Castel Sant Angelo has a plethora of dramatic views. This loggia looks over the Ponte Sant'Angelo.
Toward the end of the year Olga became obsessed with an app called Huji, which takes photos and adds random effects in order to give it a vintage polaroid pictures.
I was proud to support my team in the Eternal City.
At this time of year Rome was not only blooming with tourist, it was blooming with flowers, too. These lovely ones lined the staircase to the Campidoglio, with the Altare della Patria and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli in the background.
Our last yoga session was on the roof of the RGG (Rome Global Gateway), with the Colosseum in view. I was very thankful to have yoga throughout the semester not only to relieve my body from being hunched over my drafting desk all day, but also to relieve my mind from the stress of the approaching deadline.
My final review of my Villa design!

This week was the final push: deadline week. Although we didn’t have a lecture in the morning, most of us were still up early working before we had class in the afternoon. Tuesday was a free day to work. All week Olga and I ate our lunches on the roof terrace to lighten the mood, soak in the sun, and appreciate our view of the Colosseum. Wednesday we had our last site visit for Roman Construction at Castel Sant’Angelo, originally Hadrian’s Tomb that was later converted to a fortress and palace for the Vatican. We ended class on the dramatic terrace overlooking all of Rome, a symbolic way to end the course as our professor pointed out. Olga, Bri, Matt, and I went to La Salumeria to get a salami platter and sandwiches for lunch. The food was incredibly delicious! On our way back to the RGG I stopped and took a picture in front of the Colosseum wearing my Pittsburgh Penguins shirt and holding a playoff poster that my parents mailed me. That evening after studio, I went to the last yoga session of the year which was held on the roof terrace. Thursday we had a final watercolor class painting the colosseum. Friday to Sunday was the typical deadline hysteria.

Monday was the first day of reviews, focusing on the other two Studios because they had the same programs (project requirements). My Studio reviewed on Tuesday because we had slightly different requirements. Monday during our mid day break Olga, Jake, and I went to the Avocado Bar in Monti for lunch. After the first day of reviews, nearly all of us went to the Colosseum to take celebratory group photos! That night after dinner in the villa some of us went to Giolitti for gelato. I had my review on Tuesday and it went well, so I was very pleased! That night most of the architecture students went to an aperitivo at MoMart and we had a great time being together with the weight of studio off of our shoulders! Later that night some of us sat outside the Colosseum to celebrate Amali’s birthday which was the following day.