From the mid-17th century through the 18th century, English aristocrats completed their education with international travel. It was called “The Grand Tour,” an arduous and expensive visit to Paris and Rome and points in between. Possibly lasting multiple years, it was an opportunity to immerse oneself in another culture.
Twenty-three undergraduate and graduate architecture students and an alumnus took advantage of similar immersion when they visited Rome from March 7th through the 15th with CoAD Dean Karl Daubmann and Assistant Professor of Architecture Sara Codarin, Ph.D.
Rome is known as the eternal city with a complex history of nearly 3,000 years layered upon itself. It is not a museum but a thriving city with just under 3 million inhabitants.
All designers benefit from experiencing cities, buildings, spaces, and culture. International travel allows them to gain empathy by being in another culture and practice intense observational skills. Within the walls of Rome, students visited ancient Roman sites, Baroque churches, Italian Rationalist government buildings, contemporary Italian buildings, and saw a range of art and sculptures.
John Ly, a MArch ‘25 student, said, “Rome has always been a bucket list item for me. Every architect has a niche. Because mine is urban planning and institutional facilities, this itinerary was very suitable for my focus areas of urban planning and architectural design.
“For what I do, to see the foundation of architecture and how things were created was really a bonus for me.” As Ly recalled his experience of walking 101 miles in eight days, he said, “My advice for future study abroad students is ‘get a good pair of walking shoes.’”
Mike Deming graduated with his BSArch ’94 and MArch ‘97. He said, “I would highly recommend this to all architecture and design alumni. It gives us a chance to see the things that architecture students are learning now and get a little extra insight that I may have forgotten about.”
Daubmann explained, “LTU offers an annual study abroad trip to provide students with a unique, immersive educational experience. We offer several different formats of study abroad. Our “Rome-ing Around” class has been particularly successful in recent years. It takes place during spring break, and because students accumulate enough contact hours during the trip, they earn credit for a 3-credit elective course.
“Through study abroad, both design and architecture students develop a broader perspective on architecture and design by engaging directly with global examples of built environments. They strengthen their critical thinking, observational, and analytical skills by studying different cultural and historical contexts. Many students return with a richer appreciation of the global impact of design and a stronger foundation for their future academic and professional work.”
Student credit from L to R: Rome at dusk by Mai; Twisted Temple by Nathalia Damasceno; Bernini marble sculpture of HAZMAT-clad workers by Dane Peterson.
Student credit from L to R: B+W street scene by Rafaela Tedesco; Baths by Samuel Laura; and Bee keeper on the Barberini Stair by Samuel Laura.
Renée Ahee
