New & Familiar Faces!

We want to introduce a couple new & familiar faces!

Emily just graduated from Auburn with a Bachelors of Architecture and has joined us full time as a Graduate Architect.

Monique is wrapping up her Interior Design degree from Auburn and has returned to us as an Interior Design Intern.

We are so thrilled to have both Emily & Monique here – they have both brought a great energy & willingness to learn!

Get to Know Emily and Monique!

Emily Shirah

Hometown :  Mobile, AL

Education:  Auburn Architecture Spring 2020

What do you love about design/why did you want to study Architecture?   I love that design has the potential to create safe, warm and welcoming environments. I wanted to study architecture so that I can develop skills allowing me to bring vitality, hope, and beauty to otherwise desolate or neglected spaces of all scales. I like to see beauty and the potential for goodness in all circumstances- and I think design is a great vessel for practicing this.

What have you learned so far this summer?    Since working at BPA, I have picked up a lot of revit skills, and I have learned a lot about the “business side” of architecture.

Hobbies:  Hiking, fishing, meaningful late-night conversations around a campfire, volleyball, painting or creating artsy projects occasionally.

Monique Burton

Hometown :  Birmingham, AL

Education:  Auburn Interior Design Fall 2020

What do you love about design/why did you want to study Interior Design?   What I love about design is how it intertwines art and aesthetic with technicality and business. I always loved art growing up and wanted to be a business woman managing things. Interior design is the perfect blend of that!

What have you learned so far this summer?    So far I have learned a lot in Revit. We learned a little of Revit at Auburn, but being able to actually apply what I learned in school to my internship has helped me understand it better. Also, everyone at BPA is so helpful in teaching me how to use Revit

Hobbies:  My favorite hobby is painting! I have recently taken up sewing, especially while I was social distancing at home. I also love to buy and resell things online and in my community.

Tales of a summer internship

We’ve enjoyed having our Summer Architectural Intern with us from Kennesaw State University. 

Rafael is a rising Sophomore from Dalton,GA and he’s learned a lot during his first experience working in an architecture firm! We asked him to share some of the things he’s gleaned from his summer at BPA & share some fun facts about himself as well!

What made you want to study Architecture?

The humble lego.. along with my want to create & my drive to make the world a better place through the built environment.

What’s one of your favorite things about Birmingham?

I love the extensive natural parks system & the Botanical Gardens.

What’s something you’ve learned during your summer at BPA?

Everyone is useful & team coordination is everything.

What do you like to do in your free time/ what hobbies do you have?

I love to read, meditate, travel, explore new cities & places and museums of history & the arts. I also love watching Broadway, enjoying the symphony & orchestra, and playing brass instruments & music.

Who is your favorite Architect through history?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

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Goodluck to Rafael as he continues in his studies at KSU !

Meet our Summer Intern!

Get to Know Katherine! 

We're excited to have our Summer Interior Design Intern with us from Auburn University. 

Katherine is a Senior at Auburn & will be working in our Interior Design Studio this summer!

What’s one of your favorite things about Birmingham?

Birmingham is home. I have been born and raised here, and it is nice to come back to my roots. I love that my siblings work here, and that I am able to grab lunch with them or tour around parts of Birmingham that I never got to experience growing up.

What do you like to do in your free time/ what hobbies do you have?

In my free time I enjoy photography either with a client or just a friend that enjoys the same things I do. I finally graduated to a full frame camera this winter. I love crafting with my dad, antique shopping, hiking, reading, playing guitar, traveling, chasing sunsets (or sunrises), and spending quality time with friends and family.

What led you to pursue a career in design?

My dad is a huge reason why I decided to pursue design. Although he is medically-inclined I would always catch him sketching and drawing floor plans. When I asked why he would do that after working long hours at the hospital he would simply reply that it was therapeutic for him to create “beauty out of ashes.” It brought him joy to create and design spaces that he and others could enjoy. As I pursued this career, I’ve learned that it is about so much more than putting pillows on couches. It is about bringing life to things.

Fun Facts: I am the 4th out of 5 kids. I am quite the “adventure bug,” but I also find enjoyment in the small things. I have been bungee jumping and sky diving in New Zealand. I have lived in Italy for 3 months. I play guitar, and bonfires at sunset have to be one of my “love languages.”

Welcome our Fall Urban Studio Intern JD Duffie

We're excited to have our Fall Architectural Intern with us from Auburn University's Urban Studio. 

JD is a 5th year Architecture student from Lilburn, Georgia and will be with us for the Fall semester. 

Get to Know JD! 

Proper Name:     Jonathan David Duffie

What has been something fun that you’ve discovered about Birmingham so far? :     All the great walking-distance restaurants downtown

What’s one thing you’ve learned in Architecture school:     When faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem, just start drawing! 

If you could sit down and have coffee with an Architect living or dead who would it be?     King Solomon

What do you like to do in your free time/what hobbies do you have?     Reading, writing, drawing, watching my favorite teams play, having high-quality conversations, travelling, hiking, eating, drinking good beer, listening to excellent music, attempting to answer existential questions

Fun fact:     I’ve read 25 books so far this year
 

Welcoming Jennifer Smoke for the Summer!

We're happy to have Jennifer Smoke back with us this summer as an Architectural Intern! Jennifer is a rising 5th year at Auburn University and worked with us a few summers ago when she was a second year student. Jennifer is a native of Birmingham and loves being able to be a part of the great design going on in the city while she's home on summer break.

Fun Facts:

- Jennifer is a dance minor! And studies dance when she's not slaving away in the architecture studio. 

- Her default hair style is an afro! 

- She once worked at a sushi restaurant - so we will all be trying to glean sushi knowledge from her.  

Welcome back Jennifer! 

Auburn Internship Fair Recap

We had a great time at the Auburn University AIAS Internship Fair! The Auburn students brought their best, and we were definitely impressed! Those of you that interviewed with us had the opportunity to see some of our work through a virtual reality headset, and you were also entered in a drawing to win a virtual reality headset of your own. Congratulations to the giveaway winner, 4th year student Carley Chastain!

It was a pleasure to meet all of you. We wish you the best of luck on your studio projects and your futures!

Also, don't forget that we have another giveaway coming up on March 18th! More information can be found here: http://www.bpa.net/blog/2016/2/29/its-giveaway-time and our social media accounts.