The Intern Development Program is a recipe promoting the mixing of an individual aspect from a multitude of projects; this creates an intern that understands much about the ingredients, and nothing about the intricacies of synthesizing these pieces into a cohesive dish. The apprentice would be better suited to see a project through, from beginning to end, furthering the idea that the sum of its parts is much greater than that of its unassembled self. The suggestion must be made that in order to improve the development of new architects, they shall be required to follow at least one project from initial site visit to ribbon cutting. It would also be advantageous to insist that a minimum number of hours for each required portion of training be devoted to this project.

The result of today’s disjointed IDP experience is an intern that has worked on a small piece of several different buildings, and feels no real sense of ownership for any of them. The importance of feeling that a project could not have been completed in the same manner without his/her input is something that should not be dismissed. Working on a project intermittently reduces the contribution of an employee, and does not foster an emotional connection of any kind. An apprentice which understands the details of each phase of design, construction, and administration for a single project will become a more reliable, informed and successful architect
simply because they realize that the outcome is a reflection of their labor.

Invariably, the practice of architects will be an amalgam of design, construction details, and administrative responsibility occurring concurrently. However, the successful architect understands how to balance and prioritize this mixture by understanding the effect of a decision as it relates to each individual project. The intern tends to make decisions based on either an immediate looming deadline, or instruction from a supervisor without realizing its effect on the later stages of development. Having an intern follow the process of one project from start to finish will allow the intern to make informed decisions about future projects that save time, money, and frustration.

The scope of a project that an intern can complete need not be daunting. Something as small as an office renovation or an addition to a single family home would be enough to infuse the intern with a sense of ownership, an understanding of the process, and an appreciation for the role that a licensed architect needs to play. There can be standards for documenting this project and submitting it that are simple and straightforward. Furthermore, the units obtained in this fashion will be much more valuable than those acquired by simply doing what is prescribed by the Intern Development Program. By demanding that each intern complete and document a project in its entirety, the transition from education to practice will be virtually seamless.