Internship at Last

This morning I met with Stephen Smith, principal architect of Gilles Stransky Brems Smith in Salt Lake City. GSBS designed the new Merrill-Cazier Library on campus and he was here to take part in the dedication ceremony. On Wednesday he left a message on my cell phone asking me to meet him in the lobby at 9 a.m. He said, "I'll be the old guy in a suit and tie, not looking like a college student." Even with that description he wasn't that easy to spot. I had to make my way through the news crews and other dignitaries milling around. The lobby was full of men in suits, university staff setting up chairs and a podium, the cameraman and newsanchor from channel 13 I had seen on tv before I left home, and the usual milieu of students.

When I finally found him he invited me to the cafe and we sat down. Over a cup of coffee he looked through my resume and work samples, and then offered me an internship. He didn't ask many questions, just told me that he liked my work and my interest in sustainability. GSBS hopes to have half of their office LEED accredited by next fall. Every Monday they order pizza and have a LEED workshop for their employees. They haven't had an intern before so I'll be blazing new ground (no pressure there). I start the second week of May and will work until I leave for London in July. David Brems, the other principal I initially spoke with, is the 2006 Chair for AIA's Committee on Design.

This is where I will be:



GSBS is also known for:
The Olympic Speed Skating Oval
(one of the first 12 LEED certified buildings in the country)
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
South Town Expo Center
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield Headquarters
Salt Palace renovation and expansion
LDS Conference Center (consulting architects)

. . . and many other projects throughout Utah. I'm so excited to have this opportunity. Now I need to find an apartment in SLC.