Change from the Inside Out: The Center for Research in Sustainable Architecture's Sandra Flechas on Resilience, Fluidity, and Our One Interconnected System
Portrait courtesy of Sandra Flechas.
By Julia Gamolina
Sandra Flechas is a Colombian architect and founder of the Center for Research in Sustainable Architecture in Bogotá. She leads the Architecture, Gender, and Sustainability Congress, a platform dedicated to fostering inclusive, ecological, and socially-conscious design. She is also trained in bioclimatic and sustainable architecture, and in international construction and building management. Her work explores the intersection between the built environment and an ecological balance, with a focus on care, equity, and the complexity of human experience. Sandra studied architecture at the Universidad Católica de Colombia.
JG: I've loved getting to know you, and your Architecture, Gender, and Sustainability Congress over the years. What do you have planned for the congress this year, and what are the themes we should all be most focused on and thinking about for 2025?
SF: The congress has created a space not only for important conversations but also for forming connections with women whose work and voices broaden and enhance the way we think about our discipline. Having the opportunity to meet them through this platform reminded me of the power of storytelling and how essential it is to document and share the diverse perspectives that shape our built environment, like you’re doing with Madame Architect.
We believe that integrating architecture, gender, and sustainability is crucial not only for the development of more inclusive cities, but also for addressing the urgent need to balance the built environment with the natural world. Therefore this year, for the first time, the Congress will be held in Barranquilla, a vibrant and fast-growing city on Colombia’s northern coast, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and significant potential for urban transformation. We also plan to expand future editions into other Latin American cities. We want to keep building bridges, opening dialogues, and amplifying the impact of these conversations across borders.
Architecture, Gender & Sustainability Congress Program 2024. Photography by Jackson Santamaría.
From left to right: Érika Sánchez, Alicia Ferreira, and Martha Thorne during the City, Territory & Public Policy panel at the Architecture, Gender & Sustainability Congress 2024. Photography by Jackson Santamaría.
Now let's go back a little bit — tell me about why you studied architecture.
From a young age, I’ve been drawn to how the layout of a home, the beauty of a room, the form of a building, or the energy of a public space can influence the way we feel, connect, and live. There’s something undeniably powerful in how the functionality and atmosphere of our surroundings shape our well-being. That intuitive connection to space has always been part of how I experience and understand the world.
As an anecdote from my childhood—at some point, my school administered an aptitude test meant to help guide our future career choices. Even though I already felt a strong pull toward architecture, I was told it wasn't for me. I had a degenerative visual condition that made it difficult to see lines and technical drawings clearly—something that, at the time, seemed incompatible with a future in design. So I turned to engineering instead. But when I moved to Europe in search of better opportunities, my fascination with cities and buildings only grew stronger. I discovered something important: architecture is about much more than precision or perfect lines. It’s about people, places, and the power of space to shape how we live. So, on a brief visit back to my home country, I made a clear decision—to change course and finally pursue architecture.
Tell me about your various professional experiences before you started the congress. What did you learn that you still apply today?
I worked on various design and consulting projects here in Colombia and abroad. One experience that stands out was my time at an architecture firm in Spain focused on ecological and sustainable design. I hold that period in high regard, as it provided a strong technical foundation in the relationship between architecture and sustainability —knowledge that continues to enrich my practice in many ways.
At the same time—and perhaps unconsciously at first—it was also where I began to notice the subtle, yet deeply rooted, gender dynamics within the profession. It wasn’t a single event, but rather a series of moments that led me to question how space, authority, and recognition were distributed in the workplace. Over time, I’ve come to understand that inequality doesn’t always announce itself loudly—it often hides in behavior, in language, and in structures slow to evolve.
“Architecture is about much more than precision or perfect lines. It’s about people, places, and the power of space to shape how we live.”
How did the Architecture, Gender, and Sustainability Congress come about in the first place?
The congress emerged from a realization that both technical and social aspects are essential for achieving a truly sustainable future. My background in sustainable architecture revealed how profoundly the built environment affects ecological systems and human life quality. Simultaneously, I became increasingly aware of how gender disparities in the field shaped who gets to design our cities—and, as a result, whose needs are represented in them.
Through study and experience, I came to see the built environment as a mirror of our values, our priorities, and our evolution as a society. If those decisions are made from a limited or biased perspective, then the spaces we inhabit will inevitably reflect those limitations, often at the expense of inclusion, equity, and sustainability.
