Reflection: Patuxent Architects

Having the opportunity to intern with Patuxent Architects through the Community Mentorship program has provided me with valuable insight to what it would be like pursuing a career in architecture. My first day interning with Brent Hutchinson was honestly the most exciting; it was a day filled with various activities. The day started with a Town Center board meeting, which focused on architectural politics, followed by a hands-on measuring project for an enclosure for a pre-existing outdoor bar. Next, we visited a client's home to present them with another possible floor plan for a renovation that they desired to fix conceptual flaws they found with the existing building. I returned to Patuxent Architects once a week during the summer and completed in my first quarter of my senior year. During the other time I spent under the guidance of Brent Hutchinson I gamed experience with using the ArchiCad software and measuring my own home using a laser distance measure

. At times I felt discouraged about pursuing a career in architecture because of the laid-back atmosphere the office provided. Although at times I felt bored sitting at a computer screen for 8 hours a day, experiencing little interaction with others in the office, I realized that a firm with more coworkers would best suit me for the most productive working environment. My experience with working with Mr. Hutchinson was exceptional he provided me with insight on how he can to be an architect and his own business, various projects he has completed and the pros and cons of working in the industry with the effects of the economy.