Taylor Design

Taylor Design is a strategy-based design firm with practices in Architectural Design, Interior Design and Design Strategy; with offices in northern and southern California.

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Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 949 574 1325
Employee Spotlight Marc Rudy

Life as an Intern at Taylor Design

An interview with Marc Rudy, Architectural Design Assistant

Meet Marc Rudy, a former intern-turned-Design-Assistant in our Irvine office. As Marc begins his new role this week, we sat with down with him to reflect on the challenges and rewards of balancing an internship as a full-time undergraduate student. We look forward to seeing you grow at Taylor Design, Marc!

What is your new role at Taylor Design?

My new title is Design Assistant. My new role at Taylor Design will be to assist in the design phase of whatever project comes my way, as well as help in the construction documentation and administration phases of projects.

How did you balance your internship at Taylor Design and your full-time course load at Cal Poly Pomona?

Balancing my internship at Taylor Design while managing a full-time course load forced me to manage my time in the most efficient way possible. Priorities such as needing money to stay afloat during the school year, as well as gaining valuable AXP hours toward my architecture license, drove my determination to spend 9 hours every Tuesday and Thursday at Taylor Design. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were my school days. I put my undivided attention to whatever I was focused on for the particular day. Weekends are for friends and family for me. Saturdays are my “no architecture” days.

Did you face any challenges while interning? How did you overcome them?

The challenges included getting work done for my studio class, specifically for Wednesdays and Fridays since I devoted Tuesdays and Thursdays to my work at Taylor Design. Since I carpooled with my best friend, who was in the exact same boat as me and worked / lived minutes away from me, we endured the exact same challenges under the same conditions and worked together to overcome obstacles. We even took the same studio classes so that we could depend on each other. Alliances are key.

What advice would you have for prospective interns at Taylor Design?

My advice would be to not be afraid to take on a challenge, and don’t be afraid to speak up. Take whatever task comes your way, and act like you can conquer it. Ask for help when you need to, so that you can learn from your experience. If you want to do work in another phase of the design process, ask! You have nothing to lose by asking.

What have you gained from working at Taylor Design?

I’ve gained so much practical thinking while designing for projects in the healthcare field of architecture. There must be logic and justification in every decision made. I’ve learned how to take the middle ground between the extreme technical thought process while reassessing the abstract ideas that my school teaches.

What has been your favorite experience while working as an intern at Taylor Design?

One of my favorite experiences while working for Taylor Design was being a part of the IIDA Fashion Show event (in Orange County), where I joined the Taylor Design team in modeling and assembling costumes for the catwalk within a time constraint, while competing against other design firms.

What are three words that you would use to describe Taylor Design?

Inclusive, Logical, and Strategic.