Architecture or Graphic Design Work Experience Project in China
An
internship in a very special, internationally recognised Architecture and Graphic Design firm in
central Shanghai. You can take part in a project in either one of these
areas or a combination of both!
Gain
valuable experience while having a great time living and working in the
emerging business capital of the East... In
a world of competition where an army of graduates are lining up for the
top jobs, this project will set you apart from the crowd and make
employers look twice...
You’ll be working at a
pioneering international architecture company in the centre of buzzing
Shanghai! The company you'll be working at has created architecture projects
across China, in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Longyang,
Ningbo, Zhejiang and Xi'an... they've even worked on a stadium for the 2008
Beijing olympics! The company is recognised both in China and abroad as one
of the most "groundbreaking" companies around today. This project will
really make your CV stand out from the pile...
"Architecture, to
them, is a polemical act engaging a large range of realities and ideals. By
shifting and altering the ‘realities’ of the built environment, ideals,
aspirations, and possibilities are re-adjusted. In China, the speed of
change and the scale of operation dissolves all boundaries between planning,
architecture, landscape and media. It is under these circumstances where the
company explores a third frontier where the seeds of their love affairs or
debris of their wars are celebrated. Projects range from private house to
Central Business District of a city, from historic preservation program to
urban renewal strategy. The company evolves from these intercourses and
through them probes new responses to China’s built environment of today" -
One reviewer's comments on the firm
This project can also be taken as an
internship as part of a University Course – please contact us for more
information.
Start your time in Shanghai with a One-week
Intensive Mandarin Course. To find out more about the Mandarin Course, please
click here
You will work alongside the staff at
the company in your area of expertise. This should be architecture or
graphic design. If you have more than one skill/interest area then you can
apply for a joint project which combines the two disciplines - just let us
know!
Whatever your area of expertise, you
will work alongside staff in a busy, hands on role. You will be involved in
projects that the company is currently working on and will usually work on
several different projects during your time on the placement. You’ll always
assist a senior designer for the first 4 weeks of your placement. After this
initial period, you may have the opportunity to move onto independent work,
depending on workload at the company and your skills.
The most important thing to remember
is that this is an internship with a company involved in many different
areas of work. You are not assigned to a certain area of work at this point
– your fellow staff will assign tasks and possibly use you more in one
department as time goes on. You will most likely start off by doing some
very basic and boring things – helping whoever needs help, and probably even
making the odd cup of tea! However, if things progress well, there are
opportunities for many different kinds of work and to really get stuck in on
some extremely exciting projects.
The company has a sister branch in
Xi’an, another major Chinese City. If you are lucky, you may be able to take
part in an all expenses paid 2 week business trip there! You may also get
the opportunity to travel to a variety of neighbouring Chinese cities to
work on projects there - all expenses paid, of course!
The company was founded in 1999 and
there are approximately 45 staff who work from 9am until 6pm Monday to Friday.
However, your working hours may be slightly different, depending on the
volume of work that is available at the time. Your weekends will usually be
free for relaxing and sightseeing with the other volunteers! However, if
there is an approaching deadline, you must be flexible and prepared to work
odd hours and some weekends – as with any high passed city job! The staff are
predominantly Chinese, almost all of whom speak English, yet some
other nationalities also work at the company. The company has a very
international outlook and the Director of the company has strong links with
Europe and the USA.
Dress code at work is smart casual
with the emphasis on the smart side of things,
but please also bring some very smart clothes in case you are required to dress
very smartly at any time.
ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE: In order to be accepted onto the placement, you must be
proficient in at least 3 of the following programmes. Please specify which
programmes you can use and your level of proficiency on your CV. The
programmes are:
CAD
Photoshop
Illustrator
In Design
Word
Excel
Acrobat
PPT
You should also have at least a solid basic knowledge of the
department you are applying to work within (architecture or graphic design). Ideally, you should be studying the subject or have
relevant experience.
You must also be energetic, self motivated, confident
working both alone and in a team and have a friendly disposition. You should
also have an open mind and a flexible attitude.
On application, we will
ask for the following from you:
A Copy of your CV
A Covering Letter.
