The Architectural Internship is a process in which the intern is required to complete certain, specific hours before that intern can evolve into an architect. The focus on completing these time requirements fails to encourage the intern to concentrate on the basic meaning of the design. This creates an internship in which there is no real focus or concentration on the actual impact of the design. Although the requirement of fulfilling specific hours is necessary for the internship, it stifles the intern’s development of his, or her, creative design growth.

As it is today, the intern collects units based on the amount of hours worked in a certain required division of the internship. The familiarity with the social driving forces of the project are not really considered or required. Take for instance the Construction documents division. The intern can fulfill the IDP requirements and not have a deeper understanding of the project other than its materials. The architectural intern is not focused on the way the design affects people’s lives or its influence on society. Rather, the architectural intern is focused on the quickest accumulation of units. This is partly due to the design of the architectural internship program. This problem can be addressed by adding a requirement for a journal or by enhancing the relationship between the intern and the mentor.

We can add to the internship program a requirement that each intern keep a journal in which the intern has the opportunity to investigate the impact of any project in a more sublime way. The intern would prepare a journal in which he/she deals with issues that can range from urban impact to personal experience. It could be a journal that is written in an investigative manner that will make interns analyze the profession as it parallels with social changes. This journal can be logged along with the required hours. The idea of requiring a journal along with the hour requirement should assist in the growth of the intern as a well-developed architect.

Another solution to the aforementioned problem is encouraging or requiring a more developed relationship between the intern and his, or her, mentor. The mentor can take time with the intern on a periodical basis in order to discuss the intern’s journal. This will enable the intern to ponder on the ideals of the architectural profession in addition to meeting the required hours. The mentor can evaluate and discuss the thoughts and ideals of the intern. This would advance the mentor-intern relationship into one of learning, understanding, growing and analyzing architectural designs and theories. This change in the mentor-intern relationship should assist in the growth of the intern into a well-developed architect.

The requirement of hours in an architectural internship is necessary and beneficial to the intern. However, the loss of focus on design and architectural growth by concentrating on mere numbers can be rectified by requiring a detailed journal along with the required hours or by enhancing the mentor-intern relationship into a more interactive relationship.