Last week the RDA team welcomed Victor, a student who had just completed his GCSE’s, for a week-long placement to gain work experience in architectural practice.
Victor worked on a range of tasks, including designing his own pavilion to be built in Russell Square Gardens, learnt how to use AutoCAD and SketchUp to model his designs, created a physical model and attended a site visit of a live project. The studio enjoyed having Victor here, and he gained some valuable experience in the architectural field.
Victor reflects on his experience at Rodic Davidson Architects.
“I gained a valuable insight into how an architectural practice functions day-to-day, including the design process, teamwork, and how different stages of a project are managed. I also developed practical skills through tasks like model-making, CAD work and research. I wanted to experience the reality of working in a professional studio environment, and to better understand what a career in architecture actually involves beyond the classroom. Throughout the week, I was involved in model-making, precedent research, and some CAD-based design tasks. I also sat in on team meetings and had the opportunity to join a site visit, which helped me understand how concepts are applied in real-world contexts. What I enjoyed most was getting to experience new software and tools used in the field, and gaining a clearer understanding of architecture through the day-to-day tasks. It was great to learn new things in a real working environment and get a feel for how the profession operates.”