This week in ISM was been very time consuming and stressful, however, looking back on it, I now realize how much fun I had and how much I learned. I wasn't in class a lot this week, but I did learn a lot more about an architect's job. First of all, I had my first two interviews this week! Because both of them were in Dallas, which is an hour away, I missed a lot of school to have time to drive there. But, I think it was definitely worth it.
The first person I interviewed was an architect named Lloyd Lumpkins. I went into his office, asked him some questions, talked about his profession, and then I got to see his work area and recent projects he was working on. He showed me how he used his drawings and computer programs to design and build houses, and how he worked cooperatively with customers to give them what they wanted. This whole interview was so interesting to me because I got to see everything I wanted to, and more. The interview made me excited to start looking for possible mentors.
The next interview I conducted was an interview with an architect and interior designer, Poonam Patel. She also had started her own business, similar to Mr. Lumpkins, and was also located in Dallas. We met at a coffee shop to talk, which was nice because the atmosphere was quiet and it was easy to focus; however, I really would have liked to see her office, or where she worked to get a better understanding of her job. Although this interview was shorter than the last one, we did talk about mant things, and I started to notice similarities and differences between the two architects and how they perceived the job itself.
Overall, I feel like this week, while mostly consisting of interviews, went very well. I definitely loved learning a lot about architecture from first hand sources and I hope to schedule another interview or two in the near future.