Internships are a training phase where an individual becomes a part of an organization to learn and satisfy their qualifications in their respective fields. In any professional field, an internship is the most important step towards career growth. Internships are the first step to entering the professional world. In architecture, an internship is a mandatory step towards professional practice, hence they are a part of the academic year. Architectural internships give a deeper understanding of what architectural practice is about. It educates us about today’s whereabouts in the industry. Internships are also a medium to know about our interests and niche in the industry. Internships train us with a detailed understanding of practicality that was earlier taught in theory.
Growth: Personal and Professional
Since internships are very much mandatory and an important part of learning, it is beneficial if one changes their city during the internship period. Mostly the internship periods are not more than six months, which is a perfect amount of time for one to settle and experience a new culture altogether along with learning. As a student, shifting cities gives one a fresh new perspective and a better understanding of how to adapt to a new environment.
While learning the theory, one reads and researches a lot about other cities and their infrastructure, their functioning, their history, and their culture. Internships are the best opportunity to physically explore the city by being a part of it. Experiencing what you have already studied will forever stay in your memory. A new city brings a new perspective, a new culture, new languages, new traditions, new monuments, new history and stories, new infrastructure, new roads and modes of transport, new landmarks, new people, and a completely new routine altogether. When you change cities for an internship, your aim becomes to live like a local and not a tourist, hence your experiences are also completely different. The change in a geographic location brings a lot of differences in the way one adapts to the surrounding environment. It makes a person street smart and independent enough to be able to adapt and adjust to any situation thrown at them.
Exposure
Apart from personal growth and independence, changing cities for an internship also provides better learning opportunities in specific fields. It gives better exposure in the profession and ensures more involvement in the practice. One can learn a lot about the local techniques of construction, the local materials used, local contractors, the clients, the rate of construction and materials, the design requirements and standards, the new city regulations, and restrictions. For example, in Mumbai, the cost of construction would be approximately 2,500 – 3,000 per sq.ft depending on the locality. At the same time, in Goa, the cost of construction would be approximately 1,500-2,000 per sq.ft. In Mumbai, the conventional way to construct is R.C.C whereas in Goa one can experiment with Mangalore tiles and R.C.C, and in Ahmedabad, the usage of bricks is very common due to the suitable climatic conditions. With changing geography and climatic conditions, the building materials and construction techniques also change giving a better practical exposure. Changing cities for an internship will only benefit the students on a personal and academic level.
With new people, the requirements and way of working are also new. The change of city during an internship can help one explore architecture in numerous ways. One can also benefit by learning a specific topic of expertise in a specific city, for example, learning about sustainable architecture and innovation from Auroville, or urban planning and designing from Mumbai or Delhi. Changing cities for an internship brings clarity to the diverse branches of architecture – interiors, set designing, landscape architecture, urban planning, sustainability, commercial, residential, industrial, hospitality, healthcare, roads, and many more.
The Only Time to Explore: Internships
An internship is the only time where one can explore by changing cities. During an internship one does not have the responsibility to earn and take care of the finances, the only aim is to focus on learning, growing, and receiving the best expertise in the respective fields. One can also explore designing by learning about the process of designing and the methods applied by different famous architects from different cities. For example, B.V. Doshi in Ahmedabad focuses more on form and functionality while designing a structure at the same time, Charles Benninger from Pune focuses more on the construction and technicality of a structure. Different architects working in different cities involve the local elements of the city hence, working under them will not only ensure exploring their design process but also help explore the advantages and disadvantages of the city.
Internships bring a clear perception of what we draw on paper and how it transforms into a physical structure. They give technical and practical exposure beyond academics. Internships are a phase where you learn a lot and experience beyond education. Shifting cities will only benefit one holistically.
