The purpose of an architectural internship is to structure the transition between formal education and architectural licensing. As the building enterprise becomes more complex and as school curricula become more academic, the gap between the two is widening. This gap reflects conflicting design philosophies; in school, design is a process of understanding, whereas at work, it is a means to an end. While a students design is entirely his, in the real world design is at the mercy of forces outside the architect’s control. I learned this lesson recently when I went through plan check for the restoration of a 1912 Craftsman home. In my attempt to get approval from the Los Angles Fire Department (LAFD), I was appalled to learn that the LAFD wanted to destroy historic wooden floor to meet building code. Although I understand that safety concerns are more life-threatening than preservation issues, I cringe at the thought of being so disrespectful to the past. This experience taught me that although a strong architectural education is necessary, it is imperative that students learn practical skills early in their careers.

Since I firmly believe in a teaching approach where one learns by doing, I think schools should make internships a mandatory part of the curriculum. No matter how practical a university course might be, it is still a simulation of the actual practice and some elements receive more emphasis depending on the agenda of the instructor. Schools should therefore send students out to the real world, rather than bring more practical aspects into the university. It is important that students learn practical skills early, for the architect’s role in modern society is becoming increasingly complex. Today’s architect, for example, must adapt to new tools, technologies, and materials as well as, focus on new issues such as sustainability and energy efficiency. Architects today are also more socially and culturally responsible than ever before. It is only since the creation of the Community Design Centers in the 1960s, that architects have worked to solve urban problems, such as a freeway being built through a low-income residential neighborhood. The existence of a market for non-profit design services has created this relatively new field of architecture. Internships will therefore provide an early insight into the complexities of the architecture profession.

Thus, an architectural internship must make the intern understand the monumental effort that goes into real world design. The intern must learn to understand the details that make the whole, and to understand that a design gets built through the interactions of various agencies and consultants. Ideally, interns should learn to think more critically of their surroundings and of their place in the world. Developing this level of understanding is the first and most important step required to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving society.