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Some architects have distinctive styles, drawing clients in with characteristics that reflect the artist or that are often associated with them. But Frances Rovituso Strange is different. Before becoming director of projects at the City of Chicago, the veteran architect and design expert spent decades in private practice, working on everything from high-rises to museums and luxurious homes. Her storied career led her to a belief that architecture isn’t about designing for yourself—it is about designing for others.
“A successful project is when the architect designs specifically for each client addressing their needs, wants, and way of living,” she says. Her philosophy allows an architect to focus on a particular client rather than a specific style. “They are the ones who will be living there. If they are going to be walking into that space every single day, I want them to be able to say, ‘This feels right; I feel wonderful here.’ That’s a successful project.”
“It’s emotional, at times, because you’re providing your talent towards a greater good, not just for one or two people, but for the general public. I feel I’m helping contribute to making the community and the city better.”
Frances Rovituso-Strange
Rovituso Strange brought that client-centric philosophy to the Windy City in 2019, marking her first foray into the public sector. Since then, the projects she’s worked on have been just as diverse as the ones she tackled in the private sector. However, she admits that designing for the public has come with a different set of rewards.
“It is rewarding to improve a facility that’s used by our city workers on a daily basis and who consider that space their second home. I am eager to get to work every day,” she says. “It’s emotional, at times, because you’re providing your talent towards a greater good, not just for one or two people, but for the general public. I feel I’m helping contribute to making the community and the city better.”
Rovituso Strange’s partners are confident she is achieving that mission. “Frances’s positive attitude and professional persistence are inherent traits that can’t be taught, and Frances has both in abundance,” says James Crnich of Paul Borg Construction Company. “She has the unique ability to take on any challenge, organize a team environment, and find ways to overcome obstacles to keep a project running. It’s been a pleasure working with her.”
Among the public buildings, cultural centers, libraries, and other spaces Rovituso Strange has helped design and develop for the city, some of the most impactful work she’s done has been to the Chicago fire stations. Many were designed at a time when the professions were male-dominated, and the buildings haven’t kept pace with an increasingly diverse workforce—something the director and her team are working to change.
“Some of these stations are over 100 years old and were designed exclusively with one gender in mind. But as times evolved, women have been entering into these fields and managed to show they are capable, just as good, and here to stay,” she says. Rovituso Strange and her team have been finalizing the effort in retrofitting the remaining fire stations to reflect the modern workforce.
“As times evolved, women have been entering into these fields and managed to show they are capable, just as good, and here to stay.”
Frances Rovituso-Strange
These facilities required implementing separate locker rooms, showers, and restrooms for women, as well as private rooms that all employees can use. So far, most of the fire stations have been completed, but a handful are under construction. Now, Rovituso Strange and her team are turning their attention to the city’s police stations to implement similar features.
Rovituso Strange looks forward to the many capital improvement projects the city is working on to not only bring all facilities up to standard, but also modernize them. She’s excited to see how those efforts and others help the city create a “global vision.”
As a leader in the city, she has also noticed a need for more community and youth development, an area she would love to focus more on. “There’s a huge need for directing youth toward opportunities and addressing their needs,” she says.
The City of Chicago is a melting pot of different communities, people, races, and ethnic groups. “We need not only to look within our boundaries but outside of our limits,” Rovituso Strange says. “It’s about trying to fit the world into our little world.”
Frances Rovituso Strange on Her Path to Architecture
“As a child, anything that had to do with design and space came very naturally. I loved organizing and creating special environments that enhanced our surroundings and how we experienced them in our daily lives. That passion only grew through high school, where I studied construction and architecture via a technical degree in São Paulo, Brazil. I started my secondary education in architecture and urban planning in Brazil as well and went on to get my bachelor’s and a professional degree in architecture in Chicago and worked in private practice for several years. Today, I lead a boutique architectural firm with projects ranging from residential to assembly buildings, specializing in customized architectural interiors and furniture design. This has enhanced my experience in management and administration and has allowed me to wear many hats.”
