Blueprints for Success: Advice for the next generation of architects

ARCHITALK

- Romolo V. Nati

Recently, I came across an article on the latest QS World University Rankings for 2025 where my alma mater, Sapienza Università di Roma, has been recognized as the top university globally for Classical Studies for the fifth consecutive year, surpassing even prestigious institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. It is also included within the top 100 universities for architecture and built environment. I am incredibly proud to see it consistently uphold this legacy of excellence, and it makes me even prouder to be part of its story.

I took architecture in this university in the 1980s and graduated summa cum laude—a distinction I hold dear to this day. My years at Sapienza were both rigorous and transformative, shaping not just my skills as an architect but also my character. The Faculty of Architecture was based in the picturesque Valle Giulia campus, surrounded by Rome's artistic and architectural splendor. It was an inspiring environment, where history and innovation seemed to intertwine effortlessly.

My passion for architecture traces back to my childhood when I used to spend hours drawing, letting my imagination run wild on paper. But the moment that cemented my decision to pursue architecture, though, was in the 1980s. My father was an airline executive that was assigned by Alitalia in Hong Kong. At the time, the skyscrapers of the former British colony were already extraordinary that it can be comparable to the Manhattan skyline in New York City.