Lauren Oldenburg
Continuing Studies Instructor
Contact
Bio
Lauren Oldenburg (she/her) is a faculty member of SAIC's Continuing Studies program. Lauren is a licensed architect and interior designer working in Gensler's Chicago office just next to SAIC's main building downtown. Lauren applied to teach in the CS program at SAIC because she has always had a passion for mentorship and teaching others.
Lauren lives in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago with her fiance, Parker, and their two cats, Rocket & Nebula. She has lived in Chicago for the last seven years where she has worked in the design industry as primarily a hospitality and restaurant designer. Lauren received her MArch from Boston Architectural College in December 2022 and her BA of Interior Design from Michigan State University in 2017. After finishing her graduate program Lauren got to studying and passed the Architecture Registration Exams in December 2023.
Originally a Boston-suburb native, Lauren loves traveling home to the east coast to visit family and friends as often as she can, and loves a beach day down the Cape in the summer. Outside of the A&D world, Lauren loves cooking up a meal at home, reading a good fantasy book, sweating it out in a hot yoga class, and perusing Chicago's incredible restaurant scene with her friends.
Personal Statement
I have always been a person who loves to learn. In recent years, I have discovered that this passion for learning has also evolved into a passion for teaching others, which ultimately led me to SAIC.
I have been fortunate to form some truly remarkable relationships with past professors, who have significantly shaped who I am today and helped pave the way for my successful career. I always knew that when I was ready to take on a new challenge, it would be to teach architecture and design, giving back to students in the same way my professors did for me.
Although my teaching philosophy is still taking shape, it will center around students' personal discovery of their passions and what motivates them. I aim to foster a love for creation and instill that addicting and profound sense of pride in seeing something you helped design positively impact the lives of others.
I can't wait to meet you all.