Summer '12 Recap

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work as an "architectural intern" at Darien Lake Theme park about half hour outside Buffalo, NY thanks to my friend, Denver Sells, whom I met my first few weeks of Architecture school at Clemson University, whose father works as the Director of Maintenance at the park. Our main goal was to recreate the digital park map that had become an AutoCAD landfill. Everyone seemed to dump all of their highly detailed information into this file without attempting to correlate with anything else that was on the map. The file started out at 20 MB (which is absolutely monstrous) with over 650 layers (which is WAAAY too many) and by the time Denver and I were through, the file was down to a much more manageable 3.5 MB with about 55 layers. The file can now be used as a tool for master planning for the future of the park - buildings and landscape can now be easily be removed and new rides and shops can be added with ease.

As well, we had several remodeling projects that we completed; more or less. Each time we began a new project, we would first go out and measure the building and draw the floor plans in AutoCAD. From there, we consulted with Mr. Sells on how to best achieve the goals of the specific department whose building we were reorganizing. In each project, the major thing that we had to consider was how people were going to move through the space (an obvious but very much true fact). This being said, the spaces that we were to create had to have an easily understood and consistent flow about them – in other words, anyone who walks in the doors should know immediately where to go.

Once we got back to the motherland (being Travelers Rest), I hit the ground running, which is quite fine with me. My dad, a residential contractor and owner of Silvers Construction (Visit our Website!), had a few things for me to do once I returned home. Within a few days, I was back at it – meeting with clients and drawing an addition, a renovation, and a new garage. This was actually my favorite part of the summer – during this three week span, I decided to slow things down and concentrate on doing what I know how to do. Before this summer, the last month or so really, I had an utter distrust of myself with the field of architecture; nothing else, just this one aspect of my life. I think that I’ve finally learned to trust that I know what I’m doing – now I just have to do it.

The last bit of summer in the motherland, my father entrusted me with an addition for an older woman in town. He and I met the lady for the initial consultation, but after that, the project was pretty much mine! My father helped me draw up some initial options to play with, but it was up to me to meet with our client and ensure that she got exactly what she was looking for; it was up to me to ensure that the driving force behind our business, quality in customization, was held up throughout the entire project. I met with our client a few days before I left for Italy and we resolved a few small details. From there, I proceeded to draw up all of the necessary plans to have the project completed – an existing floor plan, a demo plan, a new floor plan, new foundation and roof plans, and elevations – and then I left them behind for my father to do his thing – give our client a price and have the project finally built. I feel as this project was my father trusting that I know what I’m doing – I’ve been around construction and remodeling my entire life and have seen it from the inside out.  I also cememted my trust in myself through the completion of this project – I realized that I understand more about the construction process than I had initially thought. I realize that this construction is an extremely difficult field to master and that years of experience lead to full understanding, but I think that I have enough of the basics to run with it, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.