Architecture student interns with Renzo Piano in Paris

By Andrea Perez

Earlier this semester, Camila Lohezic, a fourth year FIU architecture student, received a once in a lifetime opportunity to intern with Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), a highly-acclaimed, international architecture firm.

The firm’s namesake Renzo Piano is an Italian architect whose notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, The Shard in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Each year, his firm makes internship opportunities available to graduate architecture students from select institutions. Under the direction of a senior architect, the interns spend a semester abroad at RPBW offices in either Paris or Italy. The internship involves a combination of work and study, including professional training, workshop seminars and multicultural experiences.

For the past three months, Lohezic has been living in Paris, France, interning at the RPBW offices and indulging in Parisian culture on her free time. She is tasked with preparing documents and boards for exhibitions, meetings and new projects.

“FIU has prepared me extremely well with programs, design comprehension and integrated building systems,”Lohezic says. The first week they held a Revit workshop for us, and I was extremely familiar and comfortable with nearly every topic covered. I certainly know the most programs out of the interns and that makes me feel quite confident and comfortable, which makes work enjoyable!”

Lohezic also has delved into model making, picking up innovated methods and techniques that she hopes to apply to her FIU projects when she returns.

She says: “I’ve learned so much about making models quickly and beautifully using hot-wire machines, plexi core, tree-pins and voila! So many other simple techniques that make me wonder, ‘how haven’t I thought of this before?'”

The experience has exceeded Lohezic’s expectations on a personal level as well. She was included in Renzo Piano’s birthday celebration and even received the chance to converse with him during an intimate meeting with RPBW interns.

“I cannot think of a way to appropriately thank the Department of Architecture for having chosen me for this internship. This is a dream come true! Pinch me!” adds Lohezic.

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