Who did you meet with today?
On July 16th we met with Berliner Architects and received presentations from Ian Fitzpatrick, Abby Katcher, Danai Sougkara, Tannaz Mohtasebi, Lautaro Galvez, Tony Armer – all from Berliner. We also met with Ed Melo from Brandow Johnson, Matt Skokan from Saiful Bouquet, and Kelly Schall from Budlong.
Where do they work? What does the company do?
We went to visit Berliner Architects, an architecture firm founded by Mr. Richard Berliner himself, which is located near Culver City. It was a nice, compact, yet cozy office full of working staff at their computers who were busy working on their projects. We were able to witness them at work as well as receive a presentation from Richardhimself regarding two schools that they were in charge of working with; Immaculate Heart, a Catholic school, as well as Citizens of the World, a charter school.
What did you learn today? What were some highlights?
We were able to learn more about what an architect actually does. It is not just drawing and designing a house but there are many other intricate details involved in the process as well. One of the main lessons emphasized was that it is imperative to work alongside your fellow engineers, contractors and clients as well as anyone else in order to coordinate and get the job done. One important skill you must have is the ability to listen.
What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?
I learned about PCSD’s role alongside Berliner. To put it simply, PCSD works alongside the architects when it comes to budgeting, in order to ensure the charter school is able to afford the school being built. The architects themselves are responsible for the design and aesthetic aspect of the building when it comes to real estate development.
Did you become more interested in the field after today?
I was for sure already interested in architecture as I will be going to UC Berkeley to study Architecture, however this only gave me insight I had previously not had and what to expect if I do go into this field.
