Chloe
Lodge

Tell us why you chose to study at NTU and ADBE. 

I initially visited 5 different universities for similar courses – Lincoln University, Cheltenham, London Metropolitan, Birmingham City and Nottingham Trent. Out of the five, NTU had the most impressive and largest work space, studios and workshops for the course. On the open day, I was particularly impressed with the tutors and their professionalism, as well as the student mentors at the time advocating for the city. I was offered an unconditional offer from Birmingham, which I turned down so I could attend NTU.

What did you learn as a ADBE student – both inside and outside of lectures? What still makes you smile  when you look back?

Good grades don’t come easy, and neither will knowledge. To understand, you need to put that time and effort into the course by attending everything. This, in turn, improved my time management and organisational skills that have helped me not only throughout my course journey, but in my professional career as well. Deadlines, commitment and learning to work within a team are key skills I learnt as an ADBE student. Despite the hard work I endured through this course of study, when looking back, I made my best friends for life through this. My entire course, which was only around 80 of us, we all went through that together, bonding and creating new friendships. Despite working on our projects independently, we all worked beside each other for hours every day, seeking help from one another because we all wanted to succeed. Graduating together, after those four years, and throwing our hats in the air, will be a moment I will never forget.

What does your current day involve? Take us through a “typical” day (if there is one!)

I currently live in Brooklyn, NYC and travel to work for 10am in Long Island City. Each day at the office is different for me, as most days I am on site at many different buildings throughout the 5 boroughs of NYC, undertaking surveys for apartments. Afternoons, I will typically be in the office drafting floor plans, elevations and filings for the NYC Department of Buildings, working closely with clients helping them achieve what they’re after.

How has your experience studying and being part of the NTU/ADBE community helped you in your current role?

I moved to Nottingham from Essex in 2018, a city that I knew no one in. My first year, I booked myself into a residence that was shared with 10 people, including myself. Forcing myself to engage with new people and make new friends was the top priority to me, as well as saying yes to every opportunity that arose. I made lifelong friends in my first residence, who I lived with for the rest of my years at NTU. The confidence I gained from this city move gave me thorough confidence when applying for a job in the USA. If I could move 4 hours away from home when I was 18, I was sure I could move to the USA by myself at 22. NTU gave me the confidence that if I can make friends there, I could make friends anywhere.

What attracted you to this field of work?

As a child, I grew up in a city that was undergoing a lot of housing developments at the time. My mother, who is extremely nosey, used to take me with her to the show homes, pretending we were interested in purchasing a property when in reality, we actually just wanted to have a nosey at the new builds. My interest grew fondly of interior design from a young age because of this and I knew from that get go, that is what I wanted to pursue as a career. My form tutor at my Sixth Form College was a former Interior Architect, and she introduced me to her portfolio of work, showing me that interior design isn't just choosing the fluffy pillows for a bed, it is creating a space that involves knocking down walls etc.

What challenges have you faced? (Please tell us about any setbacks you’ve had, but how you’ve overcome
them – this will help inspire others to stay strong and reach their goals)

When COVID hit, this was during the search for my placement year work experience. Within two weeks, the majority of jobs that were advertised for positions were removed due to the uncertainty. All that was left, was the unpaid work experience roles. Out of desperation for work experience, I applied for an unpaid position and was fortunate enough to be offered it. This process was over 4 to 5 months of stress, debating whether or not I would get work experience or not, but my attitude to keep on trying paid off. Additionally, throughout my 4 years, I was never top of the class. It would be difficult for me sometimes to receive the grade I wasn’t expecting, or my peers doing better than me. I struggled a lot at times trying to understand where I was going wrong, why my grades weren’t matching what my expectations were. Despite this, I still managed to secure a position working in New York. After 4 years, I finally learnt that you do not need to be the top of the class to still secure a great job. Sure - grades help, but in this industry, so does your personality, your team ethic and determination to keep on going.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

Highlights - I have been an intern for one year now, and I am pleased to say the team I have been working on have recently informed me that they are happy with my progress as an intern architect, and they are now training me up to work as a Project Manager. After a year of working in a country I have not been to before, and having to learn new building codes and the regulations here, this was truly an honour to even be recognised for my hard work and to progress to the next stage only after a year of working with them.
Challenges - Learning new building codes and regulations that are specific to New York, not just the USA. Due to how compact New York is in regards to residential, with thousands of high rise apartments across the 5 boroughs, I have had to learn about specific codes that are only specific to New York, not the whole of the USA. Additionally, despite America speaking predominantly English, there are a lot of words that mean different things here, especially in architecture. For example, a ‘riser’ in the UK refers to the height of a stair. In the USA, we refer a ‘riser’ as a water pipe. Little things like this were a challenge in the beginning, having to learn a whole new set of architectural vocabulary, on top of learning the job also.

What are your plans for the future?

My director of the company has sponsored me to do my masters degree. In the fall, I am undertaking a Master of Science in Sustainability in the Urban Environment at the City University of New York. I am also continuing progressing my career with the company, and I am now being trained to become a Project Manager on the residential team.

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at uni?

I was not brought up in a family who were derived from an architectural background, yet when I first began my course, a lot of the students' parents and extended family were as I made new friends. During my first year, I questioned my presence on the course and questioned whether I was really worthy at all of being on a course that, truly, I had no idea what the trade was about. 5 years later I am now working in New York, one of my biggest dreams that I never imagined would come true. I would go back and tell myself that I am absolutely worthy, regardless of experience and background.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our alumni community?

Before leaving for New York, my friends questioned me why I was not nervous to move. I did not know anyone there, I had no family there, no friends and I had never been to the USA before. But, despite this, I was not nervous. I was excited to embark on this new opportunity. My advice to any current or former students and graduates is to embark on these opportunities if they arise, regardless if you know anyone or not in that city or country. Whether that is an hour away from home or an 8 hour flight away from home, you will learn so much about yourself, new independence and experience new cultures. I have met a lot of people in New York, who are from all over the world and the best part about my journey so far has been learning new cultures, and the history of these. Engaging in conversations with people from Europe, Africa and Asia all in the heart of an American city. An experience I would have not learnt about, had I not taken this opportunity.