Solid Objectives
A week after the Practice Preview experience and I wish I was back at SO-IL. Such a pivotal trip. This office was filled with such great and young talent, there was no way I wouldn’t walk away with new tricks and model making skills. Even though they were engulfed in the final weeks of a competition, feeling quite intimidated, I still felt apart of their project. 
(Above Image) Making 1/8th scale models to test out facades. 
(Above Image) Walking around Brooklyn with Pietro while carrying wood and twigs we found along the road. 
(Above Image) My last night at SO-IL and decided to take this awesome photo, half the office in it.
So glad to be apart of the Practice Preview group at the University of Kentucky College of Design. Extremely happy with what architecture firm I was chosen to do. The atmosphere and the people that made up SO-IL definitely struck more of an interest to further my skills as a designer and one day apply to SO-IL or other amazing firms like this one.
-Brittany Dingeldein
OLSON KUNDIG ARCHITECTS
The short week that I was at Olson Kundig Architects was a very enlighten and eye opening experience. Along with meeting many of the amazing individuals that work in the office, I was able to go on three site visits to high-end residential projects, as well as build a model for a new project in the office, the Center for Wooden Boats. With over 100 people working in the office, there was an amazing sense of community and family; everyone was always very excited about every project going on in the office. I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a participant in such an amazing experience; a special thanks to the College of Design and Olson Kundig Architects.
RYAN BASHORE
The second week that I got to stay and work at RUR was a week full of modeling. I was working specifically on the details in the structural planning of the new industry shell for the Taipei Music Center. I used a gig for the form and the members and after removing it I applied a metal mesh close to the scale of the desired look and sewed it with tools to form the shell. In all, the firm was so incredibly nice to me and pleasant to work with. I enjoyed every minute that I was able to spend time in the office and will hopefully be able to visit there again to see them working in competition phase. Above all I am so thankful for this opportunity to travel to NYC for my first time to go exploring and also to be able to work along side such skilled members of a well rounded team. Thank you to the UK College of Design, to all the employees at RUR, Jesse Reiser, and Nanako Umemoto for such a wonderful experience.
- Sarah Mohr -
Over the past week and a half, I have gotten to experience and learn so much here. I was able to work on three different projects at three different phases of development. The first, for a university, had me modeling a building and finding the best placement for program, and constructing a physical model which was a huge success during the client meeting. The second project, I was building foam models for the Santa Monica competition that the firm was shortlisted for. (One of the other firms being considered is OMA, where another Practice Previews student, Kendall Latham, was also working on the same project.) The third project, I helped render images for a new housing development in China. Although this started out a little rough, it actually ended up being really successful for both myself, and the firm. This has been a great trip, and I’m sad to say I have to leave tomorrow.
-Brandon Townsend-
The beginning of my final week at OMA has been very beneficial to my professional outlook as a designer. My team and I have been working incredibly hard in order to meet today’s deadline so our models and presentation can board a plane and journey to California in time for meetings and discussions before the competition. Although I haven’t slept much in the past 4 days, I feel so lucky to have been afforded this opportunity that has provided me me with a new, fast-paced level of both physical and conceptual development. Last night, my friend Simona and I cut and assembled a 1/64” plexiglass model which turned out great! I’ve made so many great, new friends and connections through this experience and will utilize them in the future when I begin my life as a professional designer. I’m really glad OMA has their own coffee/espresso machine.
Best,
Kendall
