Episode 121: Virginia Andreescu Haret
Maria Virginia Andreescu was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1894 and preferred to go by her middle name, Virginia. Little is known about her parents, but she was raised alongside three younger siblings. Her uncle, Ion Andreescu, was a renowned impressionist painter.
Her early life was marked by hardship—she lost her parents at the age of nine and took on the responsibility of caring for her siblings. Despite societal opposition to women in architecture, she pursued her passion and, with the intervention of Minister of Education Spiru Haret, was admitted to the Superior School of Architecture in 1912. Her studies were interrupted by World War I, during which she served as a nurse. She later resumed her education and graduated in 1919, possibly as Romania’s first female architect. In addition to architecture, she studied fine arts, earning high distinctions and exhibiting her work.
In 1922, Virginia traveled to Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia to study architecture. She documented her findings in a magazine, using her earnings for further studies in Rome, where she collaborated with archaeologists. Upon returning to Romania, she worked on significant architectural projects, including the Cantacuzino block and various educational buildings. She became a key architect in the Ministry of Technical Education under Ion Pompilian.
In 1928, she married Spiru I. Haret, a relative of her early supporter, and together they had a son, Radu, who later helped preserve her legacy. One of her major projects, the Govora Casino, was never completed due to financial and wartime setbacks. Virginia later became Romania’s first female Architectural Inspector General, representing the country at international conferences.
She co-authored a four-volume history of architecture, though its publication remains uncertain. Alongside her government work, she designed private residences. After retiring in 1947, she passed away in 1962, leaving behind an enduring architectural legacy.
Caryatid: Kimberly Norman-Rosedam
Norman-Rosedam made history as the first Black woman to be licensed as a building official and to lead a building department in Connecticut and throughout New England.
Her career has been extensive, beginning as a commissioner on the Zoning Board of Appeals and later working as a construction inspector and senior site superintendent for the city of Stamford, Connecticut. She now serves as the Building Official for Guilford, Connecticut, where she oversees planning, directing, and managing building inspection activities—similar to the role once held by Virginia Andreescu.
In addition to her primary role, Norman-Rosedam holds multiple certifications, including Certified Residential Building Inspector, Real Estate Salesperson, State Home Improvement Contractor, and Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Contractor. Coming from a family of builders, she is a third-generation contractor and site supervisor, following in the footsteps of her father, who owns Rose Construction Company.
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This transcript was prepared during the development of the episode.
Final recorded episode may deviate slightly from the content presented below as changes, edits, or improvements may be made during the recording and editing process.
Norgerie: Hi! Welcome to season 12 of She Builds Podcast, where we share stories about women in the design and construction field, one lady at a time.
Jessica: This season's theme is: “Government, Civic Work, and Urban Planning” . We are talking about ladies who were involved in public projects or services.
Lizi: As always, we are not experts, we are just sharing stories about the information that we find, as friends having a fun conversation. If you find an error, send us an email and we will all continue learning.
Norgerie: We're starting this season talking about Virginia Andreescu Haret, the first woman to become the Romanian Architectural Inspector General.
I’m Norgerie Rivas, getting the She Builds Podcast logo tattooed on my arm today April 1st 2025, in Houston, Texas.
Jessica: Hi, I’m Jessica Rogers eating scrambled eggs while enjoying a thunderstorm, in Miami, FL
Lizi: Hi, I’m Lizi Raar, on my way to get my tongue pierced, in San Francisco.
Norgerie: Like every season, we gotta start it off by saying thank you for being here listening and learning along with us. Thank you for tuning in and for your support.
Lizi: Yes! Thank you so much listeners for sticking with us or joining us fresh!
Jessica: Yes Thank you! It’s great to be back with another season and some more ladies
Norgerie: Let's begin. The time was June 21 1894 the place Bucharest, Romania, Maria Virginia Andreescu was born.
Jessica: ooh Bucharest
Lizi: Yay! Maria!
Norgerie: Yay Maria is right, but apparently she went by her middle name throughout her life.
Lizi: Yay! Virginia!
Norgerie: I could not find her parents names, only that she had three younger siblings, whose names I cannot tell you either. But we do know that her uncle was the painter Ion Andreescu.
Lizi: oooo Ion was an impressionist painter who went to Paris and rubbed elbows with folks like one of my faves Claude Monet, and with others like Millet and Renoir.
Jessica: oooh and we know who Renoir and Monet.
Norgerie: Since I could not find her parents' names or much info on them, we’re gonna settle on info about uncle Ion, and grandparents Andrei and Anastasia. Virginia’s paternal grandparents were Andrei Dobrescu and Anastasia Pencovico. Andrei was a merchant and owned an Inn.
