Navigating the Path to Studio Gang: Internship Requirements and Insights

Studio Gang, a renowned architecture firm with offices in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, attracts numerous aspiring architects and designers. With a staff of just over 100, the firm is known for its innovative designs and commitment to fostering a collaborative and enriching work environment. This article delves into the internship requirements at Studio Gang, offering valuable insights for candidates seeking to join the firm.

What Studio Gang Looks For in Candidates

Design Principals Weston Walker and Juliane Wolf offer a glimpse into the firm's values and expectations. Studio Gang seeks individuals who are not only skilled but also passionate about their work and aligned with the firm's core values.

Passion and Alignment

During the interview process, Studio Gang aims to gauge a candidate's investment in the firm and its work. A genuine interest in the firm's projects and a clear understanding of its design approach are crucial. Candidates should articulate why they aspire to work at Studio Gang and how their values resonate with the firm's mission.

Diversity and Fresh Perspective

Studio Gang values diversity and seeks candidates who can contribute to and appreciate the diverse backgrounds, interests, skills, and education of its team. The firm looks for individuals who can offer a fresh perspective and strengthen the Studio as a whole.

Educational Background and Design Acumen

While a design background is definitely an asset, Studio Gang considers a range of disciplines, including architecture, interior design, urban design, engineering, landscape architecture, and graphic design. Even for positions that may not be entirely design-focused, a foundation in design principles is advantageous.

Read also: Breaking into LA Music

The Significance of Model Shops

Studio Gang considers its Model Shops "the heart of the studio," emphasizing the importance of physical models and mock-ups in their design process. These spaces are crucial to the firm's work culture for several reasons:

Exploration and Iteration

Physical models allow the team to explore each project's material, spatial, and formal qualities. Models are especially important during the conceptual and schematic design phases of projects and are primarily crafted by hand, which is the preferred method, in tandem with digital techniques, often incorporating diverse mediums and emerging technologies to help better understand the spaces they are designing. Rather than viewing models as static, finished products for presentation, Studio Gang considers them design tools. Their designs thrive by iteration and material experimentation, and modeling, especially by hand, allows them to explore and iterate different concepts and push and elevate their designs.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

Everyone in the Studio, from interns to principals, is trained to explore and experiment through modeling, which makes the Model Shops very social spaces that bring the whole Studio together. There are always multiple teams building models simultaneously, so it allows for an exchange of ideas and knowledge that makes the individual projects stronger.

Work-Life Balance and Studio Culture

Studio Gang recognizes the importance of work-life balance and strives to create a supportive environment for its employees.

Flexibility and Support

While architecture may demand occasional late nights due to deadlines, the firm works hard to achieve a work-life balance. Parents have a degree of flexibility with their schedules, and Studio Gang provides maternal, paternal, family, and medical leave.

Read also: Creativity and Innovation at ACU

Compensation and Time Off

In addition to paid time off, Studio Gang offers compensation days following big deadlines, as well as summer hours, which are designed to encourage team members to get out of the office and enjoy the city.

Social Events and Retreats

Studio Gang organizes various events like weekly yoga classes, studio-wide lunches, baseball games, canoe and camping trips, construction tours, and visits to material manufacturers, and each Friday they gather together prior to the end of the work day to relax, eat snacks, and socialize. They also have several all-studio retreats each year where they bring all three offices together and discuss the future of the Studio. One of their longest-standing office traditions is their annual retreat to Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where they camp, canoe, kayak, swim, learn new skills like weaving and whittling, cook, play, and relax together. They always invite a few guests to teach them about their field of expertise, for instance, ecology, physics, astronomy, foraging, baking, art, and literature, and they all gather together around the bonfire and just enjoy each other’s company.

Communications Internship: A Unique Opportunity

Studio Gang periodically seeks a Communications Intern to support its Marketing & Communications team, typically based in New York. This internship offers valuable training and exposure to the diverse range of business development and promotional initiatives undertaken by the Studio.

Responsibilities and Learning Opportunities

The Communications Intern will have the opportunity to learn how to engage with media, how to organize photo shoots and tours of projects, how to support leadership for speaking engagements and external events, and more. They will also learn how the work of architectural teams is translated into stories, data, and visual representations suitable for external use.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The role is ideal for individuals interested in working in the architectural field in a unique role that engages an interest in storytelling, graphic design, and writing.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Currently enrolled at an accredited university.
Strong organizational and management abilities, with a keen eye for detail.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work across multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop required.
Candidates with proficiency in French are strongly encouraged to apply.

Internship Program Details

The internship program is typically full-time, for example, from June 8 to August 14.

tags: #studio #gang #internship #requirements