Say hello to Triad’s summer interns!

We have three interns who have joined us for the summer.  We recently asked what drew them to architecture, and to Triad, what do they want to get out of their internship, and what are their dreams for their futures?  Here are their responses – unique to them and to their perspectives!

Akeen Booker

I had a love for architecture before I knew what it was called. One of the first memories as a child was working with my grandfather on his retaining walls around his home. A much younger Akeen was glad to help but didn’t see the value in moving a rock from one pile to another slightly neater pile. Sweat in my eyes, the bugs in my ears, cramps in my hands, my grandfather could see my frustration. Working with his hands his whole life, he knew in that order to change what I perceived to be grueling work into an exciting activity, I needed a new perspective. Grabbing a brick, he pulled me aside and taught me a simple lesson that would eventually become one of my foundational design principles. “What is a brick?” Confused and now more annoyed by what seemed to be an arbitrary question, I looked at the brick, then back at him blankly. “You see all those little rocks?” Looking at the brick a bit closer, I saw the varied pieces of gravel; red, smooth, chalky pebbles next to glimmering sharp black specks – all buried in a sea of cement. “A brick is just a bunch of little rocks.” Now pointing at the half-built wall, “This is a brick and these,” now holding up the brick, “are the little rocks that hold it together.”

Each pebble is beautiful and complex, but a bunch of beautiful pebbles are just a pile of rocks until they are bound together. Only then can they become something more. That day my grandfather taught me the balance between beauty in small details, and the cohesiveness of the larger structure. Now that I am finally practicing architecture, I make sure to carry this lesson with me through every project. Every structure I design needs to be an embodiment of both the people that occupy it and the environment surrounding it, both built and natural.

Coming from a very large household, who moved all around Columbus, my family and I experienced first-hand how varied homes can be. It quickly became apparent whether a building was designed with its occupants in mind. The amount of daylight, the layout of rooms, and even materiality affected our daily perspectives, family communication, and our ability to interact with each other. My grandfather’s lesson, along with my lived experiences, carried me to my ultimate career goal of creating social housing that is more than a lifeless rectangle constructed without its residents in mind. I feel compelled to create housing with a soul that isn’t just another structure on another block, but a thoughtfully designed home for those often forgotten by our society.

This goal is massive – like a pebble attempting to be a retaining wall. However, just as my grandfather showed that a wall can only be made of many bricks bound together, this vision requires others as complex and beautiful as myself to unite in the common goal of improving lives through intentional design. My story is not unique. Hundreds of thousands of people in Columbus alone live this reality every day and are just as hungry for change. I chose to work with Triad Architects because they not only understand this principle and the fire behind it, but work to implement change into their projects. When I was brought on board I didn’t fade into the background, another speck in the structure, but was seen as an individual with a real story willing to learn and contribute to my dream profession. I thank Triad for this understanding and the opportunity to turn it outward. Now that I have a chance to see my dream through, all I need is time… and a few more pebbles.

Laiqa Gitosuputro

Hi, my name is Laiqa (like-uh) and I am a rising third year architecture student at OSU. The summer before my junior year, I attended CFAD’s architecture camp for high schoolers on scholarship which is where I found an interest in the field. That interest quickly turned into a passion, and I now find myself halfway through my undergraduate career and somehow, I’ve both absolutely loved it with my whole heart and despised it with my whole being. Despite these conflicting feelings, there’s nothing else I would rather be doing!

Honestly, I chose to come to Triad because I’ve come to really respect Brent, who played a pivotal role in my finding and pursuit of architecture because of his sponsorship and involvement with the camp, although I had no idea at the time of my attendance. Since then, I’ve been able to speak with him about underrepresentation of minorities and the systemic injustice that is still embedded in the quite elitist and white-male dominated field that is architecture; and how valuable different perspectives and views are in both education and the professional world.

At Triad, I know I’ll be surrounded by people whose values align with mine. I also know how important it is for me to be exposed to different sectors of architecture and the many things that aren’t taught in school. This is kind of broad, but I hope to one day be able to really make a positive impact on communities (without contributing to gentrification and redlining) while also becoming a respected individual in the profession. I also have a very vivid dream of owning my own land where I can have my own honeybees with a giant tortoise that roams said land, and a house that I preferably designed myself. But we shall see. In the meantime, I am very excited about my internship here at Triad!

Ana Bretscher

Hi, my name is Ana Bretscher and I have just started my first ever internship at Triad! I just completed my freshman year at Ohio State as an architecture major, and I am excited to continue to learn outside of the classroom.

I was first introduced to Triad when I was in 8^th grade. I shadowed Andrew Dodson, and through him, met Brent Foley. I stayed in touch with Brent throughout my time in the Architecture/Construction Management program that was offered through Gahanna Lincoln High School. During my senior year, I was fortunate enough to have two people from Triad mentor me and help me develop my senior project. I presented this project to a panel of professionals in the world of architecture and construction management, which included Brent! After all these experiences, I didn’t have to think twice about where I wanted to intern this summer.

Being able to have an internship after my first year of college is something I didn’t think possible, but I am determined to make the most of it. This internship will show me what it really means to be a professional in the world of architecture. My big dream is to become licensed, but it is through this opportunity that I will learn what that truly entails. I hope that through this profession I am able to help and inspire others.