Final Reflection

I have come so far and learned so much from this experience that I am sad to see its end nearing. When I first started working at Cox James Architects, I was so nervous and scared that I was going to mess up. Luckily my mentor is an excellent designer as well as an excellent communicator. He has been in the business for over thirty years and chose to teach me skills that they do not teach in design classes and give me experience in dealing with different types of clients, representatives from companies, balancing life, school, and work, finding inspiration, setting goals and deadlines and maintaining them, and gave me insider information that takes years of experience for a business owner to obtain and master. I feel extremely lucky to have had the chance to work with Brian and his associates. Everyone I met through him spoke very highly of him to me when he was out of the room and I have begun to look up to him as a role model. I too wish to own my own firm one day and I have witnessed the stressors and the benefits of one. I am more familiar with a sample material library and specific fabrics and their ideal applications. I know how to get locate representatives and schedule appointments for them to come out and update the sample libraries and can have a conversation about what makes their new products different from the others. I have agreed to return to the site once a week to keep up maintenance of the library and schedule the reps to come in after the internship hours are complete. I enjoy working in that environment and I consider it one of my hobbies now- I’m a designing librarian. I was able to work on a few high profile jobs and I assisted in fabric selection for furniture pieces, tile and wood selection, paint options and furniture styles. I helped with a nightclub/restaurant hybrid’s interior design, the executive offices of APS’s interiors, and a law firm in Phoenix’s interiors design schemes. These projects are about to go into construction and I cannot wait to watch their progress, see the problems they run into and how they solve them fast and cost effectively, and end result! Although this is just a starting point for me, I am excited and eager to learn more! 

Site Improvement

The past seven weeks have been filled with new experiences and learning opportunities. Since my mentor has been in the business for over thirty years, he has had time to smooth out bumps and implement strategies for solving common design and business problems that occur. The loss of his business partner of thirty years and current economic situation has forced the firm to downsize and my mentor has had to take on tasks that would normally be outsourced for time’s sake. Little things that would make the business run smoother have been neglected. Organization is what I see, as an outsider, as being a problem in the workplace and a stress factor especially before a big presentation. I have taken the liberty of re-organizing the library of materials and filing cabinets of plans for projects. By having a more organized workplace, my mentor and his staff member have mentioned several times how convenient it is to know where things are and have updated materials as options for projects without the worries of it not being in stock or discontinued which causes the design process to start over. They are good designers and know what they are looking for. Having updated options available makes for faster design processes and eliminates doubt. I also suggested a log that representatives from different suppliers must fill out when they come to update/re-stock materials in the library. The sheet asks for simple information such as representative’s names, phone number, what they did when they were there, and company name. This eliminates the need to remember by heart all of the people who have recently come, what they did, and who the current representative is in case of the need for immediate inquiry and/or information. Deadlines are crucial in this business and can determine whether or not the client wishes to continue their services with you or can depend on you in the future. My mentor has stated that it is hard to find time to do small tasks such as updating and remembering where things are and I feel that organization is key to allow a project to flow. After a project has been presented and executed, all the materials used in the presentation sit in a pile in their offices for months at a time and cannot be easily located for other projects. By implementing what I call the “go back bin” these materials are returned to their proper spots immediately after usage and eliminate unnecessary clutter from the office. After my internship hours have been completed, I have agreed to return to the office once a week to bring the “go back bins” to the library and put the plans into the proper piles to help them stay organized and on track with updates. 

Interview

 

Interview with Brian Cox, Architect and owner of Cox James Architects

 

 

1. Why did you decide to become an architect?
2. What types of challenges did you face in obtaining your degree?
3. What types of challenges did you come across in starting your own business?
4. How do you deal with the stress of meeting deadlines?
5. What type of clients are the most difficult to deal with?
6. Are there any internal politics that you encounter on projects? If so, what are they?
7. How well do you work with others? (Clients or co-workers)
8. How do you separate your personal life from your work life?
9. Do you enjoy working on group projects, or do you prefer to work on a project by yourself?
10. Can you describe your ideal work environment?
11. Do you think your personality helps or hinders your ability to communicate conflict resolutions with others?
12. How has your education and experience prepare you for your current job?
13. Whom do you model your work behavior after, or who do you respect the most?
14. Have you had a mentor? If so, did it work for you?
15. Is there advice you could share with me if I plan to open my own business in the future?

