One Day, One Job » architecture

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy

Willy Franzen — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:59:36 +0000

Yesterday I picked my parents up from the airport. Because of traffic, I ended up spending more time in the car to do a roundtrip of about 35 miles then than they spent on the plane flying from New York City to Chicago. It’s amazing how far we’ve come in terms of transportation over the course of human history, but we still have a long way to go. Society still has a ton to gain economically and environmentally through innovation in transportation. That’s why the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy exists. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that “works with cities worldwide to bring about sustainable transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of urban life.” They have offices in Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, so it’s clear that their mission is as much about international development as it is about transportation.

Transport Yourself

It’s easy to forget how much transportation affects nearly everything that we do. But when you see that ITDP’s six key issues are Climate Change, Urbanization, Poverty Alleviation, Road Safety, Health, and Air Pollution, you instantly realize just how many things are affected by transportation. ITDP’s biggest role is providing technical advice to cities on how they can improve themselves through transportation. To really get a sense of how ITDP is making the world a better place, you should read up on their work–they have some really interesting projects. If you’re excited about what you see, you should check out jobs at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. While they don’t have any positions that are perfectly suites for a new grad, it’s worth taking a look at the Administrative Assistant, Human Resources Associate, and Communications Officer (Guangzhou, China) positions. You could also try reaching out about an unlisted position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite mode of transportation?

Chicago History Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:20:57 +0000

I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.

Make Your Job Search History

The Chicago History Museum’s collection focuses on eight specific areas: Architecture, Archives and Manuscripts (including Audio), Books and other Published Materials, Costumes and Textiles, Decorative and Industrial Arts, Fine Arts, and Prints and Photographs. The scope of these collections is limited to items related to Living in the Metropolitan Area, Working in the Metropolitan Area, Governing the Metropolitan Area, The Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. Apparently it all adds up to more than 22 million documents and artifacts. If you want to learn more about the specific collections, you should start here. And if you find that Chicago history speaks to you, then you’ll want to take a look at the Chicago History Museum’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Computer Support Technician and a Collection Manager – Costume and Textile (requires M. A. in Costume History, Museum Studies (Costume/Textile), or related field). If neither of those positions interest you, you could also consider volunteering.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you into your city’s history?

Perkins+Will

Willy Franzen — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:25:29 +0000

Despite having a father who is an architect, I have to admit that my appreciation for architecture is quite basic. Except when my Dad drags me along, I don’t go out looking at buildings just for the fun of it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t notice things that are architecturally interesting. When I came across a link to some positions at Perkins+Will, the first thing that I did was look at their work. I was surprised by how many of their projects I’ve noticed and enjoyed. Just a few of them include the San Francisco Ferry Building, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and The Contemporaine (which is only a couple of blocks from me). And that’s just a small sampling of the work that the firm has done. Perkins+Will was started in Chicago, IL in 1935, but since then they’ve expanded to 23 offices across the world (including locations in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Dubai, UAE; Hartford, CT; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; London, UK; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Research Triangle Park, NC; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Shanghai, China; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; and Washington, DC.) I spent some time trying to figure out if they have an actual headquarters or main office, but I couldn’t come up with anything.

Where There’s a Will There’s a Way

Like I said before, I’m not much of an architectural critic. It definitely says something that Perkins+Will’s work caught my eye, but what’s more important is that they’re constantly getting recognition from big names in the industry. They’ve been ranked #1 Sustainable Design Firm and #2 overall in the “Architect 50″ by Architect magazine, #2 University Design Firm by Building Design+Construction, and #2 Interior Design Giant and one of the Most Admired firms by Interior Design. I’m even more impressed by the names that they’ve worked with, which include: Cornell University, Chicago O’ Hare International Airport, NASA, Mayo Clini, Stanford University, UCLA Medical Center, Perspectives Charter School, Crate & Barrel, and plenty more. If you want to get the full view of all of Perkins+Will’s noteworthy accomplishments, just check out their Press Kit. Anyway, if you love Perkins+Will’s work, then you have to check out their Careers page. Their current job listings include entry level positions like Architect I (Chicago, IL), Architect I (Seattle, WA), Graphic Designer (Dallas, TX), Interior Designer I (Glastonbury, CT), Interior Designer I (Washington, DC). That’s it for now, but I’m sure that they regularly have positions popping up all across the world.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Perkins+Will’s projects is your favorite?