The Congress was born out of the need to bring these conversations together. It is not just a professional gathering but a space for questioning traditional paradigms, fostering new alliances, and imagining a built environment that is both socially just and environmentally resilient. From the outset, the goal has been to build bridges between disciplines, amplify underrepresented voices, and inspire change from the inside out.
From left to right: Tatiana Bilbao, María Paula Duque, Sandra Flechas, Martha Thorne, and Sandra Forero at the Architecture, Gender & Sustainability Congress 2024. Photography by Jackson Santamaría.
Architecture, Gender & Sustainability Congress 2024 at Centro Cultural Gabriel García Márquez. Photography by Jackson Santamaría.
Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?
One of the biggest challenges in relation to the Congress has been securing the necessary support and infrastructure needed to bring the event to life and to sustain it across future editions. From the beginning, it has been a collaborative effort, carried largely by the commitment and generosity of a volunteer team. While today messages around gender equality and sustainability are received with growing enthusiasm, they can still be difficult to align with more traditional or dominant narratives.
Even so, we’ve continued — driven by conviction. I’m incredibly grateful that more voices, collectives and partners are joining us. I believe in the power of ideas, and I know that meaningful change takes time, especially when it challenges long-standing structures. What inspires me most is the belief that even the quietest efforts can plant seeds —and with care and persistence, those seeds can transform the landscape.
What have you also learned in the last six months?
I’ve been reminded that, much like ecological systems, nothing in life is static. Everything is in motion—adapting, evolving, recalibrating. Learning to embrace that fluidity, rather than resist it, has been essential. I’ve been reflecting on resilience not just as individual strength, but as the capacity of a system to absorb disruption and reorganize while still moving forward.
I believe that if we adopt a more holistic understanding of resilience and trust in what human creativity and compassion can achieve, we may find a way forward. If we move together as one interconnected system, with intention, humility, and a sense of shared responsibility, —we can transform good intentions into meaningful action and hope into a more balanced, sustainable collective well-being.
“What inspires me most is the belief that even the quietest efforts can plant seeds —and with care and persistence, those seeds can transform the landscape.”
Who are you admiring now and why?
A person who has remained a constant source of inspiration for me is Martha Thorne. The integrity, generosity, and quiet strength with which she approaches every conversation, decision, and collaboration is what inspires me most. Martha has a way of opening doors—intellectual and emotional ones too — and bringing people together around shared values.
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission?
I’m inclined to reflect on the fact that, as Barry Commoner wrote in the first law of ecology, “everything is connected to everything else.” The Earth is a complex web of relationships between living beings and their environments. In that sense, whether we’re aware of it or not, we all have an impact on others—and are impacted in return.
My hope is that the ideas behind my work might contribute, in some way, to a more thoughtful and equitable way of shaping the spaces we inhabit—along with how we inhabit the world itself. Even though we humans tend to see ourselves through an inevitably anthropocentric lens, I believe we must also recognize that we share this world with countless other species, each with the same right to exist—not as resources for our benefit, but as living beings in their own right.
Architecture, Gender & Sustainability Congress 2021 at Hilton Hotel Bogotá. Photography by Esmeralda Sánchez.
What do you encourage our readers to be thinking about and paying attention to for 2025?
Looking ahead to 2025, we must focus on themes that are both urgent and transformative:
supporting human health and well-being in our built environments; reinforcing the importance of education and gender equity; envisioning the future of cities; and addressing climate change. We must also dig deeper and reflect on how technological advancements are reshaping the way we design, inhabit, and experience space. As these tools evolve rapidly, they offer powerful opportunities to build cities that are not only more efficient but also more humane, resilient, and alive.
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
To those just starting their careers, I would say: be patient—with yourself, with the process, and with the time it takes to grow. Architecture involves many layers that must be seen holistically, and it’s a field that demands constant research and reflection. Stay curious, keep learning, and allow space for your ideas to evolve. Find the courage to listen to your own voice, even when it’s quiet. Sometimes the most powerful transformations happen gradually, and often without immediate recognition.
For women especially, I’d say: your presence matters!. You don’t have to fit into models that weren’t built with you in mind. You can question, reshape, and reimagine the rules. Surround yourself with people who believe in collective progress, seek out women who inspire you, and don’t be afraid to redefine what your path looks like as you move forward. When we walk with intention and integrity, even the quietest steps can leave a mark.
This interview had been edited and condensed for clarity.