Tahani El-Share

Hopkins and Porter, Inc.

Hopkins and Porter, Inc. is a design/build company located in Potomac, Maryland. Design/build is a method of project delivery in which one entity (design builder) provides for architectural and engineering design services in addition to construction services. H&P, Inc. specializes in remodeling of and additions to old, and more often, historic buildings in Washington Metropolitan Area.

In addition to developing a comprehensive understanding of the process by which the Design, Sales, Estimating, Production, and Administration departments work with each other throughout the course of each project, my tasks also included assisting in research of historic preservation ordinances, zoning regulations, building codes, and related factors affecting various projects, and conducting property research and documentation for historic buildings or buildings located in historic districts. This internship gave me the opportunity to explore the practical aspects of remodeling historic buildings and the challenges that professionals face in trying to accommodate their clients’ needs and at the same time fulfilling the requirements of and overcoming the restrictions of building codes, zone regulations and historic districts’ ordinances.