Sapphos Environmental

Willy Franzen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:23:21 +0000

It used to be that if you wanted to build something, the hard part would be actually building it. These days the biggest hold up in construction and development is often environmental compliance. There are a multitude of regulations that limit what you can build, where you can build it, and how you can build it. The rules are often complex and they can vary greatly between jurisdictions. Sapphos Environmental is a Pasadena, CA based company that helps its clients resolve “planning, resource management, and environmental compliance issues through the development of pragmatic solutions and exemplary client service.” In other words they offer a range of services that ensure that development projects are done in an environmentally sensitive and compliant way.

Turning Compliance into Poetry

That maybe an odd heading, but it appears that Sapphos Environmental is named after an Ancient Greek poet. To get a feel for what the company does, you need to take a look at some of their past projects. They’ve worked on things ranging from the Hyundai Automotive Test Course to a Comprehensive Citywide Historic Survey of Santa Ana, CA. Looking at these cases, I can tell that Sapphos Environmental really digs in and looks at all of the issues surrounding a given project. Their job is to understand all of the factors that affect a given project, and then offer their clients a suite of options to their that work within the environmental and compliance constraints. It looks like fascinating work, which is why you may want to take a look at their Jobs page. They offer some really cool job titles like Archaeologist, Botanist, Avian Wildlife Biologist, Cultural Resources Coordinator/Architectural Historian, and Wildlife Biologist; however, most of these positions require significant prior experience. The two positions that you should look at are Wildlife Biologist/Botanist and Resources Specialist (if you have a Master’s Degree). If you have the right education and an interest in environmental consulting, you should be a good fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Sapphos Environmental?

Populous

Willy Franzen — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:50:28 +0000

I thought that I had already cherry picked most of the companies that are hiring from Fast Company‘s list of Most Innovative Companies, but there were a few that I chose to save for later. Populous is one of them. They’re a Kansas City based design firm (with offices in Brisbane, London, New York, Knoxville, Denver, Singapore, Nashville, Auckland, and Hong Kong) that specializes in “creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences.” I know that verbiage is a little flowery, so to put it more simply, Populous offers comprehensive design and architectural services that focus on major venues like sports stadiums, arenas, exhibition centers, and similar large spaces. They recently finished Target Field for the Minnesota Twins, and before that it was the new Yankee Stadium. I’ve seen the new Yankee Stadium in person, and it’s incredible. If you want to see more of Populous’ work, you can take a look at their Showcase and their projects list. There’s no way you won’t be impressed.

Populate Populous

Looking at Populous’ work is cool enough, but what really puts it in perspective is looking at their page called Populous By The Numbers. Here’s a quick rundown: $20 billion in projects; 1,000 projects completed; 510 million square feet of space designed; 24 Major League Baseball franchise clients; 30 NFL franchise clients; 500 employees; and 150 design awards. There’s no doubt that Populous is a leader in their space. Their work appears to go well beyond architecture and design, so I’d imagine that they offer all kinds of jobs; however, right now the options are pretty limited. Their Jobs page provides some simple application information along with a list of current US based opportunities. Right now the only entry level position is for Help Desk Administrator. If that’s not what you’re looking for, but you’re digging Populous, I recommend that you check out what kind of positions current employees have via LinkedIn, and then reach out to the HR team at Populous to inquire about future vacancies.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Pupulous’ stats is most impressive to you?

Rockwell Group

Willy Franzen — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:49:43 +0000

I’m still working through my favorites from Fast Company’s list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies,” and today we have a firm that came in #3 on their list for Design companies. It’s New York City’s Rockwell Group, which is the company behind my favorite airport terminal (jetBlue’s JFK Terminal 5) and many of Starwood’s hotels. They also did this year’s set for the Oscars and a groundbreaking playground in partnership with KaBOOM!. It may sound like they’re an architectural firm, but Rockwell Group is more than that—they also do product design and set design. It’s all about creating “immersive environments.” They even have a book entitled Pleasure: The Architecture and Design of Rockwell Group that showcases “the hotels, theaters, restaurants, stadiums, casinos and other public spaces created by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group.”

Do You Rockwell?

