I have completed one week at ESa, and what a full week it has been! I absolutely love the company, everyone is so incredibly nice and friendly! The atmosphere is very positive and everyone does everything they can to help each another get projects done. I am one of about 8 student interns at ESa; Carolyn and Lauren are the two other interiors interns (see photo below!) My first day Carolyn and Lauren got all the interns together to go to lunch so that I could get to know them all - it was so sweet and I have felt so welcomed! It has been extremely helpful, they have spent the entire week trying to help me get settled in and teaching me all they know. I have had SO much fun getting to know and work with these girls this week!
The company has a ton of projects underway currently, and most of them are at about the same stage, the design development and construction documentation stage. This means that we have been ordering literally hundreds of samples and making many contractor boards this week! I learned that a contractor board is a binder full of samples of all the finishes used in a project given to the contractor and client to make sure everyone is on the same page with what finishes have been chosen. I have already gotten to know and work with so many of our local reps in contacting them to get finish samples this week. Our local reps are constantly in the office, we usually have luncheons or informal meetings with different reps at least 6 times a week (I am going to gain 50 pounds this summer because they all bring food). But it has been a great opportunity to learn about new materials.
Earl Swensson and Associates is made up of about 150 employees. They work primarily in healthcare (all of the projects I have been working on this week have been senior living facilities or hospitals). I asked a couple of the designers to explain the organization of the company to me and they described it as being very horizontal. There isn't much hierarchy at all; no junior or senior designers. Everyone under the president and principals is just equal. Which helps describe why everyone gets along so well in the office.
Carolyn and Lauren!
This is Carolyn and Lauren one day after we had eaten lunch outside. They are both in their second year of interior design school at the University of Cincinnati. They have been co-oping at ESa since March and will be here until mid June. A fun fact about Carolyn and Lauren is that their apartment is just a 5 minute walk from ESa and it is located right next to a hostel. They hang out at the hostel all the time and have apparently met some really cool people from all over the world that come to Nashville to play music. These girls have been so much fun to work with and have been so welcoming! This week has made me even more excited for the rest of the summer!