Jessica: wait - why are there last names different from Ion and Virginia?
Norgerie: I noticed that too! So, of course I went chasing some waterfalls. Back in the day before the 19th century people in Romania were named: Name, Father’s Name, Grandfather’s Name, so for example Elizabeth Dale Dale.
Lizi: hahaha Elizabeth Dale Dale is a funny name. My brother would be Dale Dale Dale.
Jessica: ooooo okay
Norgerie: But then in the 19th century they started westernizing the names, so it would be Name, Father’s Lastname. When this practice started, some families would make the Lastname be the Father’s Name with a particular suffix such as escu, which would mean child. For example: Andrescu meaning Andrei’s child, get it?
Lizi: Yes, I was wondering if that is what was happening. There are different examples of this in other cultures, which I feel like we may have mentioned on other episodes, but can’t remember which ones right now. But even names like Johnson are rooted in this right? Son of John would become the last name to trace lineage.
Jessica: I see
Norgerie: If this was still done today here, my name would be Norgerie Jerescu. This has a different ring to it than Norgerie Rivas. What would your names be?
Lizi: Elizabeth Dalescu
Jessica: Jessica Geraldescu … a totally different vibe, don’t know if I like it
Norgerie: Yeah, I'm glad we have the naming practice we have now. Well, back to Virginia. All I could find on her actual parents was that her mom or both parents passed away when she was nine. And she had to start taking care of her siblings.
Jessica: Oh my goodness - so this is how we are starting
Lizi: Oh no! That’s terrible and so tough!
Norgerie: Yes, tragic start. Fast forward to 1912, she graduated from the Mihai Viteazul High School. That same year she was like architecture school here I come! But of course, people were like, a woman? Architecture School!? I don't think so!
Jessica: And now this nonsense begins.
Lizi: Ugh what a racket.
Norgerie: So the Minister of Education had to step in, enter Mr. Spiru Haret.
Lizi: I’m also flagging that this is her other last name?? Is this man going to make her architecture dreams come true AND sweep her off her feet?
Jessica: oooo I didn’t even catch that .. insert eye emoji
Norgerie: you clocked that didn’t you! Well you’re gonna have to stick around to find out what happens.
Lizi: ooooooooo SUCH A TEASE!
Jessica: Well I guess before we get into the man’s love life. Let’s learn a little bit about him, shall we? This guy was really interesting - a math whiz, studied physics - first Romanian to obtain a PhD in Paris. When he came back to Bucharest as this accomplished scholar he was all about transforming Romanian education as a professor and as a politician. He was the Minister of Education under the tenure of three separate governments - he was credited for building the modern Romanian Education System.
Norgerie: Yeah, Spiru was reforming left and right. He said, let the lady IN, and she got into the Superior School of Architecture in 1912.
Lizi: YEAH! Spiru for the win!
Norgerie: Ok, we're in Europe, who can guess what's about to happen?
Jessica: oh no
Lizi: WWI
Norgerie: That's right. Virginia took a break from school to serve in the War as a nurse.
Lizi: oh wow! Good for her.
Jessica: oh yeah - you go girl
Norgerie: Not sure for how long Virginia served, but eventually she went back to school and she graduated architecture school in 1919. Some sources called her the first, others the second.
Lizi: Who is allegedly the first?
Norgerie: Ada Zăgănescu, when I looked into her, I found her diploma was dated September 15 1919 same year as Virginia!
Lizi: oooooo photo finish vibes. Ok, so maybe too close to call on who is first, but love that there were TWO ladies graduating at this time when it took the Minister of Education to let ladies in.
Jessica: that is true - I want to say that maybe Ada was first because they called her name first alphabetically during graduation or maybe she was the first inline when the diplomas were made - but hey like lizi said - it’s just great to see two women graduate!
Norgerie: Now one source says Virginia received her diploma, July 16 1919, so if these two dates hold water, Virginia would be the first!
Lizi: ooooo photo finish results are in.
Jessica: ooh okay I stand corrected
Norgerie: Ok, no matter what, Virginia is definitely one of the first women to graduate from architecture school and a pioneer along with Ada and if that's not impressive enough let's add on to that, Virginia got the highest distinction award "Very Good".
Lizi: woo! Go Virginia! Also hilarious that ‘very good’ is the award of highest distinction.
Jessica: hahahaha
Norgerie: Right!! This is a really serious crowd if the high distinction is “Very Good”. More realists. Us Americans over here would throw some exaggerated words down like Excellent, Outstanding.