shadow

The day starts early at Cox James Architects. After arriving at 8:00am, I joined my mentor in his office and assisted him in preparing for a presentation to a client. The meeting was scheduled at 10:00am and we had been preparing for the past few weeks for it. There are always little kinks that need to be worked out no matter how much preparation you do and I learned that was true and stressful first hand. We rolled up blueprints and gathered textile samples, furniture choices, lighting options, flooring samples, and a model of the building and loaded them into the car. We met the owner of RnR in Scottsdale at his location and Brian, my mentor, preceded to propose his design for a new nightclub located on Camelback road called The Mint. After weeks of preparation and tough decision-making, I found it interesting that the meeting only lasted thirty minutes. Brian explained everything to the clients in a professional and cohesive manner with interjection from the client and the end result was a success. The client liked everything proposed and scheduled a time for his other business partners to meet with Brian to hear the proposal and receive approval. Once we returned back to the office we organized paperwork and blueprints to be sent to Phoenix to receive their approval of all the safety features and permits for the nightclub in order to start construction in September of this year. There is a lot of running around and approvals and rejections/revisions of plans. This is a several year process and I am lucky enough to have been involved in the exciting finalizations of the plans. We then made calls to companies to see how soon we could get some materials that are needed for initial construction such as lighting and flooring and talked to engineers about possibilities of proposed plans. There is a lot of back and forth decision making because it is hard to have one idea and have it be approved/well-received by over six different parties involved in the job. At lunch we discussed possible solutions to some of the minor problems we ran into throughout the day in regards to the design and once we returned we immediately started researching and requesting specks from companies to include in the budget. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that clients do not see, and in this case, we were dealing with a husband and wife with conflicting visions and tastes in style. This does not make our job any easier, but it is the nature of the business and having good people skills and being innovative and able to think on your toes is what gets you ahead. I am extremely thankful that I am learning from such an experienced and professional architect and he is teaching me a lot about how to deal with clients and close deals while keeping the job and schedule and creating an end product that people will enjoy and want to return to. 

Resume

Resume

E-mail Alicia.Dallstream@asu.edu   Alicia Dallstream   Objective     Seeking acceptance into the School of Global Sciences and Urban Planning Master’s Program at Arizona State University.   Education     Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies                                May 2010 Arizona State University Tempe, AZ n    Major:  Design Studies and Urban Planning Relevant Course Work n    Internship at Cox James Architects Tempe, AZ   Work experience     Apr. ‘10 – Present     Zuma Grill                                        Tempe, AZ Cocktail/Server n    Served food and beverage to customers n    Gave meal and site-seeing suggestions to guests. Nov. ‘05- Mar. ‘10    Harlow’s Café                                    Tempe, AZ Server n    Served food and beverage n    Provided costumer service

week 4

My applied studies relates to my future career in many ways. Although I work at an architecture firm, I do not want to become an architect. Instead, I would like to take the experience of observing how a small business operates daily. My goal is to own a unique type of design firm that encompasses many aspects of a design project from start to finish in one unit to avoid wasting time and losing money on jobs that go over schedule. I enjoy working at my site and when the internship is done, I plan on still working there once a week. I am very good at organizing and it helps me become more familiar with different types of materials and their applications. Sustainability is something I am interested in and my firm in the future will demand designs that won’t hurt the planet and wont make people feel uncomfortable or like they are missing out on quality design to help the planet. Many companies are coming out with “green” or “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” products and their representatives come into the firm to market and sell to the architects. The architects then try to pitch these new products to clients by incorporating them into their designs in unique ways. For me, listening to pitches for the representatives and seeing how the architect incorporates them into a design is a good way for me to get to know these materials and where they would be most useful. I am happy to have established such a good relationship with a highly respected local architect and this experience will help me reach my goal of owning and operating my own design firm in the future.  

