Biography
Sandra is an American citizen of Ecuadorian descent. She was born in Hartford, CT in 1972, and grew up in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Her childhood experience gave her a special awareness of both the beauty and struggles of life in a third world Andean country. In Ecuador she attended a German school, an experience which created a unique juxtaposition with the surroundings and further opened her eyes to new perspectives.
At the age of seventeen, Sandra moved to the United States in search of an education and greater opportunities. She enrolled at Mies van der Rohe’s Illinois Institute of Technology, where she felt an intimate connection with the prevailing philosophy that "form follows function" and "less is more". Prior to graduation, she spent a year abroad studying at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. After earning a Bachelor in Architecture from IIT, Sandra's curiosity of all things German enticed her to spend another year working and studying in Stuttgart.
Sandra returned to the U.S. in 1998 to practice architecture in Chicago. Later she moved and worked in New York City for a year. Eventually she stopped working and had her first child of three in 2003. In 2011, Sandra moved to Santa Fe, NM with her family. Over the last 18 years, Sandra has devoted herself to motherhood, has helped friends improve their living spaces while making their dreams come true through specific remodels and has pursued her passion for painting.