Hart Howerton Travel Fellowship Program
Background: In 2006, Hart Howerton began an educational initiative to fund a select number of Fellowship positions for students at design schools. Each summer, Fellowships allow the firm to employ students in planning, architecture and/or landscape architecture internships in our New York or San Francisco offices. The Fellowship also provides funded travel for research on a topic the Fellow selects.
As a result of the Fellowships, schools have graduated students with the added advantages of professional office experience, collaborative interdisciplinary design, and worldwide travel and research. The perspective gained from a carefully defined program within a global design practice has helped students effectively define the choices available after graduation, and more confidently approach their careers.
The benefit to Hart Howerton has been tremendous – the energy, enthusiasm and input of new designers who, in the process of learning, are laying a foundation for the next generation of design thinking. The Fellowship underscores Hart Howerton’s commitment to continuing educational opportunities – for our staff, our clients, and the wider professional community.
Travel Study Focus: The firm currently has two research initiatives. Students with similar interests are especially encouraged to apply.
Complete Environments – Innovative thinking that spans across the built environments
Healthy Living – Comprehensive design for improved health in the places we create.
Structure: Hart Howerton defines an 8-week professional internship “assignment” as part of an existing firm project, followed by the Fellow’s self-defined, approved topic of travel study. The 3-week travel period’s findings are prepared, upon return, as a report presented by the Fellow to the firm.
The Fellowship includes:
$5,000 Fellowship travel expenses during the 3-week travel period.
$6,500 salary for the 8-week Fellowship/Internship within the office.
$2,500 for housing assistance during the 8-week stay in San Francisco or New York.
Round trip travel to SF or NY from the student’s school.
Application Process/Fellowship Schedule: The application is a downloadable PDF on our website, www.harthowerton.com. The submittal of an accompanying portfolio will be sent in electronic form by email to Hart Howerton. Hart Howerton principals make the final selections, though they may seek information from the relevant schools when appropriate. The application deadline is January 27, 2017. Hart Howerton will select a short list of up to 10 students to be interviewed by telephone or in person before final selection. The awarded Fellows will be announced on March 6, 2017. The Fellows arrive in the firm’s offices in late May/early June, and the program is completed prior to the start of their fall semester.
Past recipients of the Hart Howerton Fellowship have traveled to Europe and the United Kingdom, Thailand, China, Africa, and throughout the United States to study urban food networks, green roof applications, and coastal programming strategies, among other topics. As an example, Michael Murphy, founder of MASS Design Group, advanced his thinking about the role of design in Sub-Saharan health care programs as a Hart Howerton Fellow (Michael Murphy: Architecture that’s built to heal | TED Talk | TED.com).
