From Student to JA Designer: Meet Jen Kriegel
/Editors Note: While preparing to introduce our readers to our current student interns, I couldn’t help but want to also introduce you to our employee Jen Kriegel. Jen’s unique story of studying at the University of Washington as well as abroad, earning dual masters degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and being hired as a full time JA designer post-graduation, deserves some special attention.
Jen Kriegel
You have a lot of education, including dual masters degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Do you intend to pursue both or stick with Architecture?
After four years of interning and full-time work in Architecture, I’ve realized I could not give it up entirely to work only in Landscape. That said, I hope to be able to bring more of my Landscape education into my work over time. Landscape Architecture is a very broad discipline, and there many ways to practice it – I do not think practicing this discipline necessarily means practicing at a Landscape dedicated firm.
Landscape Architecture can be a lot of things: most often people think of planting design, which is an important and exciting part of the discipline. However, it is also broader, systems based thinking – considering the impacts of your design beyond the site boundary. Landscape Architecture does not have a definitive beginning or end point, and the scale of the world between buildings means Landscape Architects often have a better understanding of a single site’s impacts on broader social, cultural and ecological systems. While I don’t want to work exclusively as Landscape Architect, I do want to bring the depth of research, design, and consideration to my work that is found in Landscape Architecture.
Architecture is a discipline where the more I learn, the more I discover how much I have left to learn.
Jen kriegel earned dual masters degrees from the university of washington in 2020
How long were you an intern at JA? What kept you coming back?
I worked at JA as an intern for three summers in a row, and I believe five quarters during school. Overall, I interned for three years off and on, but I always came back in the summer. I interned during my last two quarters of school, after which I rolled straight into full-time work.
I remember when we were finally told placements for the internship (all of the students look forward to this for most of the year), and together most of the cohort went to the websites of various firms to see what we were getting into. A few of us went on JA’s website together. When we clicked on the “Team” page and saw that there were dogs listed as team members, complete with photos and bios, everyone agreed these people must at least be nice.
It turned out to be absolutely true. Everyone at JA (including dogs) is not only kind, but easy to work with. The working environment is very respectful and pretty relaxed. JA is also a firm that supports young designers. They are willing to help people learn and give a lot of leeway to interns who have never done this before. Even within my first week I was given actual design and drafting tasks. It became clear after talking to other students about their internships that, generally, I was able to do a lot more architectural work than at other firms. One of the main reasons I came back was that I knew I would be able to do real work on real buildings, and that it would happen in a place with great people.
How did you find an internship opportunity at JA?
The UW has an internship program for its three-year graduate students. These are students who do not have an undergraduate degree from an accredited architecture program. After their first year of graduate school, their cohort is joined by two-year graduate students, who do have undergraduate degrees in architecture. The department has found that the experience gained during the internship helps bring the three-year students up to the same level as the incoming two-year students, which did seem to be the case.
The internships take place after the first year of graduate school is complete. Every student gets an internship. Professors place the students at firms which have volunteered to take interns. Students are not required to take the internship, but they are rarely turned down. In my internship year, JA volunteered to take an intern, and I was placed here.
“It became clear after talking to other students about their internships that, generally, I was able to do a lot more architectural work than at other firms.”
When did you realize you wanted to work at JA full time after graduation?
The realization that I wanted to stay at JA came over time, mostly as I heard stories of other interns and young designers. Their experiences were often rocky or unfulfilling, and as I entered my last quarters of grad school, I realized having a supportive environment as an emerging professional is extremely important. A major advantage at JA is that they want you to learn and are happy to teach you. Architecture is a discipline where the more I learn, the more I discover how much I have left to learn. I am working toward licensure, as well as generally understanding buildings better, and I know JA will support me in those pursuits, and help wherever they can.
What was the most surprising or valuable thing you’ve learned about this industry through this internship, that you can’t learn in school alone?
School is mostly about design thinking and concepts, so my first summer of working I was very surprised at how much time is spent reading codes – and how many there are (zoning, building, fire, accessibility, energy – the list goes on). We encountered them a bit in school, but obviously not to the same extent as in reality. On top of that, each municipality has different codes, so you will never be done reading them. They are typically written in legalese, so comprehending them is a skill in its own right. It is one of those things that takes a lot of time, you don’t get taught much about, and no one warns you will be part of the job. Unsurprisingly, designing a building in real life is far more complicated than in a university studio, but the pay off of seeing real buildings at the end is definitely worth it.
Do you have any advice for design students seeking internships?
I think people seeking out a design program should consider whether or not it has an internship placement program. I do not think it should be the deciding factor, as you can always find an internship on your own. However, the experience of an internship can be really important, and if the school helps you get it, it takes a lot of stress off. I honestly didn’t really think about the internship at UW, other than as a bonus, but it ended up being one of the most important parts of my education.
I didn’t really think about the internship at UW, but it ended up being one of the most important parts of my education.
As for seeking internships – go to portfolio reviews. Your school probably offers them, your local AIA may offer them, or you can ask a professor or friend. Portfolios are very important in design, so you want yours to look good. Portfolio reviews also help you practice talking about your work, which is often as important as the work itself.
And if you are thinking it will help to make a website, here is the best advice I ever got: Don’t make a website unless you are dedicated to keeping it up to date for the rest of your working life. A website is a design, and you are a designer. The trendy layout you make today could help get you a job tomorrow, but if you never change it, it will age your work and make you look out of touch a few years from now. A strong portfolio is more important.