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to life in sf
One of the greatest things about the field of architecture
is that there is so much variety within it. The size of
a firm and the types of projects they do are only a couple
of ways that firms can differ from each other. Interning
at BAR is unique, in that you can have many of these experiences
at once!
BAR is a large firm, with anywhere from 80 to 90 people.
However, the firm doesn't feel that large because of the
way it is divided up. Typically, the employees are divided
up into small project teams, where they follow a single
project from schematic design through construction administration.
With this firm structure, the seemingly large firm doesn't
seem that large after all. You get the experience of working
in a large office, but most of the time you work with
a small group. Personally, I have never felt "lost"
in a firm of this size. Most of the office has no partitions,
and this contributes to a very open feel, which encourages
discussion but also increases productivity. In addition
to the architects, designers, and draftspeople, BAR also
employs a technical staff that serves all of the project
teams, and this staff is made up of many people, including
executive assistants, a librarian, a professional photographer,
and an awesome IT staff. Another benefit of working for
such a large firm is the variety of people that work here,
from all different backgrounds. I have met people from
Australia, China, England, and also got to compare Cal
Poly's school
of architecture to others from the United States and the
world.
As for the type of projects that BAR does, they have done
almost everything. Whether your interests are single-family
residential or large scale commercial, you can get a feel
for all types by just taking a walk around the office.
Models, site plans, material samples, and renderings adorn
the walls and desks of the office, and they range from
wineries to large mixed-use commercial projects. Many
of their projects are in the Bay Area, but they have done
work throughout the United States, as well as Japan. Currently,
about half of their work consists of multi-family residential
projects. Although most of these are high-end, they also
do housing for students and for the elderly. A couple
of high-end single-family projects are also currently
on the boards, as well as a couple of interiors for stores
such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Crate and Barrel, and Jamba
Juice.
My advice to a student enrolled in architecture school
is to get experience in a firm like BAR. Since they don't
focus on just one type of building, the intern can get
exposure to a variety of different projects. This not
only helps for senior project ideas, but it also helps
you start to decide what you want to focus on after graduation.
-carrie baughn
