March 5, 2015
Today we had the opportunity to attend the architecture Career XPO at the Ihotel. At the XPO, we were to interview at least one architectural firm. The firm that I chose to interview was PGAV Destinations. Their stand immediately caught my attention for its bold orange color and its exciting pictures of zoos and roller-coasters. Obviously, this firm is not your typical architectural firm.
I had the chance to speak with two of PGAV's representatives' Emily and Ashley. PGAV Destinations is located in St. Louis, Missouri and consists of 70-100 employees specializing in a variety of jobs. Their mission is to create remarkable places for people, or in Emily and Ashley's terms, "No ugly shit". In their firm there are a variety of occupations such as individuals specializing in architecture, exhibit design, landscape design, environmental graphics, sculpture, industrial design, urban planning, and a multitude of other backgrounds. Because they are an ideas-based practice, PGAV Destinations works on all sorts of projects like roller coasters, zoos, aquariums, museums, space shuttle homes, and much more. This aspect of the firm really stood out to me because they are given the opportunities to have crazy, fun, and unique experiences while working. Their most recent project was a village hotel for the Biltmore Estate and other designs for the Grand Canyon. According to Emily and Ashley, when interviewing for potential employees they are most concerned with finding individuals who are comfortable with thinking out of the box, are well-rounded, outgoing, and adventurous. They also look for interviewees with internship experience and a creditable education.
Emily and Ashley both love their jobs because they aren't restricted creatively and get to experience the impact of their work in first person. Emily became interested in this career field at a young age, from when she started playing around with legos. This became a quick indicator of her creative design skills and passion for architecture. Ashley's father was a contractor, so design has always been an influence in her life. Interviewing this firm was very interesting and informative. PGAV Destinations seems to be a unique and great firm to work for.
