Kathleen at home. Photography by Federico Lovito.

Kathleen Gerard is an architectural designer, recently relocated to Rome from New York. She is interested in architecture’s ability to uncover histories and to engage with culture, politics, and the environment. She holds an M.Arch from Pratt Institute.

7:00am: I moved to Rome from New York about a month and a half ago with my husband, right after our wedding in Lecce. My daily routine is me still adjusting to the many new things around. Typically, I wake up around this time. Our bedroom is on the interior side of a 16th century building. With the extremely thick walls, the house stays cool and quiet throughout the night, but in the morning, when Rome awakes, the noises of the city echo into the lightwell.

I usually like exercising in the mornings, but this morning I am focusing on studying. It’s taken me a little while to get back on track but I am finally taking the rest of my ARE exams and I have one in London in a few weeks. I like the mornings for this because I find my mind is sharpest to understand concepts and because it’s harder to find the proper time in the afternoons or evenings.

7:15am: I make an espresso with ground coffee from Castroni, a wonderful specialty food store nearby. I’ll probably go back to my typical routine of making matcha at home soon, but for now I am loving the ritual of the Bialetti moka. I take my supplements, have a yogurt and I’m ready to power through some studying.

8:45am: I’ll quickly get ready for the day and I’m out the door by 9 a.m., to make it to Italian class every weekday. On my walk to class, I get a direct view of Basilica di Sant Pietro — I am in a constant state of awe and wonder when I walk around Rome. It’s also the Jubilee Year — a major Catholic event held in Rome every twenty-five years that involves prayer, pilgrimage, and penance — so the streets are packed with tourists and pilgrims visiting all of the sites.

9:15am: I arrive to class, and we jump right into the usage and conjugation of verbs with the formal “Lei”. In general, I understand most conversations, but it’s taken time to feel confident and capable of speaking in social situations. This intensive, daily way of learning, and then taking each lesson into everyday life, is the best way to grasp a new language.

10:45am: We get a fifteen-minute break from class, so I walk down the street to Gabrini and get a macchiato with my husband. His office is down the street from my school so most days we have this quick mid-morning moment to see each other and I really enjoy it.

The Market at Campo dei Fiori. Photography by Kathleen Gerard.

12:30pm: I finish class and walk nearby to Castroni to get a bag of coffee and a bag of some black licorice — a favorite of mine! I walk across the bridge to the market at Campo dei Fiori to get some flowers for the apartment and produce for lunch. I really admire this vibrant and unique part of the city. In the 15th and 16th Centuries it was an area where notaries worked. It now has many small restaurants, independent clothing stores, contemporary art galleries, and antique stores. I pick up puntarelle and fennel, which are both in season.

1:30pm: After walking home and making a quick salad, I get back to my desk to do some work. Today, I am correcting drawings for a townhouse project in New York City and am both modeling and rendering for a renovation in Massachusetts. I have a strong interest in working with existing structures, so I find these projects very rewarding. I’m currently working for myself, but I am also exploring roles at firms with connections to the U.S. and Italy. I enjoy the flexibility of having my own work routine but I also miss the collaboration, education, and friendship that comes from working in a studio.

4:00pm: This is when my mental focus usually drops, so I take a break from laptop work and go for a run along the Tiber River. It’s beautiful at this time of the day, right before the sun goes down. It’s incredibly peaceful down here and helps me to see the city from a different perspective. My favorite view is running towards Castel Sant’Angelo and then continuing towards the rowing clubs to watch them go down the river.

Run along the Tiber River with a view of Castel Sant'Angelo. Photography by Kathleen Gerard.

5:00pm: On my walk back from the river I call my mom. She studied in Rome for a year in the 80s and when we came here together last spring we visited her old school. I found her in the yearbook! She gives me the update on my dad and siblings. I miss my whole family, and we all live far from one another so it’s not easy to keep track of everyone.

5:30pm: I put some music on, shower, and get ready for the evening. Before my husband and I head out for dinner, I go back to my laptop for a bit of work on my portfolio — editing some project work and shuffling things around a bit.

7:00pm: We walk down our street to a wine bar called Alimenti off Piazza Farnese. It’s a great place to meet people and the staff is so friendly. Being new to a city with a new language has its challenges, but I’ve found that people in Rome are very welcoming and kind.

8:00pm: We walk nearby to a restaurant called La Quercia, located on the quiet and beautiful Piazza della Quercia. During the weekdays, it’s often dinner at home but tonight my sister-in-law is here from Puglia so it’s a special night!

10:30pm: After walking back home and getting ready for bed, I try to read something. I’m currently attempting to read Le città invisibili by Italo Calvino in its original Italian. The book tells the story of a collection of cities loosely based off Venice. My method of circling words to translate makes for a slow process as a reader, but helps me to relax and wind down. By 11 p.m., I’m nodding out and ready to sleep.

This piece has been edited and condensed for clarity.

A Day in Rome with Architectural Designer Kathleen Gerard