PRP Now! Tran Bich // Bjarke Ingles Group

PRP Now! aims to showcase the great experiences students encounter within the Professional Residency Program. PRP offers upper-level architecture students a unique opportunity to expand their education through work experience in the architectural profession. Over the past twenty years, our students have been linked with 260 firms in 29 countries.

We will feature a handful of students within each session, graduate and undergrad, domestic and international firms. PRP staff mostly recently had the pleasure to speak with Tran Le (M.Arch, '15 ) about her experience:

PRP: I understand that you are currently doing your PRP internship. Where are you working? 
I'm currently at BIG in NYC and I started back in May. 

PRP: Currently, what is on your desk? What are you working on?
I have a large pile of current and old markups of the CD set for the project I'm working on and I always have some sort of snack on my desk. I'm working on the Beach and Howe Vancouver House project; a 60,000 sq meter mixed-use project in Vancouver and we're currently in CD. There are three podium buildings and a 52 story residential tower; not a single floor plan is the same and the tower rises from a triangle to a rectangle. My main task is drawing out the details for our envelope architecture set. Additional tasks include coordination with the local architecture firm and consultants and various design studies that come up as we work through the buildings. 

PRP: What song best describes your work-style?
I usually don't listen to music while I work. 
 
PRP: What is the office atmosphere?
We have a very open studio atmosphere. Our office is casual and everyone is approachable. We bond in the kitchen every morning over bread and jam. There are no partitions between our work space so you become very friendly with the people around you. 

PRP: That sounds good. Are there any unusual traditions? Funny stories?
There are probably a few things that we do at BIG that would be considered unusual at other offices, but I'm so used to it now that it all seems normal. We like to have themed parties and that always leads to interesting stories.

PRP: What is the first thing you'll tell your classmates upon your return to UT?
I think I want to move back to New York when I graduate. I've had a great time at BIG and I really enjoyed the City. I didn't think I'd ever live in New York but I've loved every minute of it. My internship was better than I've ever imagined. The first thing a friend told me when I said I was coming to BIG was, "you're gonna be making a lot of models." Well turns out, I made zero models. My team has been great and I've learned so much, I've never worked at such a large scale and on such a complex project. It has been a very unique internship experience and I'm incredibly thankful. 

PRP: So, as your finishing up the week, what are your plans for this weekend?
It's my last week at BIG so there's a lot going on. My team has a team event, drinks with fellow BIGsters on my last day, brunch with friends on Saturday, and then a weekend trip to Virginia.