	Rupp was born in Bremerhaven, Germany on January 3, 1943 and migrated to Oakland, California with her family at the age of 10. She became interested in architecture as a child during the German reconstruction boom after World War II and went on to study architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1966; she received her California Architecture License in 1971. Upon graduation Rupp worked for several architectural firms, including Van Bourg/Nakamura Associates of San Francisco, D'Amico Associates of Mill Valley, Hawley & Peterson of Mountain Valley and Spencer Associates of Palo Alto. 