Team

Jony Sandoval

Where were you born?

Alaska

Where is your favorite travel destination?

Home: Madrid, Spain

What’s something you’d still love to learn?

I’d love to learn how to surf. There’s something appealing about being completely at the mercy of nature while trying to find balance within it.

What do you hope to see in the future in the world of architecture and design?

The idea of a swarm of drones building a skyscraper sounds incredibly cool to me. But I’m equally interested in how we maintain our human touch as technology evolves. My hope is that advances in technology won’t make our buildings more generic, but instead help us create places with even greater identity, character, and connection to the designer and the people who use them.

When did you know you wanted to be an architect/designer?

I believe there is an architect and designer inside all of us. I discovered mine by accident when I wandered into a design class and heard the professor talking about the meaning of space, light and shadow, expansion and compression, layers, transparency, textures, felling, experiences… In that moment, I thought, “That’s it. This is what I want to do.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“To be lost is to find yourself.” Looking back, many of the moments that shaped me most began as a detour, including the day I accidentally walked into a design class and found my passion: Architecture and Design.

What is your favorite hobby?

Soccer

Who inspires you the most in your field?

My greatest source of inspiration is my kids. Their curiosity, sense of adventure, and ability to find joy in the simplest things remind me how important it is to stay open, playful, and engaged with the world. They teach me something new every day.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m a highly experienced LEGO architect. I specialize in fast-track projects for demanding clients. Compensation comes in hugs, and most projects are demolished shortly after completion.

Any other interesting fact about you?

I’ve lived in enough countries that “Where are you from?” has become a surprisingly complicated question. My passport, accent, and life story don’t always agree, but I usually answer Spain, where I spent most of my growing-up years.