RODE Architects Internship Work RODEArchitects t

What can be learned from new projects, new people and a new environment?

July 2021 - December 2021 / Project Architects: Ruthie Kuhlman and Amanda Sanders

My second co-op experience exposed me to more new construction and larger, more complex projects at a young and rapidly growing small-tomidsize firm in Boston.

At RODE, I learned about designing at various scales, from specifying bathroom accessories for interiors to massing studies and what goes into managing the largest project team in the office’s history.

Working on new construction was a welcome challenge. Contrasting with my previous co-op, I dealt with more coordination with structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical drawings and engineers for unit layouts. I also collaborated with the inhouse interiors team on drawings and modeling for units and amenity spaces.

I spent more time on fewer projects, which gave me more insight into how one project changes over time, as well as the ability to focus on different attributes and components within the same project.

1515 Commonwealth Avenue is the largest project I’ve worked on yet. Being put on this project just before the 50% construction document deadline was daunting.

Despite this, I quickly found my place aiding in managing the unit layouts and coordination and helping with interior renderings. I made changes to update exterior window families and organized specification spreadsheets for the interiors team, as well as made a detailed panel schedule for the exteriors team.

On the 282 Bremen Street team I was able to transfer everything I had learned from 1515 and apply it to a smaller scale multifamily apartment. I was primarily in charge of units sheets, reading electrical and plumbing plans to coordinate pipe, switch and outlet locations. Additionally, I spent a great deal of time working closely with the interiors team on plans, elevations, and reflected ceiling plans for amenity spaces. I was in charge of modeling the steel and glass partitions in amenity spaces and ensuring they were reflected accurately in the elevations and plans.

This addition to an existing historic Harvard building was located on a very small and irregular site. The challenge to bring the building up to code. A series of massing studies attempted to reconcile these needs while also appealing to the history of the building and the building technologies of the present.