Aleksandra Krupskaya -.
podcast #16 of the series "Foundations"
The episode and the entire series are also available on Soundcloud and Spotify:
In the sixteenth episode of the "Foundations" podcast, we recall the story of Aleksandra Krupska - a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at Bialystok University of Technology and Gdansk University of Technology, currently an architect at AP Wojciechowski Architekci office in the Tri-City. Ola talks about her two internship trips abroad to the Andres Perea Architecto office in Madrid, which she completed during her studies thanks to the Erasmus+ program.
How to find your dream internship abroad?
Aleksandra Krupska admits that the decision to go was partly the result of unfulfilled plans to go on a student exchange. Instead, she set her sights on an internship - and in Spain, where she could combine professional development with learning the language and experiencing a new culture. The process of finding a place took place... using Google. She searched for the best offices in Spain, sent her resume and portfolio, and the responses varied from refusals, to no response, to offers of cooperation
The office she ended up with was located in the first floor of the house of the main architect - Andres Perey. The small team and intimate atmosphere made her feel at ease there from the beginning. On the first day, she was invited to a shared meal, which helped her overcome her initial uncertainty about the language barrier.
everyday life in a Spanish office
The work at Andres Perea Architecto was varied - from redrawing hand-drawn sketches in AutoCAD, to 3D modeling and animation, to participating in acoustic studies of the amphitheater. Ola valued the close contact with the entire team and the opportunity to observe the work of more experienced architects. The office had a flexible daily rhythm - with a traditional two-hour siesta in the middle.
architecture and travel
Staying in Spain wasn't just about work. Ola traveled around the country, visiting, among other places, Galicia, where the entire office team participated in a visit to one of the projects. There were also social gatherings, shared dinners and exchanged culinary traditions between people from different countries.
Alexandra stresses that the internship in Madrid was a turning point in her career. She gained her first professional experience, learned the design process inside out, improved her language skills and became convinced that working as an architect is something she wants to grow in. As she says - this entry in her resume made her stand out from other candidates and helped her get her current job.
Aleksandra Skorupa
Maria Cipinska
Listen also to other podcasts
from the "Foundations" series:
10: Body, Material, Emotion. How does Mikołaj Hewelt design spaces that touch?
12. studying architecture in China - Aleksandra Debicka on living and studying in Guangzhou.
14. behind the scenes of design. Christina Vanhoof and Natalia Stefanska on interior architecture.
15. sun, architecture and studying in Spanish. Magdalena Lucka on studying architecture in Valencia
