A Day With Rockwell Group's Stephanie Gitto

Stephanie Gitto is an architect at the New York-based Rockwell Group in its design innovation studio, the LAB at Rockwell Group, which blends interactive technology, architecture, strategy, and storytelling. She is also a member of Gitto + Negron Workshop. Her day involves chatting with students about the Tia Clinic, a walk through Park Slope, and some model making to end the day.

6:30am: I wake up. I use a “sunrise” alarm clock that glows on, and I usually wake up at the first sign of light. I still have about 20 minutes before the alarm is fully lit and actually beeps. My cat, Milo, also wakes up and will start walking all over the bed asking for breakfast. I make him wait a bit longer.

7:00am: By now, I like to get coffee going and feed Milo. My husband and I always have coffee in the front room of our railroad apartment, a room that has become an increasingly multi-functional space since Covid-19 hit. What was intended to be a space for us to work on crafts, read, and listen to music has now also flexed into a home office and home gym. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in a NYC apartment.

I like to spend my coffee time checking Instagram, which I’ve used increasingly to follow artists, makers, and designers I admire. I’ve recently found myself on an abstract embroidery kick! Other days, I’ll pick up a book. I’m currently reading Women in Clothes, a great collection of essays gifted by my friend, Carly.

7:45am: Time to get ready for the day. My morning routine is much quicker now that I’m not commuting into an office. My blow-dryer has been decommissioned for months! Quick shower, get dressed, maybe some “Zoom” make-up, and I’m ready to go.

8:00am: I sit down at my desk with a smoothie and start the workday. A quick check through email, Teams, and Slack, and I’m off. There’s no such thing as a typical day at the LAB - we’re a small interdisciplinary team of architects, designers, creative technologists, strategists, and art directors here at Rockwell Group, working on a diverse array of projects. Because of this, we all have to wear many hats. In addition to the typical “architect” role, I’ve had the pleasure of working as an exhibit designer, design strategist and storyteller, pitch deck copywriter, client representative, business developer, and everywhere along the totem pole from team leader to helping hand. I love getting to flex and stretch as the work demands.

9:00am: Pre-Covid, I would just be arriving at the office now. As a morning person, I’m enjoying kicking off the workday a bit earlier than I used to when I was in the office or on-site full time, but of course I miss interacting with the team in person, as well as the fun of being on a job site.

At the end of February and into early March, I had the privilege of wrapping up Journey to Edge, the immersive queueing experience for Hudson Yards’s Edge observation deck. I’m lucky to count myself among the few people who could take in the view from Edge prior to New York City’s quarantine lockdown. While I’m working almost 100% remotely, I still go into the Rockwell Group office occasionally to review material samples in our extensive library. I also had the joy of working in person with a group of my colleagues to help build a DineOut installation in Queens. DineOut is a non-profit Rockwell Group established to help restaurants get back on their feet during the pandemic by designing and building outdoor dining areas, and it's been great to see how well it has worked for community groups in each borough.

10:30am: I join our weekly studio meeting. We pop onto Zoom, sometimes with added surprise cameos from team members’ kids and pets, and discuss ways that we might collaborate on R&D as a remote team. I know we all look forward to being back in our corner of the Rockwell Group office.

The DineOut installation by Rockwell Group.

12:00pm: I used to be a desk-lunch-on-the-fly person, but now I really value my lunch break. My husband and I stop and have lunch together on the daily - this week it’s butternut squash soup with whole wheat sourdough bread, which I am thoroughly enjoying. We’ll also take this opportunity to either get out for a quick walk into Prospect Park, grab a coffee at our nearby Colson’s Bakery, or squeeze in a quick workout using our Nintendo Switch. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to spend time with my parents and family at their lake house and get in a near-daily swim! I need the change of scenery to re-energize me for the afternoon ahead.

3:00pm: I get the opportunity to speak with a studio class at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Design in the Environments track. Their curriculum focuses on human experience, interactivity and touchpoints, all while looking to seamlessly integrate meaningful technology into space. Basically it’s what we try to do in the LAB every day! This studio happens to be working on healthcare environments this semester with a focus on improving waiting room experiences, and innovative uses of technology for rehabilitation.

I’m excited to be able to share a behind-the-scenes look at our process and design work for the Tia Clinic, a disruptor in the women’s healthcare model. I walk them through the steps of taking a digital brand and translating it into a comfortable physical space that combines healthcare, hospitality, wellness, and gathering. The students are bubbling with great questions about the design and build process, Rockwell Group, and how the LAB works together with so many diverse skill sets and roles. The students’ energy and optimism leaves me feeling encouraged about the future of the field.

5:00pm: As the day wraps up, I typically check in with my teammates with Slack or a quick Zoom and review progress from the day. I always like to know where we’re at and get organized so I can start fresh and ready to go again in the morning.

Redentore Church relief model by the Gitto + Negron Workshop

6:30pm: Without a commute, I still like to transition between work and “after work.” My husband and I have instituted a new evening run habit. Last year we trained for and ran the New York City Marathon, which was amazing (and hard!). This year we’ve started going to a nearby track in Red Hook and worked on much shorter distance running goals. To be quite honest, I’m preferring our shorter runs a bit more than the double-digit mileage from last year. Towards the end of the week, we’re often inclined to skip the run and enjoy the outdoor dining options available in our neighborhood - even when it’s 40 degrees and raining!

8:30pm: I used to get home from work around now or head out for a drink with a friend. Instead, I’m already done with dinner and ready to use this extra time for small creative projects! I love learning new skills (although not necessarily taking the time to master them) so my evening activities are ranging from wood carving to iPad illustrating to embroidery to model making. My husband and I enjoy collaborating on these mini-projects and just wrapped up building a paper relief model of Il Redentore church for our sister-in-law as a graduation gift from her art history PhD program. These used to be one-off projects, but given our new routine we’re formalizing and documenting these projects as “Gitto + Negron Workshop” collaborations. After the consuming effort on that model, I think we’ll work on something a little less involved, such as holiday cards for our friends and family, before jumping into new projects in the new year!

10:30pm: Time to wrap it up for the day. I check my group text messages, which have helped keep me connected with friends and family throughout Covid. I’ll usually put on an episode of “The Crown” or when available, the latest performance streaming by the New York City Ballet. They won’t be back on stage until next fall, so I’ve appreciated being able to take advantage of their digital seasons watching past performances. In December, I watched “The Nutcracker” from the comfort of my couch, but looking forward to a night at the theater this time next year!