University of Southern California's Chloe Romano on Context, Service, and Inspiration
By Julia Gamolina
Chloe Romano is a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor in Architecture with a minor in Business Administration at USC. Growing up with Franco-American culture, she has been interested in the various perspectives present in the architectural field. To examine these perspectives, she has begun a podcast “Architects Explained” held in English and in French where she interviews professionals in the field of Architecture on topics pertaining to planning, social equity, climate, historical preservation, and resiliency.
Growing up in New York City she has had the chance to participate in urban design-based volunteering activities with OACNY and has become involved with the community in Los Angeles as a Community Course Leader with Architecture + Advocacy.
JG: Why did you decide to study architecture?
CR: My interest in architecture began quite early — I think I was about nine years old. One of the most significant moments for me was visiting Antonio Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I was very captivated by the natural forms and the details that went beyond the functional level. When I returned to New York, I went to my school's library and checked out a book on Catalan Architecture and was really drawn to the idea of being able to design spaces like the ones I had seen. After this initial exposure to architecture, I was quite set on pursuing it professionally and this interest was only reinforced by the additional exposure I got to the field.
“Dwelling” model, by Chloe Romano.
What was the most significant project to you that you worked on in architecture school?
This semester, in my studio class led by Scott Uriu, we have been working on a denser redesign of a square-mile in Los Angeles — more specifically in the Valley. The context we are designing within is very low density and has low walkability and touches the core issues that Los Angeles faces. What has been particularly challenging about this project is the scale as prior to this the largest building I had designed was 10,000 square feet. The adaptation to working on a larger scale has taught me how to incorporate the concepts and problem-solving methods that I would typically use for the design of one building at the scale of a city.
What are some of the initiatives you’ve focused on, and why?
Growing up with my mom engaging with our local community in the Lower East Side through the arts, I have tried to find ways to merge my passion for architecture with helping my local community. Starting last year here at USC, I joined Architecture + Advocacy as a Community Course Leader where I would go into schools and teach the curriculum to K-12 students in underserved neighborhoods around South LA. Having enjoyed this experience, I wanted to do the same in New York and worked as a volunteer and teaching assistant for the Center For Architecture in New York’s Summer Program with elementary school level students to high school. From these experiences teaching, I realized that it was a really great opportunity to understand the material from the perspective of the educator and having participated in architecture programs like these growing up I knew how influential they could be for the students in determining whether architecture was a career path of interest.
“...in architecture, you are not dealing with a blank canvas and knowing how to respond to that condition and situation is really important.”
Tell me about “Architects Explained”! How and why did you start the podcast, and what have been some of the most memorable things your interviewees have said.
Architects Explained is a podcast I started in 2021 where I interview professionals in the architectural field on topics pertaining to planning, social equity, climate, historical preservation, and resiliency. I have always been super interested in getting to know people and their stories, interests and passions and the podcast was the perfect medium for that.
After my first architectural internship, I remember getting to the office and having such interesting conversations with the very experienced architects and designers that were working there. I was always thinking about how a lot of the questions I was curious about were probably what other people in the industry and students my age wanted to ask about as well. Once I did my first episode I realized that so many people in the industry have different takes on each of the topics we discuss and wanted to explore what those various views and experiences were. As of now the conversations I have had range from the perspective of firm founders, professors, urban planners, principles at firms, to the founder of this very magazine!
Two conversations that really stood out to me were with Craig Dykers, a founding partner and managing director at the international architecture firm, Snøhetta and Micheal Tomlan, a professor and the Historic Preservation and Planning Coordinator at Cornell AAP. Both stressed the importance of observation. Dr. Tomlan phrased it as the need to “stop, look, and listen,” and Mr. Dykers emphasized, “we like to be good listeners but good architecture is not just the result of a sponge sucking liquid in and then squeezing it back out. We have to have our own mindset that merges with everyone involved and everything that has existed.” I found both of these views super inspiring because most of the time in architecture, you are not dealing with a blank canvas and knowing how to respond to that condition and situation is really important.
“Kit-of-Parts” by Chloe Romano.
City Collage by Chloe Romano.
When applying for and thinking about internships, what are you looking for in an architectural company?
Something that I’ve realized since beginning my career in architecture is that I really enjoy the collaborative nature of architecture and the communication element with the team as well as the clients. What I look for in any firm I want to work with is that environment where you can run through design ideas together and maintain that same collaborative nature in the presentations with the clients integrating as many of the designers in that part of the process. A part of architecture that I also really enjoy is how multifaceted it is depending on the types of projects you work on. To learn as much as possible, I would look for a firm where there are multiple concentrations so that the learning process never ends.
What do you hope to do in your career in general?
I hope to become an architect working on public projects. When I was introduced to the professional world through an internship with Snøhetta and later KPF, I observed their work on projects in the realm of libraries, museums, university buildings, and broader urban design projects. That experience really opened my eyes to creating spaces that so many people can enjoy and experience together and exposed me to the intricacies of designing these public spaces to create certain feelings that can bring people together.
“...for those already pursuing architecture and spending a lot of time in the studio — remember to go outside and explore the architecture in your area as inspiration for projects can often be found in your surroundings.”
What have you learned in the last six months?
In the last six months I have been more exposed to the business aspects of architecture having begun my business minor and having joined an investment club at USC. This experience has taught me the importance of integrating the business mindset with architecture. In the same way that when one is presenting a stock to convince investors what is unique about their company, architects have a very similar task when it comes to presenting their project to clients and highlighting their unique approach and design.
Who do you look up to? Both in terms of women in architecture, and in general.
When I first became interested in design and architecture my stepmom, Michelle Lauterwasser, who is an architect, was always there to guide me and further my knowledge. When I would come to her office and see her working on renders or preparing for construction visits, the whole process seemed so fun and intriguing. What I was most amazed by was her logic and problem-solving capabilities. Even now as I continue pursuing architecture, I see that we work and think about design problems very differently which for me is only more inspiring as there is so much I can learn from her.
Hana Kassem, a principal at KPF that I shadowed in my senior year of highschool has been a great inspiration to me. Through our numerous conversations, her mentorship has truly given such motivation to achieve all that I set out to do and do so with confidence.
I look up to all of those that I have learned from as in each of these relationships they have shown me the dedication and passion it takes to be a good architect and thoughtful person: Craig Dykers, Elie Gamburg, Tim Hayduk, Taka Taschibe, and Micheal Tomlan.
“Community Branch Library” by Chloe Romano.
What advice would you give to those interested in studying architecture? Or those just starting their architectural education?
I would say the most important thing is to really spend time exploring all of your interests whether you are already decided on pursuing architecture or not. Architecture is so interdisciplinary that whatever you are interested in, whether it's the environment, biology, or psychology, can be integrated into your designs and focus. I would also say for those already pursuing architecture and spending a lot of time in the studio — remember to go outside and explore the architecture in your area as inspiration for projects can often be found in your surroundings.