Elizabeth Rechin

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio Elizabeth was always interested in the art of making with precision, and found architecture to be the perfect hybrid application of everything she enjoyed doing.

Following undergrad at Ohio State University, Elizabeth came west to earn her Masters in Architecture degree from UC Berkeley. At Cal, she was awarded the John K. Branner Travel Fellowship for her proposal on Adapted Sacred Spaces, which allowed her to spend time exploring sacred architecture that had been adapted over time throughout Europe.

Elizabeth is particularly fond of Dominus Winery by Herzog and de Meuron in the Napa Valley. Here the architects expand on the gabion wall and the simple idea of thermal mass to create a building that can naturally heat and cool itself. She is inspired by the concept of using simple building techniques in novel ways to create beautiful and functional architecture. This concept has inspired some of her own academic projects, including one which was exhibited at the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco.

Collaborative by nature, Elizabeth is energized by the ideas of other designers. When she’s not immersed in the world of design and architecture, Elizabeth enjoys activities like running, painting, going on hikes, and trying new coffee shops around the city.