PRP Now! Tim Petersen // Architecture Research Office

November 9, 2018
PRP Now! is a series of interviews that highlight a current UTSOA Professional Residency Program student every few weeks.
prpnow

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 undergraduate, domestic and international firms. PRP staff most recently had the pleasure to speak with Tim Petersen [M.Arch. '19] about his experience.

PRP: Tell us about your PRP firm. Where are you working?
I'm working at Architecture Research Office (ARO) in New York. They do a variety of projects and a mix of new and adaptive reuse projects.

PRP: Do you enjoy the city you’re working in? Favorite aspects?
I moved to New York, and It's quite a different experience compared to Austin. There's a scene for everyone, and there's plenty of events and happenings to keep me busy.

PRP: What is currently on your desk? What are you working on?
I'm currently working on a renovation for a school on Central Park West and another one in the Bronx, but I'll soon be switching to an office project.  Right now I'm modeling different iterations for the design of the corridor.  The school wants to modify their pedagogy to promote interdisciplinary learning.

PRP: Describe the firm culture? The office atmosphere?
Working at ARO has been a great experience especially in terms of firm culture.  The firm is managed well, and everyone has plenty to do without feeling overworked.  There's lots of collaboration especially with the partners and team members. There's also plenty of happy hours, and the firm participates in a lot of local events.

PRP: What is the first thing you'll tell your classmates upon your return to UT?
New York is the best, and hopefully, I'll be returning to ARO after graduation.

PRP: As you’re finishing up the week, what are your plans for this weekend?
I plan on meeting up with some friends and hitting the town, maybe a comedy show.  I typically try to squeeze in a museum and lots of naps.