Celebrating Ryder’s First ACE Student

During Vanni’s time at Ryder, she was actively engaged in hands on learning experiences, contributing to various aspects of our office culture and projects from digital and physical model making to team building initiatives. Vanni seamlessly integrated into our collaborative work environment and consistently brought a warm presence to our office.

We prioritize mentorship and exposure to the real world challenges of the industry where Vanni had the opportunity to work through various phases of a project lifecycle and experience different facets of architecture. Through this practical approach, we hope to instill a sense of confidence and readiness in our ACE students.

As Vanni continues her journey to her next ACE placement, we celebrate her achievements and the success of the ACE program. Ryder remains committed to supporting and empowering the next generation of architects and construction professionals, and we are excited to see the next step in Vanni’s journey.

We sat down with Vanni to talk about her experience at Ryder.

What attracted you to the ACE program?
Initially, my passion for design led me to explore architecture as a career. However, facing rejection from UBC was a bit disheartening. It was my careers’ teacher who introduced me to the ACE program, mentioning that it was something her son wished he could have done during his own architectural journey. It felt like a second chance and not wanting to settle for an alternative made the decision crystal clear for me, that I definitely have to do this!

What was the most interesting thing you learned while at Ryder?One of the highlights was learning how to use various programs like SketchUp to create building models and then testing their energy efficiency through DesignPH. The process of learning these programs was challenging but extremely fun and rewarding to see the design of a project evolve.

What surprised you the most about the architectural field?
Honestly, I used to think architects just had this magical ability to think of an idea, sketch it out, and voila, the building is done! But in reality, the complexity involved in the design process was surprising. It’s not just about creativity; it’s about wearing multiple hats – sometimes feeling like an engineer, other times a construction worker. The level of thought and detail that goes into designing caught me off guard.

What was the most challenging aspect of your term so far?
Oh, hands down, it’s been the battle with my sleep schedule. I’m a bit of a night owl, usually buried in a good book and then struggling to peel myself out of bed in the morning. (Sorry, Manpreet, for the yawning on Teams!) But apart from that, the real challenge has been learning how to guesstimate the sizes of elements while designing. I’ll admit, it’s not my strong suit, but hey, I’m working on it!