PRP Now! Robbie Anderson // JAJA Architects

March 31, 2020
PRP Now! is a series of interviews that highlight a current UTSOA Professional Residency Program student every few weeks.
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PRP: Tell us about your PRP firm. Where are you working?
I’m working for JAJA Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark. They are a small firm of 14 people plus our office dog, Utzon. JAJA works on projects at a variety of scales from a small market pavilion to master planning communities. You might know them for their Park ‘N Play.

PRP: Do you enjoy the city you’re working in? Favorite aspects?
I’m in love with Copenhagen. The city is so full of life no matter the weather. If it’s 30 degrees and sunny everyone is out walking and cycling and if it’s cold and rainy you still see people having a drink on the lakes. There’s a more relaxed pace of life here and it’s been a nice change from school.

PRP: What is currently on your desk? What are you working on?
Usually I have hoards of trace paper, a coffee, test prints of plans and axonometric drawings, and a cookie on my desk, but I’m trying to keep a tighter ship as I’m working from my living room right now. I’m currently working on two projects: a master plan for a park system and harborfront community in Aalborg and a parking house the municipality wants to put in one of the parks, and an observation tower for a small town on the West Coast of Denmark.

PRP: Describe the firm culture? The office atmosphere?
JAJA is like a family. We eat lunch together every day (it’s catered!) and often have happy hours on Fridays. Interns are treated as equals and we’re given a lot of responsibility. Each team usually consists of an architect or two and an intern.


PRP: What is the first thing you'll tell your classmates upon your return to UT? 
Do PRP! It’s an amazing opportunity for many reasons, but I highly encourage everyone to use it as an opportunity for growth, and to see and experience something new that will inform your design thought. JAJA is an incredibly insightful team who respects the input of interns. Every project is truly a collaboration.

PRP: As you’re finishing up the week, what are your plans for this weekend?
Well, I was supposed to travel to Vienna this weekend (and Berlin last weekend) but I’ve unfortunately had to cancel due to COVID-19. I’ll likely go for a long walk around the Lakes and Kastellet and read in the sun, and maybe go for a bike ride to Jægersborg Dyrehave, a nature preserve north of Copenhagen.

PRP: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Participating in PRP abroad has been wonderful and while a bit more complicated it’s worth the experience. Huge thanks to Nichole, Charlton, Robin, and Dean Addington for helping me continue my residency in Denmark amidst our current crisis.