From Archinect Jobs:

Workshop/APD, an award winning design firm based in New York City, seeks an unpaid architectural intern.

In addition to digital modeling, drafting and rendering, applicants should show an ability to organize, have strong oral and written communication skills, and display a willingness to assist in the administrative functions of a fast-paced office.

Specific requirements include strong knowledge of the following programs:

• AutoCAD
• Adobe programs (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
• 3-D Studio Max, Maya, and/or Form Z

Projects range from traditional to modern and applicants should demonstrate an understanding and interest in both areas. For a broader understanding of our work, please go to www.workshopapd.com

This is an unpaid internship. The number of hours depend on applicant availability.

The principals of workshop/apd are Andrew Kotchen and Michael Berman. You might recognize these two from the Rockport Shoe advertisements. It is no news that many firms have been hit hard by the economic downturn. One sector of the economy that hasn't taken much of a hit is the custom home market for the uber wealthy. workshop/apd is lucky enough to be in this market with many 8000+ sf homes in their portfolio. Currently they are working on the new Visitor's Center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Our guess is that Berman and Kotchen are some of the lucky few that can actually afford to pay their workers. It is truly unfortunate that they feel the need to exploit young workers. Any job requiring "strong knowledge" of design programs, as the one posted above, shouldn't be an unpaid internship. They should at least be offering free Rockport Shoes as payment!

If you'd like to contact Mr. Berman or Mr. Kotchen you can email them here.

While we typically expose exploitative job offers, our mission extends to cover working conditions to all architects and designers. We were interested in the following news sent to a member of our investigative team:

Some at Yamasaki go unpaid since January, complaints say
from Crain's Detroit Business

As lawsuits accumulate against Troy-based architectural firm Yamasaki Associates Inc., the company also is under review by the state for failing to pay some employees for more than two and a half months.

The state Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth Wage and Hour Division reports it has received eight complaints against Yamasaki involving nonpayment of wages since late January.

...

“We were getting paid on a regular schedule, and then at first it started out where the check was a few days late, then it was a week late, then one of mine bounced back in the fall and had to reissue,” said one Yamasaki employee, a projects manager who asked not to be identified.

“Then they told us they were moving from payday on every other Thursday to once a month. We thought that might help them and make it more consistent, only we haven't actually been paid once since the change.”

The employee said the most recent company paychecks that he and more than 80 percent of the current 50 or so employees received, other than some clerical and secretarial staff, were on Jan. 29.

...

“What we're told is they aren't paying anyone because they've been using the money to pay rent and utilities, and this is some kind of cash-flow problem,” he said. “But you can't continue to expect your employees to work hard and not pay them, and you have to try to do something.”

A follow up article reports that Architectural firm Yamasaki Associates ‘making good on the payment of claims found due’. However, an anonymous commenter reports that only those who filed complaints were getting compensated and that Yamasaki cancelled health coverage while continuing to deduct health plan fees from paychecks.

While this story is stunning in its scale and brashness it unfortunately reflects a larger reality. In how many other professions would employees work for ten weeks without being paid? How long would autoworkers labor without compensation? What about lawyers or surgeons or consultants?

Even after ten weeks of unpaid work only eight persons brought themselves to file formal complaints.

Why do architects often undervalue themselves and their contributions? What about our culture makes us susceptible to exploitation and intimidation?

From Craigslist NYC:

INTERIOR DESIGN / MODELMAKING INTERNSHIP

MKDreamDesign is an interior design and architecture firm based in Manhattan.
Our projects include nightclubs, spas, retail stores, restaurants, and residences in New York,
New Jersey, Las Vegas, California, and Dominican Republic (www.mkdreamdesign.com)

We are getting many new building and interior projects and seek a passionate and motivated
intern to start full time. Must be especially strong in modelmaking (physical and 3D computer).
It is an unpaid internship but we provide lunch and you will also learn a lot and engage in all
aspects of a design business from this hands-on internship.

Requirements
- Strong Model-Building skills
- Strong 3D computer modeling skills
- Proficiency in Vectorworks and/or Autocad
- Organizational & Communication skills
- General office skills
- Familiarity with Macs a+
- Graphic design skills a +

Duties:
- Physical model-building
- 3D Computer modeling
- Drafting
- Visiting and measuring sites
- Material and finish selection
- Acquiring and delivering samples
- General office work, answering phones

Please title subject as DESIGN & MODELMAKING INTERNSHIP

Send your cover letter, resume, and samples to:
Mkdreamdesign.jobs@gmail.com

Any resume without samples will not be reviewed.
List all programs you know: vectorworks, rhino, sketchup etc.

Matthew Kelly is the founder of MKDreamDesign. Mr. Kelly needs to be reminded that in the real world people are paid for the job they do. To email Mr. Kelly and remind him that exploiting his workers is wrong, you can contact him here.

From Craigslist NYC:

MR Architecture + Decor, a widely published interior architecture and decor firm, currently has an opening for an unpaid intern in our decor department. The ideal candidate will be an interior design student or recent graduate who can handle multiple tasks with minimal supervision. Duties will include working with the interior designers, running errands, sourcing materials, making follow up phone calls to vendors, organizing the materials library and anything else required to keep the operations running smoothly. Must know MS office and Photoshop, and Auto CAD is a plus. This is an excellent opportunity for students and recent grads looking to enter the interior design field.

For consideration, please e-mail your resume and cover letter to day@mrarch.com. and be sure to include INTERN POSITION in the subject field of the email.

To learn more about David Mann the Principal of MR Architecture + Decor you can read about his "Stylish" lifestyle on Page Six. He also talks about the pains of running a "sweatshop" here.

From Archinect's Job Board:

We are seeking an individual with experience in AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop and 3D Studio Max (or comparable). Excellent language and graphic skills are required. Additional information on the studio’s work can be found at: www.campionplatt.com No phone calls please.

This is an unpaid position. An allowance for lunch and travel will be provided. Hours of operation are 9am – 6pm. We are seeking someone available from Memorial to Labor Day.

Luxury might be "about materials and context" as his website asserts, but refusing to pay a summer intern seems less than luxurious. With projects in the Hamptons and Turks and Caicos, it seems Mr. Platt should be able to afford just compensation for a summer employee.

If you feel like being exploited you can contact Mr. Platt here.

Architects design only a small percentage of the built environment. This can be attributed to a failure on the part of the architectural profession to demonstrate that architectural design is of more value than other modes of production. If architecture is to reverse the longstanding trend of diminishing prominence and control, all architects must work to demonstrate the value of their labor.

If the process of hiring an architect for a design is to be justified then the value of that decision must be reflected in the compensation for the entire team that labors toward the realization of that design. When reputations are built on experience it stands to reason that it is bad for the profession if the previous experience of some hires results not from their individual aptitude, but from a willingness to accept unpaid work. It's not a level playing field when some firms are taking advantage of young employees by offering unpaid internships or volunteer positions. Offering inexperienced and desperate young architects jobs working for free or less than minimum wage is plain immoral, unfair, and typically illegal. This blog will aim to end this practice by exposing the firms that unfairly treat their employees.