The familiar sights and sounds of summer: waves crashing on the shore, birds chirping at the crack of dawn, toddlers giggling and skipping through the playground, swaying rocking chairs on porches, ice cold lemonade being stirred...and interns typing away at the keyboard or hastily running large format prints up and down the stairs?

Internships or co-ops provide a first-hand work experience, and enhance a student's academic/career/personal development. One of the recurring themes in any entry level job search is lack of experience - "Where do I get experience if no one is willing to hire me?" The answer lies in internships.

An internship at Frederick Fisher and Partners offers you the chance to learn by doing in a setting where you are supervised by a work-place professional and have the opportunity to achieve your own learning goals, without the responsibilities of being a permanent employee. At FF&P, we offer the opportunity for students to work with a team - people who aren’t just architects and designers, but mentors.

We asked our summer interns:

"What does an FF&P internship mean to you?"

Ada Luchao Wang (student, UCLA, Architecture & Urban Design) "The exciting part about working at FF&P is that everyone here cares about design. It is very nice to see all this creative work happening with deep thinking. And people here are not afraid to try different design methods and use different materials. Also, the team knows each other pretty well - they even hang out a lot after work. My favorite part is we have all kinds of activities happening every week, including an ice-cream challenge, Wellness Wednesdays, sport outings, construction site visits, talks and all the museum outings. I really love all these events and appreciate people who are organizing it. I learned a lot and will take my experience here as inspiration."

Tom Niu (student, UCLA, Architecture & Urban Design) "An internship at FF&P for me means to explore what my interests are in the professional world as I approach my last year of architecture education. It means very much to me building friendships and gaining mentors outside the sphere of graduate students and instructors. Most importantly, it is the experience of working in an intimate and closely knitted firm that makes me cherish this experience even more."

Kathryn Ahmanson (student, Claremont McKenna College, Art History and Art) "My internship at FF&P gives me the opportunity to learn about aspects of architecture that are not often discussed in school. While sitting in meetings I learn new terms and vocabulary, and working in the marketing department gives me some insight into the business side of architecture. This internship gives me a well-rounded perspective of the field, and I’m excited to continue to learn beyond the classroom."

Eric Lin (student, UCLA, Architecture & Urban Design) "The internship helps me gain efficiency in skills beyond what academia can provide, such as contract administration (CA) services. Moreover, my particular role with the Santa Monica City Services Building project allows me to be involved in the Living Building Challenge, one of the most progressive sustainable standards in architecture, and to be able to push it further by setting up a firm-wide material resource system."

Thank you to each of our interns this season!

If you are interested in an internship with FF&P, send an email and connect with us: info@fisherpartners.net. We look forward to hearing from you!

Who we want to work with - Each member of our talented studio brings a unique perspective, know-how, creativity, a love of learning, dedication, and enthusiasm to work every single day. We are looking for the best and the brightest - but not in the conventional sense. Although a passion for design and the architectural profession is a must, we seek team members and interns who are also innovative and full of new ideas, who aren't afraid to go out on a limb and try new things, who are adaptable and flexible, who take initiative and who will be our future leaders. Our firm culture is vibrant and enriched by projects we create. We collaborate with our clients and within our teams and encourage everyone to share their knowledge and ideas.