Lizi: Right!!
Norgerie: Somehow this lady had time to be ‘Very Good’ aka the best in architecture school and to attend the Academy of Fine Arts, studying under Ipolit Strâmbu.
Lizi: ooo Ipolit was a well known Romanian painter who was known for painting portraits of women. Sounds like she was studying under some quality folks.
Jessica: love to see it
Norgerie:Y'all Virginias's art was so good that in 1920, her professor, Ipolit organized an exhibit of her work. It included over 60 pieces in various mediums… drawings, watercolors... People really liked them! The Historical Monuments Commission bought 28 of them for permanent display. The Academy of Fine Arts bought others.
Lizi: WOAH! That’s so cool!
Jessica: Oh MMM GGG that is so impressive
Norgerie: I looked for images of this and could not find them so we will have to imagine what these looked like.
Jessica: Maybe we will just have to go and see them in person
Norgerie: In 1922, she went on a study trip. She wanted to learn more about architecture abroad, so she traveled to the countries we know today as, Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia. Lizi, you recently went to some of these countries, right? How would you describe their architecture?
Lizi: Yeah. I went to Slovenia and Croatia. Croatia definitely has influences from Italy in their architecture, since they are right across the sea from it and the Venetians. Slovenia had more of an alpine feel to it being just south of Austria, but the capital of Ljubljana was more Baroque. Feels more like Munich or Vienna. Serbia I cannot speak to.
Norgerie: Well, I’d be very curious to know how architecture has evolved in these places from the 1920s to now, but that will have to be researched for another day. Once Virginia got back home she wrote a report, which got published in the magazine Fine Arts and she was able to make a bit of bani.
Lizi: Nice. Way to make that money Virginia.
Jessica: Virginia is living the dream
Norgerie: With that bani she earned from the exhibition and the magazine she was like, Roman holiday babyyyy, cough cough, I mean study trip, here I come! She went to work and study with archeologists to learn about early European building methods and traditional structures.
Lizi: hahaha weeooooo!!! Buon viaggio!
Jessica: Archeologists???
Norgerie: Yeah! Cause hanging with architects and artists was getting old, she made friends with some new folks.
Jessica: Oh, ok!
Norgerie: Ok, she’s done with Rome, let's go back to Romania. To set the stage, the architectural scene is going through a phase during this time in Bucharest. The popular style was harmonious, Neoclassical, Byzantine, but also including Neo-Romanian features to appeal to national union. And thus Virginia’s architectural style was varied.
Lizi: What a mouthful.
Jessica: And thus her “architectural style was varied”
Norgerie: Drawing from the current context as well as all her previous studies, travels, and her art foundations, her designs exhibit many styles, from Romanian Classical all the way to Modern. She designed her own home to be more Art Deco.
Jessica: you know after all of my travels I wondered what my style would be… from the sounds of Virginia, I thought her style would be more of an architectural outlet collage hodgepodge form what you mentioned earlier.
Lizi: Yeah, but I like that after all that she landed on a particular style that she was like, this is the one for me.
Norgerie: When she gets back to Romania in 1922, she gets a commission to complete the Cantacuzino block from the corner of Calea Victorie and Frumoasa, a project that was started by the architect Ion Mincu.
Lizi: ohh so she designed a whole city block?
Norgerie: Good question, I’m not sure actually, from the information I was reading and pictures I understood it to be a large block of housing in a corner. So lots of facade real estate.
Lizi: Got ya.
Norgerie: She also began working at the Ministry of Technical Education, or the Technical Service of the Ministry of Public Instruction, depending on the translation I was reading.
Jessica: oohh cool
Norgerie: Today called The Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research (MNESR) of Romania, it is responsible for the country's education system and physical infrastructure. As an architect, Virginia was hired to work in the school construction sector, under the chief architect Ion Pompilian who was also a professor at the School of Architecture. She didn’t waste any time exhibiting her talent and work ethic and just like that she became Ion’s right hand woman. She was responsible for the design and construction of countless projects throughout her career, notably Gheorghe Șincai High School (1924-1928), and a wing of the Cantemir Vodă National College (1926-1929),
Jessica: That’s right Virginia - do your thang chicken wing!
Lizi: wooo!!! Love that she worked her way up to such an integral position!
Norgerie: Alongside Ion Pompilian she worked on projects that were not always schools. They also worked on “Tinerimea Romana” block and the building of “Societate Comunala de Locuinte Eftine” from Rosetti Square corner with Hristo Botev Avenue.
