Being a trainee at JPDA

This picture was taken after a JPDA team lunch at Brooklyn Historical Society building.

I started working at Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, in Brooklyn, on February 19^th, 2019. I arrived at the studio and one of the studio’s project manager Marijke was waiting for me. At first, she showed me our working area and we talked a bit about the firm’s approach and methodology. Once my employer, Jordan, arrived we had a staff meeting where he introduced me to the company philosophy, the current projects, and the studio’s aesthetics. At the end of the meeting, I had a brief idea of the project’s organization and office procedures.

My first task at JPDA was to pick up redline corrections of the construction drawings for the Manhattan Criminal Court’s public restrooms project. The objective of this project involves the renovation/alteration and accessibility upgrade of the restrooms on the 16floors of the building. When I started at JPDA, they were on the final step of the project which is the definition of the layouts for the restrooms. My task was to update the elevations and the reflected ceiling plans.

The next day, we had our first marketing meeting with staff only to talk about social media content, website updates, conferences, and market research. This happens once in a week, usually on Wednesday and until each meeting we have to think about a subject that would be interesting to post on social media. We also have to make some market research before, which consists of contacting sustainability firms to explore the possibility of future collaborations.

At the end of the first week, I finished my tasks and started a new one: updating the 3d models and making renderings of the Manhattan Criminal Court’s restrooms. Since then, I had to develop some graphic design and material boards for the presentations, to participate in the development of preliminary layouts and design schemes for projects and also to read construction drawings and documents.

This is my 4th week at JPDA. Although it is not easy to start working at a new architecture office in a foreign country, I think my aim of learning different concepts and improving myself as an architect is going to be fulfilled at the end of this experience.