The Winter Extern Experience
We believe in the power of collaboration—across teams, disciplines, and generations. This winter, our Norfolk and Richmond offices welcomed a dynamic group of University of Virginia and Virginia Tech students for a unique Externship experience.
For many of these students, it was their first foray into professional practice. We treated the experience as a comprehensive short course, guiding them through our work processes, business strategies, marketing approach, and the firm culture that defines us. By introducing them to our culture of partnership—across multiple offices, project teams, and specialty areas—they saw how each discipline shapes the collective whole.
Spanning two weeks, our program highlighted the broad spectrum of an architectural practice—from winning projects and managing client relationships to designing sustainable, community-centric spaces. We offered foundational overviews on everything from Building Information Modeling (BIM) to the business of architecture, then delved into locally focused projects. In Norfolk, students worked together to create a 3D-printed model of Atlantic Park and its surrounding context—a real-world assignment that brought to life the complexities of design and construction.
“The externship was a perfect introduction into what goes into projects and other functions around the office. I enjoyed going on the site visit—it brought reality to the project.”
- Chloe Kikstra, UVA Extern
“Much of my time during this winter internship has been dedicated to familiarizing myself with Atlantic Park and contributing to the development of a model for it. Visiting the site and witnessing the construction process firsthand has been invaluable, deepening my understanding of what it takes to bring a project of this scale to life."
- Matthew Watson, Virginia Tech W_Intern
We consider our externship program a doorway into the bigger picture—showing how a firm like ours operates day to day and how architecture shapes the world around us. We’re grateful to every student who joined us in Norfolk and Richmond this winter, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of mentorship and collaboration.
Interested in stepping into the studio next time? Stay tuned for more opportunities to join our growing community of future design leaders.
“I want to extend another huge thank you for opening your doors to me as an extern this week. This was my first experience in a firm, and I learned so much from all of you and the other externs. Thank you for investing in us!”
— Liv Quintero, UVA Extern
