Intern Abroad

• Architecture B.Sc.
• Belgium, Brussels
• BC Architects
• 10/23 – 03/24

The past six months I have lived in Brussels to complete an internship at an architectural office. My decision to temporarily move here had nothing to do with the city or the country though but the specific office I would like to work at: an office focusing on sustainable architecture and earth construction. In July I had a job interview after which I was accepted quite quickly. However, there was not enough time to apply for a full Erasmus scholarship in time. Therefore, I strongly recommend everyone to get all the documents ready as soon as possible.

The hunt for an apartment or flat share went quite easily. I checked on the website „appartager“, finding lots of offers, but I was trying to look for a room in the areas of

© Lea Knoch

Ixelles, St Gilles and Schaerbeek (a friend of mine recommended). I ended up in Schaerbeek, in a flat share of four people with a very friendly land lady. The location was perfect, just ten minutes from work on the bike. Since all the rooms were free, I did not know who the other flat mates will be… in the end we were all Germans.. At first we were a bit disappointed, since we would have loved a more multicultural experience but soon we discovered that we were super happy to have a little „German home“ far from home. Whether we discussed the pros and cons of German or Belgium beer or the joint hunt for the best bakery in the city (the truth: nothing can replace German bread) we had a really good time together. We spent lots of nights sitting in the kitchen, chatting, cooking or strolling through the city. In the end we became really good friends, I hope to see again at some point. Our favourite activities contained: visiting Schleiper (the place to go as a creative person, 4 stories full of paint, brushes, paper, materials, clay…) visiting (flea) markets in the Marolles and at Gare du Midi and reading books in cafes or bars. Since it feels like its always raining in Brussels, it is important to know nice places you can hide in when it starts pouring.

The city itself is not too big but feels very confusing at times. Brussels undergoes lots of changes at the moment, many architectural and urban developments are happening. Therefore, construction sites everywhere. Plus there really is a thing called „Belgian solutions“, creative ways of finding solutions to problems (sometimes not making sense) and very much in contrast to German solutions.

© Lea Knoch 

So, unexpected things to happen everywhere and endless opportunities to explore. Although the tram system is super modern, it takes ages to move within the city if you rely on this type of transportation. Having or renting a bike is definitely the easiest way to travel around and most of the times I felt quite safe cycling in the streets.

But be aware, Brussels has some hills, so a workout is included. The neighbourhood I lived in, Schaerbeek, is a very multicultural and multinational area. The Moroccan and Turkish communities are quite large and it was reflected in the streets: lots of mini markets with stacks of fresh vegetables and fruits outside and bakeries with delicious baklava run by some of the friendliest people I have met in the city. Though I did feel like the neighbourhood is also changing, the process of gentrification has definitely started..

My internship started on the 11th of September. When I arrived I was welcomed by my supervisor and a colleague and they gave me a short tour of the office and introduced me to everyone. In the beginning I was quite overwhelmed, thinking I would never be able to remember all the names and finding my way around (although it was not too big, around 30 people working there). The first days I spent reading lots of documents and plans to get an idea of the project I was working on but quite quickly I started working on it. Three weeks later another architect joined the team for it and I very much enjoyed working with them. I was able to work on different things, designing,

© Lea Knoch

drawing plans, making models and repairing the roof of a prototype pavilion on the site. The atmosphere in the office was incredible, I never wished to be anywhere else. Everyone was super friendly, open and funny. I was also impressed that everybody got along with each other (not always like that with 30 people) and what also contributes this, I think, is the way they create lunch breaks at the office. Since the office is located near the canal of Brussels, a rather industrial area, with not many food places around (plus it it super expensive to eat out in Brussels), they created a system in which every day one person of the office cooks a meals for everybody and at lunch we sat together in the kitchen sharing the food. This way we got a nice, healthy and freshly cooked meal every day plus the opportunity to chat with everyone. Additionally, I can now claim I am able to cook a nice meal for around 25 people within two hours, a skill I never thought I would ever need nor gain!

Unfortunately, my language skills did not improve as much as I had hoped. Although I had four years of French lessons at school I did not remember a thing when I arrived. Since the people working at the office came from different countries, English was the main language to communicate within the office. Most meetings with clients were held in (Dutch or) French. I would say I am now able to understand conversations and read texts but I do not feel very comfortable talking and expressing myself in French. In the beginning I thought about joining a French class in the evening but working full time and more was already tiring and exciting enough. For the future I hope to be able to expand my knowledge since it is an beautiful language and spoken in many countries I am interested in visiting.

The overall experience at the office, at home and the city was very nice. Brussels is an open and divers city and offers activities, adventures and culture for everyone. I can only recommend!

Kategorie: Allgemein, Architecture, Belgium
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