In the midst of our internship period, everyone took a day off from work to tour other firms in San Francisco and witness how they function. Each firm presented us with their current and most prominent projects, then we were taken on a tour around their office as we gained insight into their office culture and hiring process.

After meeting at the SF Ferry Building for breakfast and coffee, we walked through the magnificent Hyatt Regency lobby. We witnessed how the sharp slope of the building outside the hotel is experienced in the interior, the terracing horizontality of each of the floors inward giving the space a unique character. The glass elevators, massive fountain sculpture, and slit of skylight 17 floors up give the lobby almost a sci-fi feel, as if one were in a great spaceship.

We then headed to SOM to learn about their prominent and ongoing projects as well as see how their office is laid out. There are some incredible models of their work on display that we got to see, including one of The Cathedral of Christ the Light, a church in Oakland that finished construction in 2008.

After lunch in the plaza at Rincon Center, we headed to Studio Gang. We learned about their process of working with their other offices across the US, as well as some of the projects they are currently working on, including an extension of a university campus and a residential building in Mission Rock that is currently under construction. We even got to visit Mira—a 400ft twisting residential tower completed in 2020—which was just around the corner.

Following our visit to Studio Gang, we went to see WRNS Studio located around South Park. We got to hear about their work in architecture and urban planning, including some projects that are currently still under wraps. We even got to see their proposed design for the Salesforce Tower and Park, whose final design ultimately went to César Pelli. Their office takes up part of two separate floors, so it was interesting hearing about how they work together while being spread across.

Afterward, we made our way to Aidlin Darling Design. Their office is relatively small, similar to Studio Gang, and has a great cozy atmosphere. They had a great materials library at the back of the office that we were able to explore as well. Their many beautiful, crafted models on display were the topic of conversation as we were taken on a tour and discussed the projects they were created for, one of which being the Windhover Contemplative Center on Stanford University’s campus that we were to visit in the future.

Our last destination was David Baker Architects, an office located near South Park and hidden away among plenty of greenery. Their office space has a great industrial, eclectic atmosphere that was fun to explore. David Baker Architects does mostly affordable housing, and we got to learn a lot from their various works to apply to our own projects. One of the projects from which we learned more in-depth is La Fenix, an affordable housing complex on Mission completed in 2021, which many of us drew inspiration from for our own designs.

Although a long day of visiting many firms, we all learned a lot about how each office operates, from small-scale to large-scale. We were able to witness how each firm works around the new hybrid model, or if they are fully back in person. It was a great privilege to be able to learn about all the various projects that are in the works.

Special thanks to all the firms for having our class.