I interned with HDR this summer in their Building Engineering Systems (BES) team. I assisted multiple engineers with a range of projects, from wastewater treatment plants to National Parks buildings to pump stations to military installations. I performed a number of the calculations required for the mechanical team, created new spreadsheets and procedures, and edited and revised plans and designs for the buildings.
I was also able to play a key role in a few buildings in the projects, being heavily involved in most of the calculations for the buildings. Much of my time was spent working with the HVAC side of the buildings, working with ductwork, secondary systems such as air handling units, hydronic piping, transfer piping, primary systems such as boilers and chillers, and controls systems. I got to interface with a number of senior engineers at HDR, and was exposed to a number of project types I never would have known about otherwise.
The internship helped solidify my decision to pursue a mechanical emphasis, and taught me a lot about not only the technical side of our field but also a number of the soft skills such as note taking, meeting management, interpersonal communication, organization, and time management.
