Architecture thrives when the people who create it are at their best. PAYETTE values our people and continues looking for new ways to include diversity in our team, as unique minds lead to spontaneous ideas and intangible growth. We are proud to hold an active year-round internship program cultivating the newest talent and dedicated professionals. This summer, we are pleased to host a lively team of interns from as close as our home state, as well as all around the world. Meet them below! Part 2 of 3.
Aria Hill
Hello! I am a Master of Architecture candidate at Harvard University, Graduate School of Design. Originally from Virginia, I have a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Virginia Tech. My research focuses lie in two camps: (1) Caribbean decolonization and liberatory imaginaries using historic military infrastructures and (2) the intersection of higher-level geometries and architectural form and their resulting effects. When I am not working, you can find me cooking and finding new recipes, doing my nails, or learning to play tennis!
Emily Hu
I am a Master of Architecture II student at Harvard GSD originally from Rochester, NY. I previously received my B.Arch from Syracuse University in 2022. I am interested in architectural ethnography and hand-drawing, as well as in emerging exchange platforms like Airbnb. Outside of architecture, I like to make and sell little creatures made using crochet and clay.
Preston Branton
I am a Rice University architecture student entering my fifth year this coming fall semester. I have been at PAYETTE for about 11 months and have worked on a series of projects since I started in September 2022. I hold great interest in fabrication and architecture as a critical approach to reimagining the physical, social and societal infrastructures that form the human experience. With this in mind I am most excited about the infinite possibilities of architecture to improve public health, access to quality education, environmental equity and access to social and cultural resources. I believe in design’s ability to build and empower communities often underserved, and economically and politically marginalized. Outside of architecture I am a Chicago native of the Southside and an artist who loves working with their hands. I enjoy cooking, movies and fantasizing about the many lives I hope to lead.
Leonardo (Leo) Levia
I graduated from East Boston High School in 2023, and will be starting college this fall. I like to build and design things. I found my interest in Architecture from a young age since most of my family work in construction, also because architects can create the world around them and bring people together. Outside of architecture I enjoy helping people solve problems, listening to/making music, swimming and exploring new things.
Bing Wan
I am entering my final year in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington-Seattle. I am passionate about creating spaces that connect people and nature. As I have gained experience studying and working in the field, I have come to a broader understanding of the power to connect people from inside and outside. Outside of Landscape Architecture, I love baking!
Meet The Other Interns
We are honored to share PAYETTE has received two 2026 Green Good Design Awards from The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies—Land’s Sake Farm and The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard.
“Green GOOD DESIGN identifies and emphasizes the world’s most important examples of sustainable design and works to develop a public awareness program that informs the general public about which global companies are doing the best job in ecological and sustainable design for our world. Architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning projects, as well as product, packaging, and graphic design projects from over 30 nations were honored with the 2026 Green GOOD DESIGN Award.”
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