Hello! I’m Verena Varren an architecture student from Parahyangan Catholic University. I had the opportunity to spend two months interning at RAW Architecture and looking back it has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had during my time as an architecture student.
Before joining RAW Architecture, I thought that the main thing I would gain from an internship was experience in working on real architectural projects. I expected to learn more about drawings, software, details, materials, and how a professional architecture studio works. But after spending these two months at RAW, I realized that the things I learned went far beyond technical skills.
Coming from university, I was used to approaching projects from an academic perspective. Being at RAW gave me the opportunity to see how things are approached differently in a professional environment. I learned a lot from seeing how the team thinks through a problem, discusses ideas, gives feedback, and makes decisions before turning them into drawings. It made me realize that sometimes the way we think about a problem is just as important as the solution itself.
Of course, I also gained many practical skills along the way. I learned more about different software and workflows, including shortcuts and small tricks that I had never known before. Things that seemed simple at first actually helped me work more efficiently. I also became more aware of how drawings, details, and materials are connected to the bigger design idea.
But perhaps one of the most valuable parts of this internship was learning from the people around me. I really appreciated how everyone was willing to share their knowledge, answer my questions, give feedback, and patiently guide me whenever I was still figuring things out. Even the small conversations, jokes, and everyday moments in the studio became part of the experience I will remember.
I also learned a lot about myself. I became more comfortable asking questions, more careful with my work, and more open to trying things that I was not familiar with. I learned that making mistakes is part of the process and that being willing to learn from them matters more than trying to get everything right from the beginning.
Looking back, I am grateful that my internship at RAW was not only about learning how architecture works in the real world. It gave me new ways of thinking, new skills that I can bring back to university, and a better understanding of how I want to approach architecture moving forward.
Thank you to everyone at RAW Architecture for welcoming me, teaching me, and making these two months such a meaningful experience. I may have only spent two months at RAW, but I know that many of the things I learned here will stay with me for much longer.
My Mayonnaise Jar 