LIFE

My mother wanted to be an artist and, similarly, was told she could be a nurse or a teacher, so she wasn’t able to pursue that either. Both of them and my father who loved to make things really encouraged me.

I went to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) [and] decided after the first year to go into architecture, but at the same time [took] courses in art. In my career, I try to marry art and architecture.  

 

Ronit: When I was in college, [female architects] were certainly a minority. I think we were ten of 75. Our teaching faculty had very few women members. Hearing their stories was very interesting. They really paved the way for us.

 

 Sky Frames, University of Maryland

[One] project I did was with a choreographer, dance students and architecture students. I really like working with other people and doing things I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t worked with someone in [another field]. There’s an initial idea and then ideas get developed through collaborating.

GL: What advice do you have for girls interested in design and architecture?

Ronit: First of all, keep your eyes open. Look at things and try to understand what appeals to you. If you’re in an environment and, for whatever reason, you have a strong feeling about it, whether you like it or don’t like it or if it feels too loud or too crowded or inspires you or evokes some kind of emotion, try to analyze what it is about that place that is creating that effect. Realize every place you’re in, someone designed. It didn’t just happen. Once you start realizing that someone else made it, you can imagine that you could do that too.

 

Go to museums and if you can take a course in school or outside of school, or a drawing course to hone your own skills, that’s terrific!

 

Wanna know more about Ronit and her inspiring work? Check out her website www.roniteisenbach.com for more info.

 

 

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