1. SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2009 John Maxson ‘10

2. O’Riordan Migani Architects It is a small firm run by Joan O’Riordan and Joseph Migani. We mostly deal with smaller projects through cities or housing authorities. Hard work is expected, but the office atmosphere remains laid-back.

3. Work Environment I worked closely with both partners; each had different assignments to give me. Joe left in the middle of the summer, so nearly all of my work came from Joan from then on. There was one other intern working for most of the summer, along with Joe and Joan’s daughter, Pia, and their son, Aidan.

4. Monroe Elementary Project My first major project was the Monroe Elementary Gymnasium Renovation where the client wanted wall pads to be placed on the gym walls. I was put in charge of creating a bid set of drawings, that is, elevations and sections to send to contractors. I worked closely with Joe to annotate and complete these drawings.

5. Monroe Elementary Project The second stage of the Monroe El. Project was a boys’ and girls’ lavatory renovation. Again I made a bid set to renovate two bathrooms, including new wall tile, toilets, stalls, and sinks. I searched for and specified what products should be used.

6. Other Assignments Other projects involved fixing field sketches and completing base drawings on AutoCAD, visiting sites and taking field measurements, making deliveries, putting together project sets, and organizing the office. I would usually work on my own after being given an assignment, only meeting with Joe or Joan to discuss what I needed to change or improve something I had done. We worked as a team when it was required, like taking field measurements at a site visit.

7. Skills Learned I honed computer drafting skills by using AutoCAD daily. I also learned a great deal about the construction process and what precautions an architect needs to take to make sure the contractor understands everything that needs to be done. I worked best and enjoyed work when I was in control of what needed to be done and a deadline was looming.

8. Reflections I would have liked more experience on a job-site; it was originally planned at the start of the internship, but funding was delayed and construction on a large project was not started in time. Because of the small size of the firm, there is a lot of one-on-one time with the project architects where they can impart their wisdom. I would recommend working here to a student who was already interested in going on to architecture school in the future; the small size of the firm allows for a lot of opportunity to do a wide range of tasks.

9. Contact Information O’Riordan Migani Architects LLC 22 Bank Street Seymour, CT 06483 P203.888.7667 F203.881-0863 Joan O’Riordan jor@omarchitects.com Joseph Migani jcm@omarchitects.com