Zarina, who taught architecture for decades, influenced countless architects, including Steven Holl and Tom Kundig.
Astra Zarina (1929–2008) was born in Riga, Latvia, but emigrated to Seattle and earned her B.Arch from the University of Washington (UW) in 1953. She later obtained her M.Arch from MIT and worked in the Detroit-area office of Minoru Yamasaki. In 1960, Zarina became the first female recipient of the American Academy in Rome Fellowship for Architecture, an honor that was followed by a Fulbright fellowship that allowed her to continue her Italian studies. After her stay in Italy, she returned stateside to teach at UW. Her Rome studio program for architecture students, begun in 1970, became a regular offering.
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