Yolanda was born in Tijuana, B.C Mexico, and raised in both San Diego and Tijuana. Her inspiration for becoming an architect was ignited when taking a rendering class. She saw a hand-drawn rendering of “Falling Water” by Frank Lloyd Wright and just thought it was “pure art.” She attended Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), National Technical University in Athens, Greece, and ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona.
Yolanda has certifications in both Construction Quality and Project Management and was a member of DBIA. She strong experience in Construction Management having worked in the construction field prior to coming to Platt/Whitelaw. Her understanding of the construction process is a strong and vital asset to the firm. Her past experience includes military, police facilities, and industrial work.
At Platt/Whitelaw her projects include park and recreation, crisis facilities and water/wastewater facilities. She currently teaches at Southwestern College. In her spare time, she critiques Southwestern College (SWC) students’ studio presentations as a reviewer. She is bilingual (native-speaking Spanish and English) and is currently studying for her Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). In 2024 she was named to the 40 next top business leaders under 40 list by the San Diego Business Journal.
When Yolanda’s not at work she’s incredibly creative. She loves to paint, practice French and travel when possible – as she has a passion for Rome’s urban design as well as the architecture of Athens, Greece. She is fascinated by, and really loves, understanding and studying San Diego/Tijuana architecture and how each influences the other.