POoR Collective and GPAD launch Build The Way Internship

POoR Collective and GPAD have teamed up to launch a paid internship – offering a more affordable route into architecture for young people

Words by Sophie Tolhurst
Images Build The Way

Build The Way is a new initiative from social enterprise POoR Collective and architects GPAD looking to offer a more affordable route into architecture through a paid 12-month internship.

The project was founded in recognition of the significant financial barriers that prevent many young people from entering the profession. As the teams explain, traditional architecture education is prohibitively expensive to the point of excluding entire demographics, and so alternatives must be made available to young people if the industry is to become inclusive and diverse.

The internship is a 12-month paid opportunity for one candidate that will take place at GPAD’s office on Old Street, London starting in September 2021. It is open to students aged 18-22, and will pay a salary of £20,000 for a 40 hour week.

The intern will work directly with one of GPAD’s architects, but in addition, a mentor from POoR will be assigned to help the intern through the process, including 3-month reviews with both their mentor and a GPAD director.

The intern will work on a mix of projects from homes, office refurbishments and other new buildings at GPAD, helping to produce 2D drawings, 3D computer models and written information on projects. Meanwhile exposure to architects, planners and urban designers and participation in office design discussions will introduce them to the ways in which the industry works. Following up on the internship, both POoR and GPAD will offer career advice and links to their joint industry network to help with the next step in the intern’s career.

Both POoR and GPAD believe there is a duty for the architecture industry to provide more opportunities to the next generation, while working to make the profession more inclusive as a whole. Charles Bettes of GPAD commented: ‘Our industry needs to find ways to be inclusive and open to anyone who has the drive and ambition to be a part of it.’ He continues, ‘With education becoming increasingly expensive, this is our way of offering a different route into architecture and teaching a young person some skills that they can use whatever the next steps they choose to take may be.’

Larry Botchway from POoR also commented: ‘Equal opportunities are important because there are many talented young people around who we will never hear about because of their lack of opportunities. This hinders us as a profession, as we are potentially missing out on the greatest minds.’

The application deadline is the 18th July 2021. Candidates are asked to fill in an application form found on the Build The Way website and submit a short video. Shortlisted candidates will then be offered mentorship and training in advance of the interviews to select the winning applicant.