Lauren, Class of 2020, is studying architecture at the University of Cincinnati.

Q: How would you describe the culture at Hutker?

A: I would describe the culture as relaxed and laid back which is important in the office. It’s also inviting and it’s really easy to talk to everyone and approach people to ask questions which is also really important, especially for an intern.

Q: How did you find this internship and why did you choose Hutker?

A: I was interested in residential architecture; specifically, custom architecture and my school had a list of architectural firms that they suggested for students to intern at. Mark went to the University of Cincinnati and still has a good relationship with them, so Hutker has always been on my radar.

Q: How did this internship match your expectations?

A: I feel like it matched my expectations. This internship was very hands-on, and I did a lot of presentation drawings and sketch-up modeling which is what I was expecting to do.

Q: What was the most beneficial experience or your favorite project for you at HA?

A: This is my second internship at Hutker and during my first one, I was working on a lot of random one day projects. This summer I’ve mainly been working on one project, so I appreciate being able to see it from the beginning stages to where it is now. It’s been a really rewarding experience.

Q: What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced while you were interning?

A: I would say learning the standards of how things are done and adjusting to that has been challenging. For example, in SketchUp I had to learn how to correctly build and draw everything to HA’s standards because everywhere you go, they’re going to do it a little bit differently.

Q: Based on your experience, what do you think it takes to be successful at HA?

A: I think it takes being willing to immerse yourself and work on the things that you haven’t before. One day,  I was looking for something to do and Erin asked me if I knew how to note details which I didn’t at the time, but she gave me an example and I was able to figure it out from that. It’s a lot of trial and error and because there is so much to learn in architecture, you should always try and do the things you don’t know how to.

Q: Do you feel more prepared to enter the field of design after spending your internship with Hutker?

A: Definitely. At my school they don’t teach you some of the things I’ve learned here like how to do construction drawings and how to set up interior and exterior and exterior elevation plans. It’s real life experience and because of that, I feel more comfortable being able to produce those drawings.

Q: What is your favorite part about living on Cape Cod?

A: I love being close to the beach. Ohio doesn’t have beaches, so it’s been really nice being only 20 minutes away from one.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do during your time off?

A: I love driving down Cape and going to new places like in the Dennis and Orleans area. The other day I went to the National Sea Shore. I also like being able to go over to the Vineyard, even just for the weekend because it’s so different from being on the Cape.

Q: If you were to give an incoming HA intern any advice, what would it be?

A: Kind of what I said before, just not to be afraid to ask questions and try the things that you don’t know how to do. You’ll figure it out and if you don’t, everyone is more than willing to help you out. I would also say to not be intimidated. Office culture can seem like its highly stressful and demanding but it’s not like that at all here.

Q: Do you think you’ve changed since the beginning of the internship?

A: I definitely have changed, especially since I’ve done two internships here. Everything I’ve learned about architecture I’ve pretty much learned here. I’ve changed both professionally and personally. I’ve gained a lot of inspiration looking at Jim’s models and being around people I look up to.