Your letter should
state your intentions for taking part in the placement, what experience
you hope to gain, and a summary of your previous experience, if any
Your Portfolio,
if you have one
Travellers will pass this information over
to the company, and they will make an acceptance or rejection decision.
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU:
China is still a developing country in a period of transition. The
living standard falls short of what we are used to in
the West. The Chinese culture and heritage is totally
different to Anglo-Saxon or Western cultures and this must be borne in
mind. However, the people are very friendly and
will help you all they can, and, of course, our China
Organiser will look after you during your placement. Self-reliance and independence are highly
appreciated and required in China and will help you to make the most of this
wonderful opportunity!
China is a non-English speaking environment and
we strongly advise that you try to learn a few basic Chinese words before
starting your programme. This will help you to get involved in the daily
life of the local people.
The founder and design principal of this
groundbreaking Shanghai architectural firm is an
internationally-acclaimed architect and educator. He is an innovative
and creative thinker who can put exceptional ideas into practice. He has
a reputation for architectural design of the highest distinction. He is
dedicated to the education and development of the best young talent. And
he is truly a world citizen, one whose life has been global in scope and
impact.
His landmark buildings include Qingpu Community
Island in Shanghai, the Centennial TV and Radio Center in Xian and
Tianyi City Plaza in Ningpo.
Through the company. he has created award-winning
projects such as the Longyang Residential complex in Shanghai and
Creative Business Office for SOHO China Ltd. in Beijing, the tallest
building in Northwest China.
Beyond his own contributions to architecture, he is
known for helping to prepare the world's next generation of architects.
He has served as a visiting professor and critic at Harvard University;
the University of Pennsylvania; Columbia University; ETH in Zurich,
Switzerland; Berlage Institute in the Netherlands; Universitat
Karlsruheand and Berlin Technical University in Germany; and Ecole
Speciale Architectura in Paris, France.
He coordinated Rem Koolhaas' first Harvard Project
on Cities, which resulted in the 1993 book, The Great Leap Forward, and
the two have collaborated on the Central China TV headquarters in
Beijing and the Stock Exchange Building in Shenzhen.
Recently, he helped curate an important exhibition
on Chinese contemporary art and architecture in Centre Pompidou, Paris.
He is an architectural director of an upcoming show on Shanghai in
Montreal and co-curator with Matilda McQuaid for an exhibition at the
Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in New York. He served as planning expert to
the International Olympic Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing and has served on important national competition juries,
including the 2008 Olympic Stadium.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
in Architecture from Tsinghua University and a master's degree in
architecture from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of
Fine Art -- the first Chinese citizen to do so since Sicheng Liang, a
1937 Penn graduate and a leading figure in both traditional Chinese
architecture research and Chinese national architecture during the 1950s
and 1960s. Before founding the company in 1996, Ma practiced
architecture in New York City with the noted American firm Kohn Pedersen
Fox Associates.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION & FOOD
On this project you'll live at a Travellers Flat in Shanghai while on
your placement. The flat is typical Shanghai style and all the Work
Experience Volunteers live here together. The flat accommodates 5 people
maximum.
The flat has two bedrooms, one of
which is also often used as a lounge room, depending on how many
volunteers are living in it at the time you're there.
Owing to the vast population and shortage of space
in towns and cities, it is common practice in China that flats and
houses have no one room dedicated to be used as a lounge, so one of the
bedrooms is frequently used as a place to gather.
The Travellers flat also has a kitchen with washing
facilities and a bathroom.
You will eat lunch and dinner at the
hotel, and be provided with a meal budget for breakfast. You can buy
breakfast from one of the many delicious restaurants around the flat, or
prepare it yourself in the flat's kitchen!
TRAVEL
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
VISAS:. We'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
You will fly into Shanghai, where you'll be
met by our Shanghai Organiser or one of her staff. From the
airport you'll be taken to your school and introduced to your
hosts.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
I just want to say what a fantastic impression
Jessie
[Travellers
Organiser in Shanghai] has made on me, even in these first few days. She's
so very enthusiastic and if there's anything you want, she'll do her
utmost to meet your need. She seems to reap a genuine delight from
helping, enlightening or amusing you." James Dodd on his teaching
placement in Shanghai
Shanghai Organiser Jessie with her niece
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course.
If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a
fascinating and wondrous country!
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in China, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
