During Summer 2022, three Birmingham-Southern students traveled to Spain for architectural studies internships. They shared their experiences working and living in Spain.

Josh Turner, a junior at BSC, worked for SEA Arquitectos.

“One of the most influential aspects of my internship was the number of projects I was given throughout the two months. I was one of four employees, so I was treated as a full-time employee. I was given my own projects and presented them to my boss for critique before he presented them to clients. I thoroughly enjoyed being treated as a real employee, not as an intern. I saw tons of amazing architecture throughout A Coruña and when traveling around Europe. This experience has made me even more excited about becoming an architect after college.”

Cassandra Payne, a BSC senior, worked at Diaz y Diaz Arquitectos.

“The most memorable experience that I had was being able to travel to Paris to look at the architecture. While working at the firm, it gave me an insight that this is the field that I want to be in. The piece of architecture that most left an impression on me was Torre De Hercules in A Coruña, Spain, because it is the only standing Roman lighthouse that is still used today.”

Julia Gracia Scarinci, a BSC senior, worked at A2 Architects in Spain and took Spanish classes through True Spanish Experience.

“I was born and raised in Brazil, and I’ve always been interested in architecture, but also interested in politics, and in housing sustainability and urban architectural studies. The world is changing, and we need to find new ways of viewing housing sustainability. I am now looking to pursue a master’s degree in order to be a professor. I’m very interested in sustainable architecture, affordable homes, and low-income housing.”

Scarinci, a double-major in architectural studies and global comparative studies, with a minor in Spanish, says viewing the Coliseum in Rome in person was one of her favorite experiences, as well as visiting the renowned duomo of the Florence Cathedral.

“As an international student, I’ve learned, you have to find a home wherever you go, and BSC felt like home, but A Coruña also did. I did this internship, and discovered a sort of home, there, too. Enjoying Spanish culture on the weekends, and seeing such amazing, beautiful architecture throughout my travels in Europe, made a lasting impact on me.”