BGSU architecture student learns to build before designing

At 8 years old, McKayla James was designing and building her own dollhouses.

She would drag her dad to the craft store to get materials and then construct her masterpiece in the family’s living room.

“I remember my mom telling me this could be my job,” James said. “From that point, I pretty much decided I was going to be an architect. I never looked back.”

Taking the steps to make that a reality, James recently completed her second year in Bowling Green State University’s architecture and environmental design program, one of the top architecture programs in the region.

While becoming an architect is her goal, James chose to spend the summer learning a different side of the industry: construction management.

As a project engineering intern at The Lathrop Company, a general contractor and construction management firm, she is learning how buildings are constructed, which is intentionally integrated into Bowling Green’s architecture curriculum.

The architecture program is housed in the School of the Built Environment, the only school of its kind in Ohio, where architecture and construction management students learn with and from one another, mirroring how the two professions collaborate in industry.

The integrated curriculum prepares students to better understand both sides of the building process before they enter the workforce, and James is putting that approach into practice through her internship.

“It’s important to understand how a building actually comes together before you start designing one,” said James, who is in the Honors College. “I’ll understand that process and be able to better apply my design skills. There can also be a communication gap between builders and architects, and getting this experience will help me bridge that gap.”

Through the internship, James is working on site at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s Washington Branch project. She is completing submittal reviews, tracking materials and lead times, coordinating requests for information and conducting site walks.

Originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan, James said she’s also taking the opportunity to learn directly from construction professionals about how architects can make the building process more efficient.

“It’s been such a valuable experience to have this kind of firsthand knowledge to bring back to the classroom,” she said. "I didn’t realize every single item that goes into a building needs to be verified by three different people, or how much communication happens between an architect and the construction team.” 

Lindsey Brusoe, an assistant teaching professor in the School of the Built Environment, said James’ eagerness and ambition immediately made an impression when she met her at the start of her freshman year.

“It was clear even then that she had a grounded understanding of what it would take to achieve her goal of becoming an architect,” Brusoe said. “While her goal is to become an architect, a significant part of an architect's role extends beyond design to collaborating with contractors and guiding projects through construction. McKayla is developing another dimension of the skill set that exceptional architects need. She’ll have a deeper appreciation for constructability, coordination and communication amongst the design and construction team, which will allow her to make more informed design decisions and better serve her clients. The breadth of experience will make her a tremendous asset to whichever firm she chooses to join in the future.”

Aside from the technical knowledge, James said the internship has helped improve her time management, organizational skills and ability to accept constructive feedback, valuable skills she’ll carry with her through the final two years of her architecture degree and into her future career.

James understands the benefit of honing those durable skills and has gotten a jump-start by joining professional organizations on campus. She is the community outreach liaison for the BGSU chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students and president of the University’s National Organization of Minority Architects.

“Getting involved has definitely shaped my experience for the better,” James said. “I’ve been told college is half about what you learn and half about the experiences you create for yourself. I wanted to get the most out of my four years here.”

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