Rockwell Group is clearly at the very high end of design firms. They have worked on so many big name projects that it’s hard not to have seen some of their work in person. The only problem that I have with Rockwell Group’s “design” is that their website isn’t all that user friendly. It’s built in Flash, which means that I can’t link you straight to all of the interesting stuff on it. You’ll have to browse the site yourself by starting at the home page. Fortunately, the site is filled with great information on the company, so you’ll be able to get a really good feel for what they’re about and whether you might be a fit. Rockwell Group doesn’t list specific openings on their Jobs page (it’s titled Work For Us in the About dropdown), but they do say “if you are passionate, creative, smart, hardworking, and looking for your next challenge,” that they’d like to hear from you. They mention jobs like Architect, Interior Designer, Graphic Designer, Business Analyst, Set Designer, and Writer, so there seems to be something for everyone. You can apply for a position here.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

RockwellGroup.com

What have you heard about Rockwell Group?

National Building Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:10:38 +0000

For nearly as long as humans have been around, we’ve been building shelters—places to sleep, eat, work, and play. And nearly as long as we’ve been building shelters, we’ve been doing it artistically. Function is still our primary goal—it’s the reason that we build things, but it’s amazing how development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning come together as an essential part of human culture. The National Building Museum in Washington, DC was started to “advance the quality of the built environment by educating the public about its impact on people’s lives.” Yes, it’s a museum filled with artifacts and objects related to the history of buildings, but it’s more than that. It’s really about “fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics.”

Building Your Career

I’ve always had a special appreciation for buildings because they’ve fed me, clothed me, and educated me. My Dad is an architect, so artistically inspired structures pay the bills (or at least they did, now it’s helping people find jobs). If you have a passion for buildings, then a job with National Building Museum will lay the perfect foundation for your career. The National Building Museum Jobs page shows a number of opportunities that seem suitable for new grads. These include CityVision Team Leaders, Visitor Services Representative, Development Events Coordinator, and Membership Assistant. To apply for any of the jobs, send a cover letter, résumé, and salary history to recruitment@nbm.org with the job title in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Building Museum?

Public Architecture

Willy Franzen — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:14:16 +0000

As much as I should have a great appreciation for architecture because my father is an architect, but I must admit that I’m still not quite there yet. However, as a guy who occasionally builds websites, I fully appreciate “the practical problems of human interaction in the built environment.” That’s why I think that San Francisco based Public Architecture is a pretty cool non-profit. Their logo is their mission statement, and if the font is too small for you to read (ummm can we say problems of human interaction?), then here’s what they do: they put “the resources of architecture in the service of the public interest.” How do they do that? Through a method, a model, and motivation.

Jobs for the Public

This three-pronged approach allows Public Architecture to do some pretty cool things. They are able to take the economic constraints of good architecture out of the picture by using the funds they raise to support projects that they deem important. Their method also allows them to give direction to projects that would otherwise lack guidance (and funds). Finally, through their work they set an example that motivate other architects to commit to projects for the public good. One way that they do this is the 1% Project which “challenges architecture and design firms nationwide to pledge a minimum of 1% of their time to pro bono service.” Overall it’s a very cool non-profit, and certainly one that an architecturally minded new grad might want to work for. Although budding architects would probably be better off actually working at an architectural firm, this Operations Associate sounds like a pretty cool opportunity for other recent grads. They do want someone with at least a year of prior work experience, but I’m sure a couple internships should do. If you want to apply, “send your resume, a writing sample, and a cover letter that explains your interest and fit for the position by email to info@publicarchitecture.org with ‘Operations Associate Application’ as the subject of your email.” They’d prefer if you send it all as single PDF.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Public Architecture?

National Park Service

Willy Franzen — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:37:02 +0000

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays—not only because it signifies the start of summer, but also because I love small town patriotism. My hometown always has a fantastic parade that is often accompanied by a fighter jet fly over. Now, today’s employer may not immediately make you think of Memorial Day like last year’s did (it was Weber-Stephen, the manufacturer of my favorite charcoal grills), but you’ll realize pretty quickly why the National Park Service is a great choice for today. Not only are some of the parks that they manage great places to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend outdoors, but they’re also responsible for quite a few memorials including The Marine Corps War Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Korean War Veterans Memorial, and The World War II Memorial. Memorial Day is really about our fallen heroes, and the National Park Service is constantly working to honor them by maintaining and managing our memorials.

