Nikolas joined Moseley this summer for the first internship of his engineering career, working mostly in the firm’s K-12 sector. Through this opportunity, he drew from a lifelong interest in the inner workings of the built environment and how it contributes to the overall design process. Currently in his third year at North Carolina State University, Nikolas is eager to apply the knowledge and experience he gained at Moseley to his ongoing work.
Why did you choose to study engineering?
I was always pretty interested in engineering. I always liked design and tinkering with things, and I was good at math and science—so it felt like a no-brainer.
What building typologies are you most interested in?
During this internship, I’ve been working a lot in K-12. But I think historical structures are really cool, since you have to figure out how to modernize a building while retaining its older features.
How did you learn about the internship?
My dad, Aaron Chupp, works in the Richmond office as an architect. Also, over this past winter break, I got to shadow Tyler Whately and see what it’s like to work in MEP engineering.
If you had to describe your Moseley intern experience using three words, what would they be?
Hands-on, productive, educational.
What are some of the assignments you’ve been given?
I have done a lot of mechanical equipment and ductwork design for the existing conditions of a couple of projects, as well as demolition and new construction of mechanical equipment on a high school.
What assignments have you enjoyed the most?
I think working on demolition and new construction has been the most enjoyable, as it requires a lot more problem-solving to connect new equipment to existing conditions.
Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? What did you learn from them?
There were times when I looked over my work and noticed areas where I had made mistakes, often things that I didn’t figure out until I was nearly done with modeling the existing conditions. I learned very quickly that it saves a lot of time to do something right the first time, instead of having to go back and fix it. If I am unsure about something, it is better for me to double-check with someone else and ask for help.
How has the actual experience differed from your expectations of it?
I didn’t expect to start working on projects as quickly as we did. I have a lot of other friends who’ve had internships where they work on individual tasks assigned to them, whereas we worked on larger projects. Being able to work on modeling existing conditions, as well as demolition and new construction, meant that I could learn a lot of things on my own. This taught me how to work productively on a project over a longer period.
Have any of your assignments required you to collaborate with any non-engineers involved in design (ex: architects, interior designers, sustainability coordinators, etc.)?
As an engineer, I have mainly been working with engineers. But I got to coordinate with architects on one of my projects while working on the existing conditions.
Also, all of us interns, regardless of whether we were in the same field, had lunch together on most Wednesdays. This gave me the opportunity to ask about what their experiences were like as well.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned or the best advice you’ve received during the internship?
Being able to work on my own and plan how to complete a large task over a long period was probably the most valuable thing I learned. Because I was given large tasks, such as modeling all the existing ductwork for a building, I learned how to break them into smaller tasks that were easier to plan around. This helped me estimate how long it would take to finish, and it helped a lot with my time management and productivity.
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