“When I think back on my Parsons experience,” says Wichienkuer, “the Design Workshop was definitely the high point.” In the workshop—in which students take on small and medium-sized design projects for nonprofit clients—Wichienkuer created collapsible interiors for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and worked on restoring the Prince George Ballroom Gallery. “There’s something about actually building what you design that makes your process smoother and more efficient,” she explains, “and nothing will give you a greater appreciation for building than being part of a construction crew.”

Having completed the apprenticeship requirements, Wichienkuer plans to get her architecture license within the year while working a day job as project manager for Alcon Builders Group, a general contractor in New York. “We are close to making Yellow Laboratory a full-time business,” she says. “And while we may not always build what we design in the future, I can’t imagine designing without the kind of experimentation and play that was part of our process at Parsons.”