September 22, 2020

This week on I Want to Work In (#iwtwi), we are featuring our firm profile with Dylan Murphy in Los Angeles, CA. This feature will help you familiarize yourself with a different firm in this city!

Why do you work in transportation architecture?

I have always been interested in the duality of architecture and infrastructure; I think that good design considers both to be successful. The transportation market specifically allows for both architectural and infrastructural approaches, as this architecture always exists within a greater infrastructural and urban network. The work of our Transportation Architecture Group at HDR aims to deliver an elegant and efficient design to the client that also benefits the community at large. I am passionate to work in this industry to deliver better public transportation, as well as to increase community access to transit, through architectural and urban design solutions.

Why do you work at HDR?

I chose to work at HDR because it is an architecture and engineering firm specializing in both. Because of the firms size, HDR has a network of over 10,000 employees with almost any multidisciplinary skill. I have been with the company for less than a year and half, and have already worked with urban designers from Berkeley, California, civil engineers from Toronto, Canada, and architects in Sydney, Australia. I enjoy this large network as well as the backing of a large firm, while still having the intimacy of working in a small group of designers. The transit group in the Downtown Los Angeles office has less than 20 employees: designers, architects, landscape architects, and urban designers. I appreciate these close working relationships and the comfortability of working in a smaller group with other impassioned colleagues while still having access to the greater HDR network. In addition, as LA Metro is one of our largest clients, the work we do often directly benefits my community in Los Angeles, which inspires me every day.

As a young designer hoping to become licensed, I wanted my first full-time position in the field to expose me to projects across various scales and HDR is the perfect place for that. Working within these scales, I am increasing my knowledge of architecture and infrastructure while also flexing my design skills and technical abilities to fit the projects. While quite challenging, I am leaning how to be multi-faceted and adaptable within our projects which include: bus shelters; maintenance facilities; pedestrian, vehicular, and rail bridges; commuter and light-rail stations; community master plans; and others. These scales ensure that work is challenging and exciting, and that I am continuing to evolve as a designer and thinker.

This month, ‘I Want to Work In’ is sponsored by PPI, A Kaplan Company, the Preferred ARE Prep Provider of the AIAS.

Looking to venture to a new city after graduation? Stay tuned each month as we highlight a new city. Want to feature your city? Send an email to mailbox@aias.org.