Lizi: Work work work work work work
Norgerie: She wasn't all work work work work. She made time for love. Y’all remember the guy that advocated for her to be able to go to school?
Lizi: UHHH YEAH I DO. Been waiting on pins and needles over here.
Jessica: yeahhhhhh enough with the teasing
Norgerie: Yeah, I couldn’t find evidence of this, but I mean the dude WAS the Minister of Education, so he must have been like her top boss. I have a feeling they kept in touch. I would have if I were him, I'd wanna know how this person that I stuck my neck out for is doing. Right?
Lizi: Obviously.
Jessica: sure sure
Norgerie: Maybe they hung out sometimes. Somewhere somehow she met his relative. Some sources say son, grandson, nephew. We're gonna say relative: Spiru I. Haret! Sparks flew. In 1928 they were married.
Jessica: wooooooo
Lizi: A TWIST!!!! He was the INTRO. Ok, but also I love that he might be the son, grandson, or nephew of this other guy haha. But his name was also Spiru?
Norgerie: Yes, his name was Spiru. This younger Spiru, was an engineer and word on the street is that he and Virginia collaborated on projects. Power couple alert!!
Lizi: Weeooo weeeo weee!
Jessica: ayayayayaya
Norgerie: A year later, Virginia and her hubby had one kid, Radu, who grew up to be an engineer too! As an adult he also worked on saving, publishing, and exposing more information on his mom's legacy. #ProudSon
Lizi: All in the family, and love that he wanted to promote her achievements!
Jessica: I love these names - Spiru - Radu - and agreed, love this documentation
Norgerie: Speaking of exposure, one project of hers has a whole website dedicated to it. The Govora Casino. She began working on it in 1928, kinda early in her career. She finished the design and CDs by 1929. It is described as a beautiful casino in an eclectic architectural style blending elements from different periods while keeping a cohesive look with neutral colors and unique textures.
Lizi: oooo I will have to check out that website. Sounds like she did a great job of blending different styles together.
Jessica: well you know her style was architecturally varied - I am curious to see how those all gel together because there are so many styles
Norgerie: The building was planned to have two symmetrical wings: one for a grand theater and the other for the casino.
Lizi: Love it.
Norgerie: In an unfortunate turn of events the theater was never built, and the casino remains just a concept. The project went through a lot, banks went out of business, funds ran out, World War Two happened. So construction started but was never finished. For a while the part of the building that was built was used as a cinema.
Lizi: Sad!
Jessica: oh my goodness what a whirlwind - uughh sad. We don’t really hear about casinos getting designed
Norgerie: Today, the building stands in Govora’s central park and is a part of the historic buildings list. But it's not being preserved and it just houses an abandoned cinema.
Lizi: Aww that’s such a bummer! I am glad that it’s at least on the historic register, but sad that it’s not being used or restored.
Jessica: yeah
Norgerie: At some point in her career she again made history becoming the first woman to receive the post of Romanian Architectural Inspector General.
Jessica: oooh wowwww
Lizi: YEAH! Go Virginia. What does the Architectural Inspector General do? That title sounds hella fancy and official.
Norgerie: As Inspector General, Virginia would have been in charge of all Building Inspectors and of reviewing constructions, plans, permits, building codes, all that jazz.
Lizi: ohhhhh that’s a legit job. Way to be in charge Virginia.
Jessica: ooh that sounds like a very important job
Norgerie: She represented Romania at several international Conferences and Congresses, in Brussels, Moscow, Paris, and Rome to name a few.
Lizi: World Traveler!
Norgerie: Most sources mention she received many awards for her designs though I could not find which ones or for which projects sadly.
Lizi: Bummer, but glad people knew what was up.
Jessica: Either way she was award worthy!
Norgerie: According to sources, Virginia was a writer too, she wrote a history of architecture with Nicolae Ghica-Budești in four volumes, with watercolors, but unfortunately they don’t mention the name of the book and I could not find any concrete information about it, so for me the jury is still out if the book got published.
Jessica: OMG what didn’t she do?? A four volume book???
Lizi: ooooo that sounds lovely. I wish we could find the book, I wanna see the watercolors!
Jessica: also this a book of architectural history … we need this book
Norgerie: I agree, we need this book. If I find it I’ll let you know. Romanian listeners help us out. Send us an email.
Jessica: Yes PLEASE!!
Norgerie: While she worked her whole career with the government, she also had side projects. She designed many private and residential spaces.
Lizi: Of course she did.
Jessica: okay side quests.
Norgerie: She retired from the Ministry of Technical Education in 1947. I hope she enjoyed retirement, got to travel, do a few light sports, play a little bingo until she passed away on May 6, 1962 in Bucharest.
