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NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

Although some minor things (like receiving the visa, finding a place to live, etc.) are still to be sorted out, I can happily announce where my journey will continue: In no other city than NEW YORK (…city)!

Whereas my first internship search was driven by two motivations – I wanted to start off in a renowned office and at the same time in a rather beautiful or interesting city in Europe – this time I had one explicit goal: I wanted to spend my North America – internship in NYC! Not only because visiting this amazing city has been on my bucket list for a very long time, but also because New York takes a leading innovational role in the American architecture scene with several world-renowned offices being located there. I am glad that it finally worked out.

Though it would have been awesome to work with one of these world-renowned firms, I am also looking forward to collaborating with Architecture Work Office for six months. They are a small studio founded in 2012, which has completed several interior projects and participates in interesting competitions. Coming from a well established firm, I am sure it will be very exciting for me to experience how a small office is working on getting their share.

I am already counting the days… See you in Big Apple!

I took this new chapter of the journey as an occasion to reorganize this blog: Now there is a NAVIGATION page, where you can sort the articles by location. Also I made the ABOUT section more understandable and added a FIND ME page.

SO HELSINKI IT IS!

I had never thought, that this traveling-working-adventure would turn out this difficult to organize! In the end I actually sent 121 (!) applications before I finally got a work placement. But let’s start from the beginning:

In the end of March I started planning the trip. I wanted to start in a European country because this makes many things easier like the visa, health care and of course the arrival. My wish was to start in either the UK or in Scandinavia. As my plan is to go to and work on every continent, I decided to apply for 3-months-internships only, which is a rather short period in my profession. This, plus the fact that I applied very short-dated (the ideal was to start in June already) made it seem very difficult to find a placement. Anyway, I started optimistically.

The optimism slowly faded away when the number of unsuccesful applications increased, while the days counted on. At least when June, the aimed start of the travel project, passed by without any change of the situation, scepticism almost dominated. I was already thinking about cancelling the whole thing and to continue the master’s program at the uni instead.

This was when one of the first studios that I applied to – which left me hanging with a “Maybe” since April – finally made up their mind and accepted me! I am very happy to say that I will start an internship at ALA Architects in Helsinki in August. It is a very innovative studio, focused on public buildings, which I was lucky to visit on a university excursion to Finland in 2015.

In this sense: Helsinki, täältä tullaan!

GUIDELINES

The original Walz was linked with strict rules. In this postmodern new interpretation of it, I reformulate these to my very personal guidelines:

3 years and 1 day

The minimum duration of the Walz was often two, but most often three years and one day. I don’t prescribe myself a minimum duration, but also strive for a time of two to three years. The exact duration will depend on the experiences, that I will gain, and the motivations, that will be driving me.

Distance to the Hometown

No travel destinations were prescribed at the Walz, but over the whole time it was forbidden to get closer to the hometown than 50km. I do not set myself this prohibition, but plan to gain the distance by traveling further. My goal is to visit at least one location on every continent.

5 Mark

At the Walz, every journeyman started with 5 Mark and had to return with the exact same amount of money. Today, under the changed circumstances, this extrema seems impossible. Nevertheless, I want to make the experience to live of my own professional work based on my studies, and therefore hope for a fair salary.

MOTIVATION

For centuries, craft has been connected with travelling: In the middle ages, seeking for work made craftsmen move from town to town. Guilds took up the heritage and prescribed apprentices a perennial journey – in Germany called “Walz” – after the completion of the formation. In this way, foreign places and cultures could be studied, experiences could be gained and new working techniques could be interchanged. The builder stood in this tradition as well. Until today, it is possible to read out of the magnificent gothic cathedrals on which ways styles and engineering achievements were carried around the world by travelling builders.

With the industrialization, craft was pushed aside by mass production in large parts. But craft is valuable! Through experience and expert knowledge, it accomplishes the unique connection of the technology with aesthetics. Its precision and perfection are guaranteeing continuous innovation.

These qualities apply in the same way to architecture and show without any doubts, where architects are rooted.

Simultaneously also the tradition of the journeyman years almost got lost. Today, sound and vision can be transmitted to world’s end in real-time while the collected knowledge of humanity is available anytime from any place. Therefore, a journey doesn’t seem to be necessary anymore. But right now, in this highly globalized world, it is as necessary as never before. If architects want to work worldwide, they have to understand the differences between the cultures! Moreover, innovation doesn’t take place in single strongholds nowadays, but everywhere.

Reflecting on all of this, in the end of my undergraduate studies in architecture, I took the decision to continue the tradition and go on a “Walz” as an architect!

Continue reading the GUIDELINES that I set myself.