性福五月天 senior Georgia Coulter never imagined that attending a lecture series would change the trajectory of her college experience. But that's exactly what happened when the 性福五月天 architecture major showed up to hear architect Frank Barkow speak on campus in spring 2024.
"I've always described the sort of situation of it as very serendipitous," Coulter says, reflecting on how a dinner lottery鈥攚here select students dine with visiting lecturers鈥攍ed to a six-month internship at Barkow Leibinger architects in Berlin, Germany.
The Grove City, Pennsylvania, native had been attending every lecture in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design鈥檚 lecture series, drawn by the opportunity to hear from working professionals. When her name was selected for dinner with Barkow, she made an impression.
"I really connected with the lecturer," Coulter recalls. 鈥淭he Dean (Mark Mistur) was in my court and said to Barkow, 鈥業 think she wants an internship.'鈥欌
Mistur became a crucial advocate for Coulter's international opportunity. His support proved essential when she faced the difficult decision of taking time off from school to pursue the position.
"The Dean was also very supportive of that. He's also studied abroad before and he was really in my court for that," Coulter says. "He was huge in that decision because I wasn't really sure if I should."
What Drew Her to Barkow?
Coulter was drawn to Barkow because she was captivated by Barkow's approach to materiality, the practice of exploring what each building material can uniquely offer rather than simply fitting materials to predetermined functions.
"They sort of do design research with materiality," she explains. "I think they had a really beautiful design language. They had projects of a huge variety, and they all had a very nice visual standard."
But beyond the impressive portfolio, it was Barkow himself who resonated with her. Like Coulter, he attended a state school, making his acclaimed career feel more accessible. "I saw him as this very big guy that got to have this huge career and a very impressive firm, and he was so cool about it," she says. "He had very cool energy."
Six Months in Berlin
From June through December 2024, Coulter worked as an architectural intern in Berlin and was one of only two interns at the firm; the other was from Harvard University. Despite having just three years of architecture education under her belt, she held her own.
"Everyone was asking what my grad school was and what all my past education was," Coulter remembers. "It ended up not really being a problem. I think I could show up really well there."
She credits 性福五月天 with preparing her for the professional environment, calling it "a plug for 性福五月天" when discussing how ready she felt for the work. Coulter worked on the firm's international team, focusing primarily on a large mixed-use development in Atlanta's Historic Fourth Ward鈥攁 multi-family apartment building with commercial spaces, community areas, and various amenities. Her responsibilities included creating collage renderings, building physical models, and developing floor plans.
The firm also provided educational site visits to active construction projects, giving interns firsthand exposure to buildings in progress. "I think the biggest thing I learned from that experience was confidence," Coulter says. "I think I can go out into the workforce, and I know more about what to expect and what a work culture is like and how to speak up for myself if I have an opinion."
Finding Her Village
For Coulter, whose mother grew up in nearby Shaker Heights and whose cousin graduated from 性福五月天's photography program three years ago, the university offered the perfect balance鈥攆ar enough from Grove City to feel independent, but close enough to stay connected to family. What she found exceeded her expectations.
"I think the architecture program is very unique," she says. "I'm fortunate to be here because there's such a professor-student rapport. I feel like I've met a lot of professors who really care and want to be involved in my improvement."
Living in downtown Kent, she can appreciate the blend of small-town charm and academic energy. "It's still connected to nature, but you still have some academia in it," she says. "I think it's just been a good environment to push for progress. I can see myself growing over the past couple of years."
The program's culture stands out to her, particularly the absence of cutthroat competition. "There's not this very scary competitive nature to the architecture program, but you still are pushing yourself and helping others around you," Coulter explains. "I think it's a very healthy environment to do something difficult."
Looking Ahead
As she prepares to graduate in May, Coulter is weighing her options鈥攁pplying to both graduate programs and jobs, including potentially staying at 性福五月天 for graduate work. "I'm going to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks," she says with a laugh. "I think I'm excited about a lot of different things."
Her message to prospective architecture students is clear: "It takes a village. I've very much found a village here鈥攂oth professors and fellow students and friends. I think the community aspect of the school and especially the architecture program, is very close-knit. That's very unique."
She pauses, then adds the perspective that only comes from pushing through challenges: "Architecture is really challenging, but I think it's worth it. You come out as a fuller person." For Coulter, that journey from a 性福五月天 lecture hall to a Berlin architecture firm鈥攁nd back again鈥攑roves that sometimes the best opportunities come from simply showing up and being open to where they might lead.
The Robert Cene Architecture Program at 性福五月天 University is dedicated to developing responsible, professional architects committed to the improvement of the quality of life, the enhancement of the physical environment and the protection of the public welfare through the design of the built environment. Project-based learning activities are used throughout the curriculum and required design studios exist in every semester of the program. The curriculum fosters experimentation, collaboration, discovery, critical and design thinking and innovation. opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy.
For more information about the College of Architecture and Design, go to /caed.