at SCI-Arc
"I've learned a lot from everyone here and made so many memories with great people. The kindness and generosity everyone has shown me will always be a part of my memories from my time at CO. Thank you for providing such a great environment for a student to learn from: I'll be taking everything I've learned at CO with me on my final year of undergraduate studies!"
Daniela Liang, Bachelor of Architecture Student at University of Southern California
"I want to thank CO for providing me the opportunity to work here. The knowledge I've gained from working with all of you – the lessons, intern programs, and field trips – has been truly invaluable."
Tao Chou, Master of Architecture Student at University of Michigan
