A Recap of Intern Week 2026

Each summer, TBG’s Intern Week brings interns from across the firm together for an immersive design experience that blends mentorship, collaboration, and hands-on learning. Hosted in a different TBG office each year, the program offers interns an opportunity to develop their skills, engage with our design process, and build relationships with practitioners from across disciplines and regions.

Hosted in Austin, this year interns participated in a charrette focused on 500 South Congress, an active TBG project in Austin’s rapidly evolving South Central Waterfront district. Spanning more than six acres and over 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use development, the site provided a complex and exciting design challenge. The project challenged the interns to think critically and creatively about how to address factors such as unique zoning regulations, riparian restoration, and open space requirements while also navigating the intersection of public and private spaces in a city known for its creative, outdoorsy, and eclectic character. Over the span of three and a half days, interns collaborated in small groups to work through inventory/analysis, concept iteration, and design development. They ended the week by presenting their work to TBG’s Austin office and the project architect, Lake Flato, providing participants with valuable experience communicating design ideas to both colleagues and project partners.

Meet the Interns hailing from seven different universities!

Class of 2026

Austin

Lianna Gardner — Penn State

Evan LeBlanc — Texas A&M

Dallas

Roj Manalo — Cal Poly

Avery Kobes — University of Arkansas

Houston

Samantha Boldt — UC Denver

Ava Morrissey — Kansas State

Kyle Dickens — UT Austin

San Antonio

Brynn McDowell — Texas A&M

Urban Design + Planning

Anna Lai: Houston — Texas A&M

Leijing Yang: Dallas — UT Austin

By bringing interns together with practitioners from across offices, disciplines, and experience levels, the program fosters meaningful mentorship, offers participants a firsthand look at how collaborative design happens at TBG. The result is an experience that extends beyond a project assignment to building relationships, strengthening professional networks, and helping the next generation of designers discover their niche within the profession.

Inspired by the work of this year’s intern class?

Whether you’re seeking an internship opportunity or looking for your next career move, we’d love to hear from you. Explore open positions and learn more about life at TBG on our Careers page.