RADA Architects’ Post

UIUC students - Visit to RADA Architects as a part of FIRM CRAWL 2024! In the late afternoon hours, right before Thanksgiving day, we were joined by an energetic group of students from UIUC, members of SBMA - Society for Business and Management in Architecture. Impressive was their time commitment, right before the holiday, to learn how key Chicago architecture firms operate. They did not catch Fierra, Christian and Rada, unprepared! Not only were we prepared with cookies and coffee, but with  wealth of information about: -         the architecture profession (Rada’s numbers about the dominating number of small and midsize firms in the US, yet with smaller share of access to projects; the gender composition changes, the 18 percent women architects are now 24 percent; comparisons with how architecture is practiced in the European Union – all food for thought for how to join the profession and where and how to advocate) -         the importance of wide range of learning in the first years of employment (Fierra sharing her work – from concept plans for international competition, to CA process on a health care project, to use of Rhino, yes Rhino, no Sketch up, yes, it got technical) -         the importance for firms to work with interns – high school, and BA graduates (Christian bragged about his plan for our office – as to how we expose people to active and structured learning). It was wonderful to see how interested students were, bright and inquisitive. It was also wonderful to see Seher Tayabee, on a second tour to our office over only two months! Thank you all for an afternoon well spent! Fierra Mulhern Christian Encarnacion Figueroa RADA Architects