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May we proudly present the Baskervill Class of ‘23: a cohort of aspiring young architects, engineers, and designers joining us as part of our dynamic summer internship program. As the summer draws to a close and they head back to class, we’re flipping through the pages of our metaphorical yearbook, reminiscing on the passionate pursuits, technical talents, and impressive impacts of these young minds. Hold onto your virtual cap and gown, we’re recounting the tales of the summer and crowning each unique experience with their own superlative.
Most Adventurous Explorer
“My favorite experience at Baskervill was a site visit to a renovation project in Maryland,” shared Vincent Fleming Jr., an architectural intern in our D.C. office. “I took measurements and records of existing elements to meet the client’s vision.”
Our summer program intentionally places interns in the middle of the action. We want them to see first-hand how ideas discussed in meetings and detailed in drawings become real spaces. The best way to do that? Site tours, of course. A rite of passage, site visits to active project construction sites are crucial means of assessing the design in the field. For our interns, it’s about more than just observation; we’re asking them to immerse themselves in every detail to gain an appreciation for the tangible outcomes of the documented vision. For some, it was the most thrilling part of their summer.
Orlando-based interior design intern, Cecily Dunlap, had a different kind of travel opportunity: a factory tour with Egger to learn how their luxury vinyl tile and thermally fused laminate is fabricated.
The Tech Junkie
It’s safe to say that architecture, design, and engineering students understand that a successful career in this industry isn’t paved solely with abstract creativity; it requires a solid foundation of technical prowess. But, for many of our interns, it wasn’t until working on client projects at Baskervill did they begin to feel equipped with the technical skills that bridge the gap between classroom theories and real-world applications. From the art of building information modeling (BIM) to navigating the complexities of mapping out floorplans with actual clients’ budgets, locations, and design constraints, there exists a seemingly endless pool of skills to obtain in the digital world of design. This summer, our interns practiced combining artistic vision with technical precision, with a heavy dose of hands-on mentorship from a host of seasoned designers.
“Even some of the mundane tasks that others might loath were still huge learning experiences for me,” said Gavin Carter, a Richmond-based architecture intern in our Civic & Cultural Studio, who felt equal parts excited and challenged by systems like Revit. “In school, we’re taught that Revit is nice, but it isn’t a great design tool. At Baskervill, I was taught a ton about how to use Revit properly which will definitely carry into my schoolwork.”
Best ‘Can’-Do Attitude
A more unique opportunity involved Baskervill’s Canstruction design. Canstruction is an annual, international fundraiser that raises money for local food banks by inviting teams to build themed structures made entirely from cans. Workplace interns Slade Woo and Gigi Satterwhite were tasked with designing five concepts based on this year’s theme: ancient architecture.
The Model Citizen
Civic & Cultural intern, Gavin, had the unique experience of building a physical model for an upcoming project – the new headquarters for Girls For A Change, a Central Virginia non-profit dedicated to inspiring confidence in young black girls through discovery and education in their communities.
“I was stoked when the team approached me and asked if I wanted to build a model,” Gavin explained. “They gave me a short brief and let me run with it.”
There was only one request: make the interior visible. In response, the two floors of this cardboard creation were built to be detachable, meaning it can be opened for a peek inside. The model came together around a field trip visit from Girls For A Change’s summer camp with the future users of the space (the girls themselves!), so the design needed to imbue the specific details needed to convey the building’s essence.
"I like to compare architecture to Legos, and we as architects are creating the instructions for a set of Legos, AKA the building. Model making requires problem solving on a similar, Lego-like scale but still informs you on so much of the design. You get to test out design elements with your own hands, informing how the designed elements all fit together.”
Life of The Party
All work and no play? Not around here. Collaboration and connection aren’t just buzzwords: they’re important cornerstones to work life at Baskervill. Engaging in a series of office-wide events from a welcome happy hours to a ‘National Ice Cream Month’ socials, our interns took an in-person approach to becoming more comfortable with each other and their Baskervill coworkers.
The group not only embraced these moments to harmonize with the collective energy of the team outside of the cubicle but also fostered connections to support their day-to-day interactions.
Richmond office intern Savanah Mullin summed it up, “my favorite experience here at Baskervill was building relationships with the other designers. They welcomed me with open arms and gave me great advice. I will miss the smiles and good mornings every day.”
The ‘Final Bow’
Created to drive collaboration between our Richmond-based interns across the wide range of departments they’re based in, a summer-long collaborative project and end-of-summer presentation is a staple of Baskervill’s summer experience. This year, we tasked them with reimagining the potential of a higher education building for a longstanding client. Combining resources from their unique skillsets and expertise, the group completed a study of a pre-existing building on campus. They engaged in design exercises to examine what this area of campus could use, gathered inspiration from AI, developed massing studies, and output a program for functionality. The final result? A one-of-a-kind building design envisioned to breathe new life into the campus space.
"From weekly intern meetings to frequent pin-ups with our design supervisors, it was an exciting and engaging process that allowed me to collaborate with interior designers and gave me a glimpse into planning a real project across disciplines at Baskervill.”
As we close the book on our 2023 summer internship experience, we send them off with high hopes for their successful futures and hope to stay in touch. With many of our current full-time employees (some of them principals!) having launched their Baskervill careers from internships, we have no doubt we’ll be seeing great things from this group for years to come.