Lydia Sands discovered her passion for healthcare projects when she landed an architectural internship last summer. Coming from a background focused on residential projects, what interests her most about working on health and wellness projects is the unique blend of practicality and innovative design opportunities they offer. Inspired by architects like Izaskun Chinchilla, she embraces a hybrid approach that combines compliance with building standards while pushing the boundaries of traditional design practices.
In her day-to-day work, Lydia utilizes her skills in Revit for updating construction documents and conducts in-depth research on codes. Throughout her academic journey, she honed her abilities in sketching, utilizing software such as Rhino, Photoshop, and Illustrator for design and visual communication, and even operating the laser cutter for model-making.
Prior to pursuing her degree, Lydia served in the US Coast Guard for eight years, specializing as a Boatswains Mate and carrying out search and rescue missions in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also actively participated in a mentorship series organized by San Diego Women in Architecture (WIA), an experience she wishes to continue as part of her ongoing professional development.
