Zarina, who taught architecture for decades, influenced countless architects, including Steven Holl and Tom Kundig.

A new exhibition, Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zarina. at ‘T’ Space in upstate New York
Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zarina is open at ‘T’ Space, a multidisciplinary arts center in Rhinebeck, New York, through September 14.
Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zarina is open at ‘T’ Space, a multidisciplinary arts center in Rhinebeck, New York, through September 14. © Susan Wides

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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