PRINCETON, N.J. — All it took was one trip.
One trip for Chris Armstrong (Sr., Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic) to Universal Studios to get hooked into to doing “fun” architecture.
“When I was in eighth or ninth grade, we took a class trip to Universal Studios and I thought it was the coolest thing,” said Armstrong. “I always wanted to do architecture, but fun architecture, not boring, dull houses.”
The plan in high school was to go to the school with the best opportunities to get into the field and there came Princeton University.
Armstrong really wanted to work at a theme park this summer. A friend, who worked at Universal, mentioned Thom Boessel who left the company to start his own firm.
Armstrong cold called and Boessel and said I want to work for you and what I can do?
Boessel, who had working in Beijing the past several years working on Universal’s theme park there, had now gotten the contract for the company’s new park opening in 2025.
Days for Armstrong included trips to Universal to see what was happening with the construction crews or working out Boessel’s house. Other times he’d helped with high-end restaurant designs in Orlando.
It’s all about the details.
“We were working on the ornamental pieces for the hotel (at Universal) which are the details that make it a Universal hotel and not a standard hotel, said Armstrong. “I was doing conceptual drawings and models for the pieces that looked like spheres, a cool geometric thing based on the constellations and the stars.”
After spending about half of his eight-week internship doing Universal hotel designs, Armstrong and Boessel’s company (Studio Boessel) worked on a high-end restaurant in Orlando. The senior helped with floor plans trying to create the best flow to maximize customer experience.
Restaurant design is way more involved than how the customer gets their food.
“Everything in Orlando is an experience because that’s what Disney did,” said Armstrong.
“When we think of a restaurant, it’s what are the visual things that customer is going to see? How are we going to obscure the kitchen? Is there going to be a narrative for the restaurant? How are we going to make it so when you enter the restaurant, you’re transported to wherever you want to be.”
Looking back on the internship, Armstrong is grateful on the experience that Boessel provided. “He was really helpful in providing introductions to people at Disney and Universal,” said Armstrong. “Architecture is a business profession, it’s more a networking thing and I never really conceptualized that because you don’t think as Disney and Universal as a business, but more like an art. They make beautiful attractions to make people happy.”
Princeton has also been beneficial in Armstrong’s growth into architecture.
“What’s really great about Princeton’s architecture program is that it’s so small,” said Armstrong. “In my grade, there’s only like 10 of us, so you get these nice personal relationships with your professors. That’s a common thing at Princeton that you can have real relationships with professors because the student-body is small. Princeton was also the only school when I was looking at colleges where the professors were intrigued when I said I want to work in theme parks. They really encourage me to delve into immersive design.”
Being a Division-I athlete has not been the easiest for Armstrong as he balances the triangle of sleep, academics, and socializing. “Architecture is a very social degree, because so much time is spent in the studio working on your models. It’s a great community, but balancing water polo with architecture has been a challenge. Obviously, architecture is hands down the most time consulted major you can do because of how many hours you’re in the studio.”
After Princeton, Armstrong plans to go to graduate school. Following graduate school, his dream … work in big markets.
“What’s nice about doing theme park design and immersive design on the whole is pretty much everywhere in the world has theme parks, specifically, a really big market like Asia. I’ve always really wanted to live in Japan and work for this big theme of our companies there.”
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
