Jeff Balmer

Jeff Balmer is an Associate Professor at the David R. Ravin School of Architecture (UNC Charlotte), directing the Rome + Istanbul semester program. His research focuses on modernist architecture in Italy, design pedagogy, and architectural diagrams. He co-authored Diagramming the Big Idea: Methods for Architectural Composition (Routledge, 2025) and is preparing a monograph on Luigi Moretti. Balmer received the 2021 AACS Award for his paper on Aldo Moro and Luigi Moretti’s Bunker Courtroom. He has led international study programs for 30 years, including UNC Charlotte’s faculty-led semester abroad program since 2022.

Research Interests:

• Modernist architectural history in Italy
• Design education methodologies
• Architectural diagrams as compositional tools

Awards:

• 2021 Outstanding Peer-Reviewed Research Award

Program Leadership: Annual Rome + Istanbul study abroad program for 4th-year students, emphasizing capstone academic experiences.