Relevant Internship Links

 My roles as a practicing architect and adjunct professor grant me the privilege to mentor inquisitive college students both in the design studio and in an office context. In each realm, I implement a methodology of lateral thinking to the standard methods commonly learned in design. This expanded way of thinking is often a rigorous challenge for college students. Therefore, only a select few complete a full-term internship in my office, SKIII SpaceVariations LLC, thereby acquiring an expanded perspective of the world of design that often allows them to achieve extraordinary success.

As professor, mentor, employer, and professional architect, I’d like to highlight numerous former students who have interned and consulted at my firm, and gone on to achieve noteworthy academic and/or architectural success. Contributing to my former students’ successes and maintaining professional contact with them continues to be deeply rewarding. For more information on SKIII SpaceVariations, email Simon at info@spacevariations.com.

January 2014:

Student and intern to innovate 4-D printing:

Skylar Tibbits with SeaTable

Skylar Tibbits ( http://www.sjet.us/Bio.html ) was not only a student in several of my design studios at Philadelphia University; he also interned at my firm and designed an experimental digitally fabricated bathroom, the Modern Grotto in 2007 (https://spacevariations.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/modern-grotto/ ). Skylar also designed and developed a series of research residential and landscape designs for another SKIII SpaceVariations project, a private residence in Utah (http://cargocollective.com/fishtankphl/FishtankPHL-presents-Architecture-and-Engineering-of-the-Cosmos) in addition to other research projects for my firm. My observations of Skylar’s atypical thinking, work ethic, and drive, coupled with my trust in his integrity, led me to secure him an internship at the office of prominent architect Zaha Hadid, http://www.zaha-hadid.com/ . He then went on to maximize the opportunities available from this prestigious internship placement.

It comes as no surprise that Skylar Tibbets is now directing his own research group, the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT (http://www.selfassemblylab.net/index.php ), and has popularized the idea of 4-D printing. From our early college design studios together to his internship at SKIII Spacevariations, I encouraged Skylar to be, and have witnessed his evolution into, an inspiring leader. He consistently motivated himself to explore research and experimentation in both the design studios and office, displaying an exceptional ability to process and intuit his failures and accomplishments, and consequently integrate them with velocity into subsequent research design.