Celebrate Memorial Day All Year Long

If you love Memorial Day as much as I do, then a job with the National Park Service might be something worth thinking about. Whether you love the outdoors and want to be at Yosemite, love history and want to be at Lincoln’s Boyhood Home, or love our country and want to be at one of the memorials, you’ll have plenty of options. The NPS is constantly working to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” So, how do you land a job with them? You can start at the NPS Jobs page (it has some awesome photos from the 70s), but that will dump you into USAJobs.gov—use this link so that you only see jobs posted from the NPS. There are 163 jobs posted right now, and many of them are entry level, so we’re not going to wade through all of them for you, but you should know that the NPS typically hires in the following areas: Administration, Health and Safety, Archeology, History, Architecture, Human Resources, Biological Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Community Planning, Maintenance and Facility Management, Concessions, Natural Resources, Contracting, Park Police, Cultural Resources, Park Ranger (Protection), Engineering, Park Ranger (Interpretation), Financial Management, Park Site Interpretation, Firefighting, Physical Sciences, and Fire Management. That should help you direct your search on the USAJobs.gov site a little better. Applying for government jobs can be tricky, so be sure to pay very close attention to the details before you send in your application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite National Park/

Starwood

Willy Franzen — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:42:12 +0000

Having a girlfriend who is a consultant, I’m often subjected to hours of consultant-speak. It’s not really English, as it consists mostly of acronyms. One thing consultants seem to talk about a lot, even though they don’t have an acronym for it, is the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card. It’s apparently by far the best credit card for the consulting lifestyle (especially when you work for a firm that almost exclusively puts you up in Starwood hotels). Since I’ve been hearing the Starwood name a lot, and I’ve had a few people recommend their Jobs to me, I thought it was time to take a look at what kind of entry level jobs are available with one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies. In case you’re not familiar with the Starwood brand, they’re the company behind Sheraton, Four Points, aloft, W Hotels, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Element, Westin, and St. Regis. All of them are nice places to stay, and a few of them are about as trendy as you can get when it comes to hotels – check out aloft.

Be a Star at Starwood

Starwood gets hospitality. They also get entry level recruiting. They make it dead simple for college students and new grads to figure out how to land a job with them. They have a College Recruiting page that outlines the 4 ways of getting a job with Starwood. You can go through Campus Recruiting or apply online, and you can apply for their Management Training Program or opt for Direct Placement. The Management Training Program seems to be geared towards students who are graduating from hospitality programs, but that’s not explicitly stated as far as I can tell. The program lasts 6-18 months and concludes with placement as an Assistant Manager or Manager in the hotel where the trainee trained. Applications for the Management Training Program haven’t been opened yet, but they say that you will be able to apply online in early 2009. If you go to one of the schools on this list, you’re better off talking to your Career Services office about when Starwood will be on campus than waiting for the online application to be posted.

If the Management Training Program isn’t for you, there’s another option. You can check out Starwood’s Career Paths and apply for Direct Placement. You have to go through a general job search function where you can narrow down from the 1,650 jobs posted by location, hotel, or job title. This is the one area where Starwood’s Careers site stumbles a bit. The job search function isn’t very good. Unless you enter specific criteria, you’re going to be inundated with results that are going to be hard to scan. Still, if you want a job in a posh hotel in an exotic location, that’s the best way to find one.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you stayed at any Starwood Hotels?

Department of Veterans Affairs

Willy Franzen — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:52:48 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve featured any entry level government jobs, and with today’s being Veteran’s Day, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to take a look at what kind of jobs you can get at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Before you get in to job searching mode, though, go thank a veteran. If your grandfather served in World War II, give him a call and say thank you. Or if one of your buddies has served or is serving in Iraq, shoot him or her an e-mail stating your appreciation. And if any of you job searchers out there happen to be veterans, thank you from the One Day, One Job team. Now let’s get into what the VA is all about. There are 25 million veterans currently living in the United States and 70 million people who are “potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.” The VA is responsible for providing top-flight patient care and administering veterans’ benefits. Our vets have risked their lives to earn the services offered by the VA, so it’s important that the VA has a talented staff that is committed to providing top-flight “customer” service.

