Clara Syme

Clara Syme is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at Cooper Union. She co-directs a83, a platform curating exhibitions, educational workshops, and archival projects, and Chibbernoonie, a design firm focusing on hybrid drawings, printmaking, and architectural projects. Her work spans speculative image-based practices and built environments, including an apiary, a special needs high school's facilities, and residential renovations. Syme holds an MArch from Princeton University and has taught at the University of Waterloo and Parsons School of Design.

Research & Practice: Syme's research explores architectural image-making, 1980s New York print culture, and interdisciplinary design communication. She is editing a forthcoming book on the John Nichols Printmakers Collection, published by Spector Books. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Record, and Harvard Design Magazine.

Awards & Grants: Recipient of two Graham Foundation grants supporting her curatorial and publishing initiatives. Chibbernoonie’s projects have been widely published, with current commissions including music venues in Los Angeles and Washington D.C., and a New Jersey single-family house.

Affiliations: a83 and Chibbernoonie serve as her primary platforms for academic and creative output, blending pedagogy, curation, and architectural practice.