Lizi: Yeah I hope she had some time for herself doing fun things. Wow, she really did a lot, and so cool that she ended up as the big cheese of Romanian building!
Jessica: I mean 15 years is plenty of time to do a lot things - her story was fascinating.
Norgerie: Alright, now we have reached the second part of our episode, the Caryatid. A caryatid is a stone carving of a woman, used as a column or a pillar to support the structure of a Greek or Greek-style building. In each episode we choose a “caryatid” -- a woman who is working today, furthering the profession through their work, and who ties into the historical woman of our episode.
Norgerie: Drum roll please… Kimberly Norman-Rosedam
Lizi and Jessica: (applause) Yeay!
Norgerie: Norman-Rosedam is the first black woman to be licensed as a building official, and to run a building department in Connecticut and throughout New England.
Lizi: Amazing!
Jessica: that’s awesome.
Norgerie: Kimberly has done it all, she was a commissioner on the zoning board of appeals. Worked for the city of Stamford, Connecticut as a construction inspector and senior site superintendent. Now she is Guildford, Connecticut’s Building Official.
Lizi: Love this. Working her way up.
Norgerie: As the town’s building official she is responsible for planning, directing and managing building inspection activities. Sound familiar?
Lizi: Yes ma’am. Sounds like our girl Virginia. Big cheese energy.
Jessica: I’m picking up what you are putting down
Norgerie: If that is not enough Kimberly is also a Certified Residential Building Inspector, Real Estate Salesperson, State Home Improvement Contractor, and a Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Contractor. It’s in her DNA, she’s a third generation contractor and site supervisor, her daddio has a GC firm Rose Construction Company.
Lizi: Oh okay Kimberly. Just a few casual extras on the side.
Jessica: Side quests on side quests - she does it all.
Norgerie: Before we say goodbye we want to say thank you to CMYK for the music, John W our technical advisor. And most of all thank you for listening!
Lizi: Remember to check out our show notes for links to all of our resources on this episode as well as pictures of projects we’ve talked about.
Norgerie: We hope you enjoyed learning about today’s lady and caryatid along with our banter, and that you are inspired to find out more about them and other amazing professional ladies. Again, thank you.
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References
Ada Zăgănescu | Arhiva de arhitectura. (n.d.). https://arhivadearhitectura.ro/arhitecti/ada-zaganescu/
Cufré, P. D. (2019, February 28). VIRGINIA ANDREESCU HARET 1894-1962. UN DIA | UNA ARQUITECTA 3. https://undiaunaarquitecta3.wordpress.com/2017/12/11/virginia-andreescu-haret-1894-1962/
Editor. (2012, March 11). The casino in Govora, an unfinished architectural monument Cazinoul din Govora, un monument arhitectural neisprăvit - Casino Inside - Revista industriei de Gambling! Casino Inside - Revista Industriei De Gambling! https://www.casinoinside.ro/cazinoul-din-govora-un-monument-arhitectural-neispravit-the-casino-in-govora-an-unfinished-architectural-monument/
International Code Council. (2023, June 6). Empowering Women: Kimberly Norman-Rosedam Shares her Experience from the Women Leaders in Code Enforcement Symposium - ICC. ICC. https://www.iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal/bsj-perspectives/empowering-women-kimberly-norman-rosedam-shares-her-experience-from-the-women-leaders-in-code-enforcement-symposium/
Rebecca. (2021, March 26). Famous architects that left their mark on Romania. SKIA. https://skia.one.ro/en/blog/famous-architects-that-left-their-mark-on-romania/
Wiki, F. (2025, February 11). Romania Naming Customs • FamilySearch. FamilySearch Wiki. https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Romania_Naming_Customs
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, November 24). Spiru Haret. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiru_Haret
Wikipedia contributors. (2025a, January 1). Ion Andreescu. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Andreescu
Wikipedia contributors. (2025b, February 8). Ipolit Strâmbu. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipolit_Str%C3%A2mbu
Wikipedia contributors. (2025c, March 4). Virginia Andreescu Haret. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Andreescu_Haret
Wikipedia contributors. (2025d, March 15). Novecento italiano. Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novecento_Italiano
Images
Architecture. (n.d.). https://www.metacult.ro/architecture/fisa.php?id=715&lang=EN
Centrul Cultural Virginia Andreescu-Haret | Primaria Orasului Baile Govora. (n.d.). https://www.primaria-govora.ro/centrul-cultural/
Gheorghe Șincai National College, Bucharest. (n.d.). Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12724348
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