PRP Now! Emma Martin // Chioco Design
Tell us about your PRP firm; where are you working?
I am working at Chioco Design here in Austin, TX! The firm is composed of 15 people, not including the many sweet dogs that join us in the office. It is located in East Austin on Cesar Chavez. The firm places strong emphasis on collaboration and contextual design. I have especially loved getting to learn about some of their work with adaptive reuse. A lot of UTSOA alumni work at Chioco which has been a great experience getting to ask them about their own career journeys following their education at UT.
Do you enjoy the city you are working in?
For PRP, I stayed here in Austin, and it has been such a great experience! I have been able to explore Austin in a new way, taking advantage of weekends and evenings to be a tourist in my own city. I also have loved getting to see Austin through a new lens. Going on site visits and learning about the site/project’s history has provided me with new contextual information that enriches my own Austin perspective. Working for a firm that emphasizes contextual design has challenged me to look at Austin as a site at the city scale, but also zoom in to the incredibly diverse array of neighborhoods, sites, and buildings that inform the design process.
What is currently on your desk? What are you working on?
Currently, I am working on presentation drawings for a handful of completed and almost completed projects. To my right, sits a stack of redlines for one of the presentation drawing sets. A model sits in the nook where I have been spending time constructing a 1/16” scale model of two projects that sit on adjacent sites. This model will provide a way to explore possible roof iterations for the project still in the early schematic design phase. It will also allow exploration of how the two buildings enter into discussion with one another. To my left I have a cappuccino (my morning routine consists of making a delicious cappuccino using the espresso machine in the breakroom). Lastly, there is a sticky note one of the sweet project designers left on my desk to say good morning. It is an incredibly welcoming and supportive environment here at Chioco Design.
Describe the firm culture. What is the office atmosphere?
In May, Chioco relocated from their previous office on East 11th Street to a new office (designed in-house) on Cesar Chavez. The building places importance on outdoor circulation and interaction between the diverse array of tenants; Chioco works out of one of the ground floor spaces. The new office promotes collaboration in its open central area, the “nook” as we call it provides great model making space, and the large conference room allows for exciting meetings to take place with a wide range of clients. Chioco design is composed of the most kind, supportive, and innovative people. So much amazing work takes place, but also so many laughs are had, and I know these are connections that will last after my time here.
What is the first thing you will tell your classmates when you return to UT?
To anyone considering PRP, or any internship, I would highly recommend asking questions during your time at the firm. I know this sounds cliche, but it makes such a difference. If you see a site visit coming up that interests you, ask if you can join! If you are learning a new modeling software, start a list of questions and schedule some time to get answers and suggestions. Are you interested in finishes and materials? Ask if you can come to product presentations. At first it is really intimidating to put yourself out there, but asking these questions enhances your experience greatly.
What are your plans for the weekend?
I have been fostering the sweetest dog the last couple weeks and he is getting adopted by his forever family on Saturday, so I will be seeing him off on Saturday morning. Afterwards, I will be continuing to get settled in my new apartment. I recently moved within Austin and am trying to make it feel more homey.