Thank a Vet by Working at the VA

If you remember any of our previous posts about jobs with the Federal Government (e.g. the US Forest Service), you’ll know that finding jobs with them isn’t as easy as it should be. That’s ok, because we’ll guide you through the process. You should probably start by checking out the VA’s page on Types of Careers. It has info on every type of job that they offer, and even includes some videos that show “A Day in the Life.” In fact, this area of the site is pretty simple to navigate, so you shouldn’t find it too hard to get a sense of what types of jobs might interest you – categories include Health Care, Business / Administration, Legal, Engineering / Architecture / Technical Support, and Specialized Skilled Occupations / Trades. The hard part is actually navigating through the job listings. For most jobs with the VA, you need to use the USAJOBS site to search for openings. (The exception is if you’re looking for jobs with the Veterans’ Health Administration.) From the USAJOBS site you can search by Agency, Occupation, Keyword, or Location. If you have found some positions that interest you on the Types of Careers page, then you can search for those jobs. If you haven’t, you might want to try using the keyword “entry.” It’s worked for us in the past, but it’s not 100% at finding entry level jobs. You can also try sorting the search results by salary and start from the bottom, which is almost certain to lead to jobs that require no experience. There are hundreds of jobs in locations all across the country, so we’re not going to list specific opportunities, but we will warn you that once you find jobs that look interesting and click on the links to their descriptions, be sure to notice the second row of tabs on the page. That’s where you can find all kinds of detailed information about the jobs and how to apply.

The VA does work in cities big and small, so there’s a strong likelihood that they have jobs near where you live. The application processes for all of these jobs are pretty intense, because that’s how the government likes to do things, so be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you thanked a veteran today?

Rumsey Engineers

Willy Franzen — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:26 +0000

My house in college was not energy efficient, unless you consider the heating system’s not working half the time a feature of design. The doors and windows all leaked cold air in the winter, and it was impossible to cool the house down below about 95 degrees in the summer. We even tried covering the windows in the winter for added insulation, but it didn’t help much. Our monthly heating bills were outrageous despite the fact that my roommates were cheap and insisted on turning the thermostat down below the point at which our landlord warned us that the pipes would freeze. Energy efficiency was clearly not a priority for whoever built our house, but if it had been they could have hired someone like Rumsey Engineers to design it.

An Environmentally Minded Company in the Bay Area? No Way!

If you were to start a company that offered green engineering services, where would you locate it? Probably ~~in an area with a lot of smug~~ somewhere that people are relatively well off and generally environmentally conscious. Well there’s no place that better fits that description that the San Francisco Bay Area, and that’s why Rumsey Engineers has located themselves in Oakland, CA. They are a company with a “passion for high performance, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning system designs.” So that’s what they design. It’s smart to follow your passions. Not only are energy efficient designs something that customers can feel good about, but they’re also a great response to rising energy costs. I’d certainly be considerably richer if my college living quarters hadn’t sucked up energy like a 3 hour lecture right after lunch.

They’re Hiring… Wait for It… Engineers

A quick look at Rumsey Engineers’ Careers page shows that all of their job listings require 2+ years experience. So why are we posting about them? Because companies often say things like “2 years experience” but really don’t mean them. This isn’t just some speculation on our part, for we’ve found these same jobs advertised on a college job board as entry-level. Rumsey is hiring new engineering graduates for jobs such as Energy Modeler, Energy Analyst, HVAC Design Engineer, and Plumbing Engineer. Rumsey Engineers prides itself on having a relaxed environment, but a high performance workplace. That sounds just right for a new grad from a top engineering program.

Resumes and cover letters can be sent to cbonner@rumseyengineers.com. Even if the positions listed don’t appeal to you, but you have an interest in green engineering or energy issues, they’d love to hear from you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How energy efficient are your living quarters? Has your college provided energy efficient housing, or are you stuck with a landlord who couldn’t care less? Leave a comment.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:00:20 +0000

On many college campuses there’s a constant battle between the old and the new. We’re not talking about Senior-Freshmen rivalries – that’s so high school. We’re talking about the state of constant construction that is as much a part of going to college as wearing flip flops in the shower. Administrators and trustees are left to decide whether it is better to make do with the quirky inadequacies of a building from a century ago, or to knock it down and build a new monstrosity in the latest architectural fashion. There is a fine balance that needs to be achieved between architectural and historic integrity and function. Unfortunately, it seems more and more common that campus decision-makers are deciding in favor of state of the art facilities built atop the graves of their obsolete predecessors (I guess you know what One Day, One Job’s stand on this issue is).

Although they don’t focus on college campuses, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization that is saving America’s diverse historic places through leadership, education, and advocacy. Just what many of our college campuses need! If you love history, architecture, and good taste, you might truly enjoy working for the National Trust. Their jobs are all over the place; you can be an interpreter at President Lincoln’s Cottage or an Accountant in their Community Investment Subsidiary. An Assistant Business Manager in the Center for Preservation Leadership or an IT Training & Staff Support Coordinator (the links to these jobs are now dead, for current opportunities visit the National Trust’s Careers page). The jobs get even more interesting as the experience level goes up. There are some really cool opportunities that require 3-5 years experience, which means you can either try to really impress them with your cover letter and resume or work your way up through the ranks.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has an excellent website with simple navigation and very clear job descriptions. Applying for a job is as easy as sending a cover letter and resume to a position-specific e-mail address. This is definitely an organization to keep a constant watch on. You never know what kind of opportunity will show up next on their jobs page.

