Historically, the profession has relied on the period of architectural internship to enable graduates to integrate professional practice issues into their design-thinking. However, as the profession looks for ways to shorten the licensure process, eliminating the timeline between graduation and licensure, it is necessary to examine how these issues may be addressed in a more multi-dimensional manner within the academy. This paper documents pedagogical research, supported by the 2013 NCARB Award, that investigates an experiential, hybrid classroom and field-based model for integrating issues central to practice in curricula. Original course objectives focused on introducing students to the relationship between concept and technical execution by reviewing project documentation and then visiting construction sites to discuss issues of constructability. However, testing the format across varied project types, delivery methods, scales of operation, and practice models with a range of practitioners addressed a much larger realm of concerns than initially hypothesized. Rather than replicating practice, this research explores whether the academic setting can provide opportunities to integrate some knowledge domains more extensively than practice-based internship, and, if so, how we may do so.