My Internship with HKS Architects

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Name: Matheus Da Silveira

Hometown:  Sao Paulo – Brazil

Degree/Major: Interior Architecture

Where did you intern? What did you do there?

I’m intern at the HKS Architects and because I already have an architecture bachelor, I do all kind of work related with the field.

At my internship I work with different phases of the design project, from design concept to construction documents and client meetings.

How did you get your internship?

I got my internship after the first semester of Master’s degree program, after I build a solid contact network with the main leaders of the field in interest.

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process?

The advice that I have for the students that are beginning the internship process is be curious, be open for new point of views, be humble and be persistent.

What projects did you work on?

I work with the healthcare department and I did some interesting projects such as, children’s hospital, Micros hospital, Physiotherapy clinic and hospital renovation.

How did your internship connect back to your coursework?

I’m doing my Master’s in Interior Healthcare Architecture and my internship is at HKS’s healthcare department. What I’m studying directly apply at my work field.

What was the coolest thing about your internship or that happened during your internship?

Two interesting cases happened during my internship.

First, was the Pulse Night Club project. We did a conceptual design project in memory of the victims, survivors and families of the Pulse Night Club terrorist attack and we won an AIA Design awards for the design.

Second, this semester I’ll participate as a professor assistant at the interior health studio, that is going to happen once a week at the HKS Miami office.

What did you like most about your experience?

The nicest part of my internship experience was to travel to Jacksonville to receive the AIA Design Awards with my work team mates.

What did you learn about yourself?

I learned to be open to new challenges, to be a positive person and to never give up of my dream, if you try hard, good things will happen.

How did the position increase your professional confidence?

I believe that what makes me mover professional confidence is the trust that my co-workers have on my work, allowing me to have more freedom to create my own design ideas.

How did you expand your professional network?

I expand my professional network making as much contacts as possible, going to architecture events such the AIA health chapter, the Healthcare Design Expo, attending to the firm lunch and learns and getting connected to the main architectural events.

How did it help you prove yourself in the “real-world?”

Everyday I need to prove myself in the “real world”, especially because it gets more competitive every day, that’s why I see the internship as a “safe place”. The internship it is a place to learn from more experienced people, it is a place to test your skills and a place to share information, preparing you for what you are going to face after your degree.

Learn more about the healthcare design track here.

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