Rebecca Spratt, MArch ’25

Tell us about your degree project.
My degree project is a hybrid proposal that combines a children’s daycare and library in the Grand Center neighborhood of St. Louis. The building includes reading rooms, play areas, dining space, a volunteer kitchen, a family resource center, and an exterior garden. The design is centered around the reading and garden spaces, keeping nature at the core of the educational experience. The project aspires to create engagement among youth, families, and the surrounding community. Architecturally, the project is influenced by the bookshelf, a modular element integrated throughout the design to embed the library into the structure of the building itself.

How have you evolved as a designer over the years?
I’ve been designing for as long as I can remember. Not to lean too much into childhood nostalgia, but I was always invested in my arts and crafts, which eventually grew into a love for sculpture in high school. I was drawn to architecture for the way it sits at the intersection between artistic expression and the built environment. Since beginning my architectural studies, I’ve learned to design from the inside out, carefully considering scale, material palettes, program organization, solar exposure, and more. I continue to grow as a designer by deepening my understanding of building systems and the artistry in shaping and controlling those systems to bring architectural ideas to fruition.

Describe what it’s been like to work in studio alongside your cohort.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to experience this program alongside such talented and supportive peers at the Sam Fox School. They have played such a significant role in my education, personal growth, and development as a designer and emerging professional in the MArch program. I am excited to see where everyone goes after graduation and am proud to have been part of this community!

If you could go back to your first day in this program, what would you tell yourself?
I would encourage myself to be patient! Architecture, specifically architecture school, requires you to wear many hats when critically thinking through ideas and designing project proposals. From learning to draw and communicate your ideas to addressing practical constraints, each skill has a steep learning curve. It’s all part of the learning process, and it all takes time.

Rebecca Spratt graduates in May 2025 with a Master of Architecture from WashU, where she is also a Sam Fox Ambassador. She earned her undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.