Urban Art Galleries to Rural Islands

Carnegie Mellon University alumna Betty Rexrode learned from an early age to appreciate the environment.

Growing up in York, Pennsylvania, she was the middle child in a family with a strong farming background. Her paternal grandfather was a farmer; her maternal grandfather served as the Commonwealth’s Secretary of Agriculture.

The love of the land passed on to later generations, and Betty developed an appreciation of the surrounding farmland’s natural beauty.

It may seem odd, then, that Betty ultimately landed in New York City.

After studying in Rome during her time as an undergrad at the College of Fine Arts School of Architecture, she moved there briefly to practice after graduating in 1989. Her career path then took her to Pittsburgh, Texas and, finally, New York, which allowed her to live closer to family.

As a practicing architect, Betty’s appreciation for beautiful environments continued. Since 1995, her primary work has focused on the design of art galleries, first with Richard Gluckman Architects, where she was an associate, then founding Rexrode Chirigos Architects NYC in 2006. There, she has created, to date, 25 more New York art galleries.

Art, a first love, became incorporated in her studies at CMU where she earned a minor in art (painting) and, later, when she continued her studies at the University of Texas at Austin in fine arts. Now, 28 years later, her combined interests contribute to her success designing galleries in New York City.

“I spent a lot of time on my grandparents’ farms,” she says. “I learned to appreciate and love the land and environment, and what you need to do to maintain, conserve and restore it. All of this comes full circle with our Living on Net Zero project and our urban initiatives in New York.”

Net Zero, described as “off the grid 54 miles from Times Square,” is Betty’s connection to her roots. Although her professional work showcases some of the world’s greatest art galleries, her personal work highlights her ongoing dedication to the natural environment. Even while maintaining her New York City apartment with husband and business partner Michael Chirigos, there came a time when the family recognized that having a strong connection to the outdoors to raise their family was important to them.

They found Oak Island, a community highlighted in The New York Times, where their house at the time was covered in vines and looked a bit like a chicken coop, she remembers. The island was, and still is, like stepping back in time — no public utilities for electricity, gas or water; emergency services provided by fireboats and all trash hauled off the island by owners. Undaunted, Betty, Michael and their kids, ages 4 and 2 at the time, felt like they had come home and thought they might thrive there, learning about the land and living in harmony with it.

They bought their home and became part of the community, sharing the island with 50 other neighbors. The family eventually installed solar panels and lighting, made renovations to the home, keeping its original structure intact while updating — always with the natural environment in mind. The children learned to “plant what you can eat,” embraced raising vegetables and oysters, foraging beach plums and berries, and, most recently, adding scallops to their aquafarm.

Betty says she loves the juxtaposition of her city life with her life on the water. Both fulfill her desire to create, both as an architect of structural spaces and natural wonders. She thinks back often on her time at CMU and the inspiration of several people who encouraged her to pursue her architecture studies.

“Slee [School of Architecture Professor Steve Lee] hooked me in pre-college,” she says. “He later became one of my first-year professors, and I was fortunate to work with [his firm] Tai + Lee during my junior year.”

Betty also gave kudos to then-faculty member Walter Boykowycz, whom she called “the quietest member of the faculty with the most thoughtful comments,” who also led her summer studio experience in Rome with Nino Saggio. Andrew Mellon Professor of Architecture Doug Cooper also served as an influence in “every level of drawing” and independent study, and Mike Chirigos, who taught the design build program and with whom she connected after returning from studying abroad.

“He was the architect that explained to me what an employer needs to do to make you an architect,” she recalls. “I took the job [with his firm]. He taught me how to think on a  practical level and get things built. And the perk? He introduced me to his son, Michael,  my husband and business partner!”

In her daily work, Betty refers back to her CMU education, which instilled critical thinking as an essential part of her process.

“Learn that, and there’s not a thing you cannot do or master,” she says. “I am in debt to those who gave their time to teach me, and I’m grateful to be able to do the same through having summer CMU interns, having CMU alumni join our staff, being able to mentor through the American Institute of Architects, and teaching third-year students at Pratt.”

To those architecture students and recent graduates, Betty passed along advice she thinks is helpful as they pursue their degrees and their careers.

“Take the time to identify what matters to you,” she says. “Ask why, and meet with people who share that interest. Challenge what matters to you and refine what that means over time.”

During her own time at CMU, Betty was grateful for exposure to other areas of study on campus. She advised current students to explore the departments and colleges outside of their own. “The world is vast. What you can do and how you make your impact have endless opportunities.”

She hopes students take the time to explore Pittsburgh. Whether that’s getting a “late-night fix” at one of Oakland’s many diverse food establishments, or going to the Carnegie Museums, or visiting the industrial mills and Pittsburgh bridges (which she focused on with faculty members Charlee Brodsky and Doug Cooper) and has influenced her ongoing research on the New York bridges as public spaces and involvement with the nonprofit organization Transportation Alternatives.

From the vast farms of eastern Pennsylvania to the heart of Manhattan and, still, in her environmental community on Oak Island, Betty has made the most of her passions.

She says she loves where she’s landed but, if she weren’t doing what she currently does, she would see herself in painting, expanding her oyster raising and encouraging aquaculture as a means to restore the bays or venturing into landscape design.

“But who’s to say those are not all a form of practicing architecture?!” she says with a laugh.

And with that, she dons her bicycle helmet and heads back to create something special in whatever environment is her current focus.