Born in California, she began her training by studying structural engineering and architecture at Rice University in Houston, and fine arts in Florence, culminating in a Master of Architecture at Yale University. After a scholarship ‘Fulbright Scholarship’ in Rome, in 1986, she became a partner at Studio Citterio Dwan and in 1991 she opened her own studio in Milan. She designed buildings in Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Italy, and in 1996 she began to work on design with important companies. Some of her projects are in the permanent collection of the Museum of the Triennale in Milan.