week 3 Concepts

Sustainability is a relatively new term used in both planning and design that must incorporate three “E’s” in order to support life for the future. Environmental quality of life, equal opportunities, and economic vitality must be kept in mind when planning to design an object, building, or community under the theory of sustainable design/planning. In architecture, these concepts can be tricky to incorporate into an aesthetically pleasing design, but are not impossible. At my internship I have began to realize the stressors the three E’s can have on a proposed design when the client requests specific parts to look a different way. The architect must keep in mind the clients wishes while designing for vitality of planet in the future with respect to the building codes of the city and sustainable standards. The concept of zoning in urban planning and design also creates restrictions and challenges the designer must deal with. In order for the building to lawful under city codes, the architect must be familiar with the process of obtaining permits and legal documentation of approval or disproval of requests given the area. At my internship, there are binders and binders of codes and specific information is written out to avoid any confusion. Getting past the red tape takes a basic knowledge and understanding of these concepts. The architects do not have to memorize these codes for zoning, but instead know where to obtain the information to make proper design decisions and make the design process stay on schedule and go smoothly. Color theory is very important in design. Color can affect the way a person feels within a space and direct a person’s attention to the right places. At my internship I have noticed that the architect I am learning from is extremely good at choosing the right colors for the right space. You need to design a space that is useable as an architect but not all architects have the interior design eye as my mentor. It is what separates him from other architects, his careful attention to detail and completion of a space from outside to in. Less is more is a concept that originated during modernism. After the Second World War designers decided we needed to eliminate all unnecessary aspects of a design and boil it down to skin and bones. The more useless things you tack onto a design the less the design means in the end to a person because they are distracted from the purpose of the design. At my internship, afterthoughts are not part of the design process. The architects think every aspect of his design through and present a meaningful, clear-cut plan to the client. To avoid adding fillers and frills can take more time and planning but produces a more coherent and meaningful end product. 

week 2- Multi vs Interdisciplinary

At my internship there are multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary operations happening on a day-to-day basis. History, art, computers and communication are all separate fields of expertise but are combined in a multidisciplinary manner in order to execute solutions to design challenges and the daily operations of a business. The lead designer must know his history of design and the place in which he is designing for in order to create a functional space that meets the clients needs as well as fit into its surroundings. To convey the design to the clients, the designer must draw sketches to allow the client to see the vision. If the client cannot make sense of a sketch he or she will feel as if their needs are not being met and can choose to work with other designers for the project. Once the sketches are well received and agreed upon, the lead designer then translates the sketches into a computer program, CAD (computer aided drafting), which allows builders and engineers to see the fine details that the clients does not necessarily need to see or for that matter even understand. Communication is key during the entire process of executing a design. Communication between the client and designer: client stating the needs, architect understanding those needs and incorporating them into a design. Architect and the computer aided drafting person need to be able to communicate fine details such as specific heights, elevations, major and minor details. It is also important for the computer-aided drafts to be understandable for the builders, engineers, and other workers. So, through the combination of these separate branches of expertise, the architect is able to make the client happy. The architect operates in an interdisciplinary manner due to the fact that he is combining these multidisciplinary aspects into his job- architecture and communication. 

week 1 blog intro

My name is Alicia Dallstream and I am a senior. My concentration areas are design studies and urban planning. I have always loved design whether its interior, graphic, industrial, architecture, etc.. I just have always had a natural eye and passion for it. Urban planning, however, was an area of study I had no idea about until my sophomore year of college and I found it to be an extremely important topic to know about and incorporate into design in general. I am currently interning at a local architecture firm, Cox James Architects, in Tempe down the street from my house. I want to become familiar with how a business operates on a daily basis because I plan on owning my own, unique type of firm in the future. By getting to know materials, furniture and building techniques from organizing the material library I will have a better chance at being successful in my own firm in the future and be able to make conscious design decisions and know how it can/will effect the community in which it will be a part of. Community involvement in design planning is something I feel strongly about and feel that there is a lack of in many communities. I plan on networking while in my internship and meeting people I could work with or have work for me in the future. My goal is not to become an architect, but I see this opportunity as a great way to get my foot in the door!