Work Experience

Lifeguard Tower

Work Experience  |  Reed Holland Architects

This work experience has got to be one of the highlights of my life. The experience at Reed Holland Architects fully opened my eyes to the opportunities that the design industry has to offer.

At the age of fifteen, I was exposed to a full experience of what it’s like working in an office of architects and engineers. This opportunity allowed me to develop skills for working with new software, as well as to understand the fundamental aspects of managing a client project. During the week, I attended multiple client meetings where we discussed the progress of the project, as well as discussing what could be improved. This helped me understand how to negotiate and communicate with clients in a professional manner, understanding how to appropriately discuss and communicate an idea and the improvements it may require.

The project I took part in was based on the production of a new hotel facility; my job was to create a lifeguard station for the beach that the hotel provided. The architects gave me the brief and theme of the project, so my ideas and thoughts could be communicated and linked well with theirs. Other than the basic specification for this mini-project, I allowed my imagination to begin exploring how to create a modern but simplistic structure that communicated well with its environment. 

Overall, the outcome of this work experience was a fundamental part of my life, my decision was made… design was my passion. Whether my passion is architecture or interior design at this stage of my life, I take great pride in both disciplines, creating external structures and appearances, as well as furnishing and decorating a structures inner living space. This work experience still pursued the spark I held for architecture, but it also opened my eyes into the other aspects of which the design industry has to offer, interior design being one of my favourites.

Project Reference

“During her time in the office, Molly designed and modelled a lifeguard station and quickly proved herself to be both enthusiastic and highly capable.  She approached tasks with curiosity, confidence and a genuine interest in architecture.

Molly demonstrated real creative ability in her ideas and drawings, demonstrating a strong creative instinct for design, proportion and conceptual thinking. She also quickly grasped new software (SketchUp and Lumion) to generate high-quality images of her design project.

Beyond her creative skills, Molly was, quite simply, a pleasure to have around the studio. She was polite, reliable and engaged well with everyone in the practice. She listened carefully, took feedback on board and applied it thoughtfully, which is a valuable quality at any stage of architectural training.

Overall, Molly’s performance during the week strongly suggests that she has a natural aptitude for the world of architecture, and I have no doubt that she would do very well if she chose to pursue this path further.
I would, without any hesitation, happily recommend her for future study or work experience opportunities.”

David Drummond  |  Reed Holland Architects