Subject: [Staff-l] Remembering Sandra Vivanco
From: Presidents Office <[email-masked]>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:01:36 -0700
List-Id: All-Staff mailing list <staff-l.lists.cca.edu>

Dear CCA Community,

It is with great sorrow that I’m writing to share the sad news that Sandra
Vivanco, associate professor of Architecture and Diversity Studies, passed
away March 31 after an extended battle with cancer. Sandra was a consummate
educator who cared deeply about her students and colleagues, an
accomplished professional whose practice epitomized her values, and a
tireless advocate for diversity and equity in her community and her field.
Those of us who had the good fortune to work and study with her will miss
her greatly.

A memorial event will be planned to celebrate Sandra’s life and work, and I
will share information when details are known. In the meantime, it is my
honor to share the following remembrance from Sandra’s friend and close
colleague Mitchell Schwarzer, professor in the Visual Studies program:

“Sandra Vivanco’s pedagogy in the studio and seminar emphasized exposing
students to the ideology of architectural modernism in light of social
justice and community collaboration. She was especially passionate about
engaging diverse societies, as evidenced by her summer abroad travel
studios to places like Peru, Brazil, and Mexico.

Her architectural practice, A+D Architecture, focused on inclusive,
affordable design. She saw herself as someone who could translate ideas
from the world of high architecture to the particular needs of immigrant
communities. This approach is illustrated by a house she designed in San
Francisco for a multi-generational family from El Salvador, where she
created culturally sensitive spaces of separation alongside community. A+D
also received commissions from organizations like the Mission Economic
Development Agency. At Plaza Adelante, she redesigned a former furniture
store on Mission Street into a community center providing services to low-
and moderate-income Latino families.

Similarly, Sandra’s tireless advocacy for architecture that incorporates
the perspectives of underserved communities, women, and people of color led
to her active involvement with organizations like Latinos in Architecture,
the National Organization of Minority Architects, and the Organization of
Women Architects. During her illness, she was working on a book on key
female architects in Latin America, among them Lina Bo Bardi, about whom
she had earlier written a scholarly article and organized an exhibition.

Sandra was born and raised in Peru. She came to the United States in the
late 1970s, studied architecture as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, and
later received a MArch from Columbia University. She loved to dance and had
worked as a samba instructor in Japan. Anyone who met Sandra remembered
her, her commanding presence, her effervescence, and her ceaseless energy.
Sandra was one of those people who brought others together, who created
community among her colleagues, clients, and students; her many friends;
and her family. She is survived by her loving husband Glen and adored
daughters Sofia and Yma.”

Stephen Beal
President
-- 

Stephen Beal President

[email-masked] | o 510.594.3630
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