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite historic building on your college’s campus? Leave a comment and tell us about it!

J.P. Franzen Associates Architects

Willy Franzen — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:00:46 +0000

Today we have our first One Day, One Job exclusive job posting. You won’t find this job anywhere else.

J.P. Franzen Associates Architects is a 10-person architectural design firm in Southport, CT. Jack Franzen, principal of J.P. Franzen Associates Architects, has built a strong local reputation by taking on a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Franzen is especially well known for his high-end, upscale home designs and his commitment to historic preservation projects. He is also a a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Franzen Architects is looking to hire an Intern Architect (intern has a different meaning in architecture) who is driven to become a licensed architect in the near future. This is not by definition an entry-level position, but for a skilled candidate exceptions will be made. At the very least, applicants should have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate architecture program and had summer experience at an architecture firm. To be considered for the position, it also essential that you are a CAD biathlete (fast and accurate). Working at Franzen Architects will provide a young architect with the opportunity to get hands-on experience with a variety of exciting projects, while at the same time offering mentorship from the firm’s experienced professionals. If you are serious about your passion for architecture and willing to push yourself for fast advancement, this is a great opportunity to become a key contributor in a small firm.

Franzen Architects offers exceptional benefits and compensation. Their office has a panoramic view of Southport Harbor and the multi-million dollar homes (some of which were designed by the firm) that line the shores. Southport, CT is a one-hour train ride from New York City, so a reverse commute is a definite possibility.

All interested applicants can send a cover letter and a resume to dfattibene@franzenarchitects.com.

Don’t bother trying to search for more info on J.P. Franzen Associates Architects, they don’t even have a website. Do read this article which quotes Jack Franzen on the Future of Architecture as a Profession.

UPDATE: If you’re looking for Southport architects, check out the website for J.P. Franzen Associates Architects.

Note: On April 21st we revisited entry-level jobs at J.P. Franzen Associates Architects.

WET Design

Willy Franzen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:00:12 +0000

As Derek Zoolander once said, “Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.” That should mean that WET Design employees work with beauty every day. Wet Design, located in Sun Valley, CA, specializes in the development and design of water features for architecture, landscape, and urban design. Water is a pretty versatile medium. Nature has done a hell of a job with it. Niagara Falls, Old Faithful, and the Pacific Ocean are all awe inspiring. WET Design hasn’t done too bad itself with the Bellagio, the Wynn Macau, and apparently the fountain scene from Blank Check.

WET Design is the industry leader in creating water-based environments and experiences, and they are looking for top performers to join their team. Unfortunately, WET Design’s website is a little hard to navigate and is lacking significant information about jobs at WET Design; however, we know they are recruiting at the entry-level because we spoke with one of their recruiters at the Cornell University Career Fair. Beyond jobs with WET Design, it appears that they are also hiring at WET Labs (an R&D facility to support their design projects) and WET Care (which maintains their installations). A list of current opportunities at WET Design can be found on their Careers Page or below:

Architect
Purchasing Director
Project Coordinator
Field Technician
Project Engineer
Computer Technician
Project Manager
Network Administrator
CAD for Archictecture
Consumer Product Engineer
CAD for Mechanical Engineering
Product Designer
Piping Designer
Mechanical Designer
Business Development
Product Engineer
PR Manager
R&D Technician
Film Designer
WET Care Technician
3D Animator
Graphic Designer Machinist
Electrical Technician

We’re not quite sure which of these are appropriate for a new graduate, but Wet Design accepts applications for unlisted positions as well. If you have a background in engineering or design, you should be just what they’re looking for. Start researching, and see what else you can find out about careers at WET Design or bite the bullet and send your resume to careers@wetdesign.com.

Note: On April 21st we revisited entry-level jobs at Wet Design.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

The Wet Design Home Page
The Wet Design Careers Page
Wet Design Employment Application (for candidates who have an interview scheduled)
Wet Design’s Portfolio
Photos of Wet Design Employees
Questions & Answers About Wet Design
Wet Design’s Philosophy

If you’ve got the scoop on WET Design, leave a comment. We’re especially interested in what their bathrooms look like.