Join Study Architecture for a glimpse of a day in the life of an architecture student! Chloe Mazza is a fourth-year student at Drexel University. As president of Drexel’s AIAS Chapter and a full-time employee at Heckendorn Shiles Architects, Chloe’s days are full of adventure. Take a look below!
Hi! I’m Chloe, a fourth-year architecture student at Drexel University, currently balancing a full-time position at an architecture firm with part-time classes at night. Most of my workdays are spent in the office, with occasional site visits and surveys, but today was a little different. Come along for a particularly busy day balancing work, school, and everything in between!
Early start! My days tend to be pretty packed, so I’m usually up and moving fairly early.
Breakfast and coffee before getting started. A little caffeine goes a LONG way on days like this!
I started the morning working from home, getting through emails and making progress on a few projects before heading out for the day.
Getting ready for a day that involves both the office and multiple site visits. My usual workday is a little less on-the-go, but it’s always nice to get out and see projects in person.
First stop of the day: a project punch list. Time to head out and see a finished project in person.
Walking the project and documenting any items that potentially need to be addressed before we give it our official approval. It’s a great opportunity to see the details of a project come together beyond the drawings, and this was a relatively smaller project that was quick to walk through!
After the punch list, I’m heading into the office to continue working on projects for the rest of the day.
Back at my desk! Most of my workdays look more like this: working through drawings, coordinating details, and collaborating with the team. I love getting a mix of design work and the technical side of architecture.
A quick lunch break before heading back out. Definitely need another coffee to get through the rest of the afternoon and a night of class.
Next up, a construction site visit. Days like this are a good reminder that architecture extends well beyond the office.
Being able to see the work in progress and understand how things come together in the field is such a valuable part of working at a firm. It is SO rewarding to see something that you have a hand in designing come to life!
Finally heading home after a busy workday. A quick reset before switching gears for the evening.
Spending a little time looking through material samples. Materiality is such an important part of the design process, and I love getting to see and compare finishes in person.
Squeezing in a workout before class. It’s not always easy to fit everything into the day, but I try to make time for it when I can.
Quick shower and a reset before heading into the evening!
Dinner before class is a MUST. With work during the day and school at night, I try to cook meals when I can, even if it is something simple like pasta!
A quick catch-up with my parents before class! (I made them smile for the camera.)
Packing up my things and getting ready to head to studio…
Night class at Drexel! Balancing a full-time job with school can make for long days, but having friends in the program definitely makes it more enjoyable.
Tonight’s studio starts with a charette focused on our project site for the term. We’re working through ideas and exploring different approaches to the site.
Sharing our work during pin-up and getting feedback from the class. Always interesting to see how everyone approaches the same site differently.
Wrapping up with a discussion about our projects and the ideas we’ve been developing. It’s always helpful to hear different perspectives and talk through the design process as a group.
Heading home after a very full day. Between work, site visits, and studio, I’m definitely ready to call it a night. But not before watching…
Dancing with the Stars! A little time to unwind and think about absolutely anything other than architecture.
Current book that I’m reading- just a little bit before I fall asleep! Days like this are busy, but I’m grateful to be gaining professional experience while continuing my education. Now, time to recharge and do it all again tomorrow.
