Architecture student Trey London recently participated in the 2024 Winter Shadowship program with the award-winning global design firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. This program offers an immersive professional experience to students planning a career in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry.
“It is a great privilege to participate and represent OU at such an internationally renowned firm,” said London. “I am extremely grateful for the SOM team who selected me from students around the world. It was an awesome opportunity to meet some great people and to gain insight into globally well-known projects.”
SOM has designed some of the most significant architectural and engineering achievements in modern history, including the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai and the One World Trade Center in New York. The firm is also committed to reducing the building and construction industry’s carbon footprint and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Burj Khalifa in Dubai, designed by SOM. Photo by Nick Merrick, Hedrich Blessing Photographers.
In November, London was selected from a global pool of applicants. The program took place from Jan. 8-12 at SOM’s Washington D.C. office, where he was one of four shadowship participants. During his time in D.C., London spent time with SOM team members and industry professionals to learn about the firm’s work and design process.
“Since starting Architecture school, I haven’t had the chance to see exactly how a big, international firm operates, so it was a good opportunity to see how everything is taken care of at all levels of the company,” said London. “I saw the behind-the-scenes on some of the firm’s upcoming projects and how the whole office works together to develop internationally renowned projects.
Specifically, I learned that large scale projects are tied to a plethora of political, social and technical implications and not everything is going to work smoothly, whether it is with the contractor, the client, or within the office.”
He also spent time learning about SOM’s DEI initiatives and partnerships with minority groups, including Arquitectos, Asian Alliance, National Organization of Minority Architects, Pride and Women’s Initiative. “SOM has led the industry with their initiatives, and it was helpful for me to see how the profession will develop during my time as an architect,” said London.
London in front of the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
According to London, his favorite experience was his visit to the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The museum was designed by a team of SOM architects, including Eliezer Lee who showed London around the site.
“I grew up in Northern Virginia in a military family, and my family and I have been going to Ft. Belvoir since I was a baby,” said London. “It was cool to see such a big firm design this project right next to where I grew up, honoring the US Army where many of my family and friends have served.”
After his positive shadowship experience, London is interested in working for SOM. “It would be a privilege to work there in the future,” he said. “They work on very exciting projects from around the world that anyone would be lucky to contribute to.”
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
