If Brett Steele could redesign one building on campus, he would choose the School of Architecture in a heartbeat. 

“I think all of us have an obligation to creatively imagine all of the spaces we’re in as living things that can and should evolve and change with how we use space,” Steele said in an interview with the Daily Trojan.

Steele officially became dean of the School of Architecture Sept. 18 after assuming the position in February. He came to USC after serving similar leadership positions at UCLA and the Architectural Association in London. 

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Given the school’s 105-year history, Steele said he is excited to serve the institution and connect students with other architects locally and globally. He applauds the institution’s long role in the grand culture of Los Angeles architecture, urbanism, and landscape.

“What’s interesting about the school is that it’s very much grown up with Los Angeles. The students, faculty and graduates of this school are the ones that have built everything from key parts of LAX, to master planning this campus, to Disney [Concert] Hall, to any number of other icons and landmarks in the city,” Steele said. 

Steele didn’t set out to lead a school of architecture when he began his career. He had been fortunate to live in the moment and not constantly seek what was next. Still, he continually questioned how to help students engage with the world on their own terms. He tells his students that no matter how difficult college seems, it is actually the easiest four years of their lives because of the constant talent and faculty supporting them. 

Steele began his journey working under the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid. He recalled the time he and Hadid were commissioned to make a set of furniture “before she became famous.” 

“We designed a dining table that was so complicated that our engineer could never make it work, and it was the one part of that furniture we never built,” Steele said. 

His career in academia began when he joined the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he realized his passion for facing the challenge of preparing future architects.

In 1997, he moved to the Architectural Association in London, the oldest private architectural college in the United Kingdom, and he eventually became its director for 12 years. Following his time in London, in the fall of 2017, he became dean of the School of the Arts and Architecture at UCLA before arriving at USC in February. 

When thinking about the transition across town to USC, Steele spoke about the technological advances that are changing the practice and purpose of architecture. He said he yearned for a closer connection to higher education in the field. Not having to lead a school that also encompassed the arts and being able to focus solely on architecture, USC compelled Steele to make the transition from UCLA. 

“[USC is] intimately connected to its surrounding creative fields and professions, and that there’s a kind of push-pull in that relationship, where we can connect our students with those larger fields as part of their experience,” Steele said. “One of the really interesting opportunities it provides for a school is to be a part of that larger space, to learn from it, but also for it as an institution to help play a life in the larger culture of architecture, urbanism and landscape across the city.”

Alvin Huang, director of graduate and postprofessional architecture programs, was one of Steele’s thesis students during graduate school at the AA after graduating from the School of Architecture. He spoke about Steele’s commitment to spreading the work and message of the School of Architecture.

“It’s very clear to me that this is about the most optimism I’ve seen around the school ever and the most energy and visibility in terms of outward presence and his connections to the wider field,” said Huang.”

For Steele, he said the real honor of becoming dean is the privilege of learning from and supporting the school’s 700 students and faculty. 

“I’m focusing on the project of getting the work of the school out in the world, which is one of the really important projects for any school. What it does is it presents you by the work you do, and not just by the things you say,” Steele said. “It would be really terrific for us as a model to think of ourselves as a platform that brings many different people, audiences and experiences together.”

Chloe Romano, a third-year student majoring in architecture, interviewed Steele for her podcast, “Architects Explained,” in the spring. Admiring his collaboration with different disciplines at AA and UCLA, Romano emphasizes the growth the School of Architecture will make under Steele’s leadership. 

“Dean Steele has been incredibly committed to being involved with the students and complementing the structure we already have within the school of architecture,” Romano wrote. “He also brings an optimism for the future of the profession despite the daunting circumstances we may face in the future that has been very motivational and inspiring for students in the School of Architecture.” 

Steele said his advice for students is to prioritize ongoing education and curiosity. 

“We’re all learning in a way, always and forever. My advice is to be super curious,” Steele said. “What we can do very well is prepare people for a life of learning in a world that’s massively changing and under constant change and adjustment. For that, it’s more about a set of traits and qualities around curiosity and eagerness to learn, a willingness to do the unexpected.”