1.Physical Description of Firm:

The firm of Fong and Chan Architects is located on the corner of Bush and Polk. It is a 3 story building (one floor below ground) designed by the firm itself, and includes 2 kitchens, 5 bathrooms, numerous rooms and storage spaces, as well as a gym. They also have their own private parking garage although a pay-parking facility is located directly adjacent to them. Quick Plans and Elevation

One really interesting aspect of the building is the central space. A huge circle is cut from the center of the 2nd floor (above ground) which allows light to filter to the ground floor through skylights cut in the roof. The large circle also allows for a seemingly continuous interior space which is emphasized even more by the low partition walls separating each workstation. Except for the two principal architects which have their own separate rooms, the rest of the staff share the same volume of space. This setup seems to foster greater interconnection among the staff members and a much livelier atmosphere.A Shot of the Interior Space

The general neighborhood includes a mix of both residential and commercial businesses. It is close to the heart of downtown and is always bustling with activity.

2. Firm Profile:

The firm has done a wide range of projects from huge commercial/industrial buildings to small offices and houses. They have also entered a number of competitions and have done well in each of them. One in particular was the competition for the design of the new San Francisco Airport in which out of hundreds of applicants their firm was rated number one, and was consequently involved in the design of two structures in the airport (although one is still pending). Moreover, the firm collaborates with or is approached by a number of well known firms including Herzog and De Mueron, Renzo Piano, Santiago Calatrava, and Cesar Pelli. ShangHai First People's Hospital (Competition Submittal)

The firm was started in 1982 by Mr. David Fong and Mrs. Chiu Lin Chan. It is committed to providing "professional services with an emphasis on personal attention, technical competence, and a high quality of architectural design and planning." This is achieved with the help of a highly driven and very professional staff. No one person solely takes on the task of drafting, model-making, design etc. but each shares in all activities related to a building's design. One head architect leads a team (typically made up of around 4-8 people) and ensures a project is kept on track.

3. Organization/Division of Work:

The firm is fairly sizable at around 30 people. Mr. Fong generally acquires the work for the firm while Mrs. Chan deals more with finance and billing. Both have master input on all designs. The project heads manage a number of people for a particular project. They have some design input but primarily delegate jobs to the other architects and keep things on schedule. They are also responsible for client visits and contractor issues. Meetings are held frequently (In addition, an entire firm meeting is held for an hour every Friday on some subject allowing for general issues to be resolved and for inter-project status updates. This past Friday's topic was on computers.)

4. Personal Reactions

My first impression of the firm was that it was very orderly and professional. Work of the highest quality is expected of all employees, and demands are consistently made of all. To maintain a structured atmosphere, listening to music is not allowed and internet connection is relegated to two additional, unassigned computers in the work area. Conversation is for the most part kept professional and to a minimum. Dress code is however fairly casual. Although this may seem to paint a bleak picture, everyone is genuinely happy with the firm. One major aspect the employees really enjoy is that responsibility for a project falls on everyone's shoulders and each has a number of tasks to attend to. And also, while professionalism is always maintained, everyone is friendly and contributes to an amiable environment. In particular, Mr. Fong and Mrs. Chan are always very nice.

I have chosen to work at the firm Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and in the span of a week have been able to get to know 4 people very well and have participated in a variety of activities- a client meeting, a site visit, filing, and model-making.

I have been able to talk to Mr. Fong on a couple of occasions and have discovered that the firm actively encourages younger employees to pursue education and even sends some to Harvard every summer for classes.

So far, I really enjoy working at Fong and Chan Architects and hope this internship will lead to a job at the end.

 

Architecture

Assignment #1