Meet Sandra March, C2AE’s Education Leader
Sandra March has spent over 25 years building relationships across the architecture and engineering industry, the last three here at C2AE. Her passion is connecting schools, colleges, universities, and libraries with skilled architects and engineers to create highly effective, safe, and long-lasting learning environments.
We sat down with Sandra to learn more about her.
Tell us about yourself. I’ve had the pleasure of working with architects and engineers throughout my career, first as marketing assistant for a large, full-service firm, then as marketing coordinator for a 100+ year old architectural firm, and most recently as firm partner and VP of marketing and business development for a 40+ employee firm in Syracuse, focusing on educational design.
I enjoy engaging with people, learning about their needs and making an impact in their lives. My passion is working as a mentor to women, empowering them to grow professionally.
What inspires you about your work? To me, the best part of architecture and engineering and working with our clients is that we are profoundly influencing the people who live, work, and play in the facilities we design – whether it’s learning spaces, gyms, athletic fields, parks, or new infrastructure (clean, reliable drinking water, safe trails, and roadways).
Working closely with super intelligent and creative individuals is challenging and meaningful. I’m always learning something new from my peers.
What are your plans for your new role? My immediate goal is taking a deep dive into our projects and clients: What is our current relationship? How can we make it better? What’s working and what’s not? I also want to grow C2AE’s educational presence in New York State, where we didn’t have a dedicated business developer until I joined the firm. I want to spread awareness that C2AE is designing beautiful and purposeful educational facilities in Michigan, and we want to bring that same expertise to New York.
What trends do you see on the rise in education design heading into 2023? The unfortunate events of COVID-19 brought to light a whole new way of thinking about the delivery of education—the importance of indoor air quality, flexible classrooms through the use of furniture mobility, and hybrid learning (in person and remote). We as design professionals need to be fluid enough to design spaces and pivot as required to adapt to changing times.
In addition, safety and security continues to be of paramount important to administrators and leaders. That includes hardening of windows, increased security cameras, and secure vestibules. C2AE is going to become certified through CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), which will be very beneficial as we work with our clients to create safe and secure learning spaces.
What are three things you consider essential to any learning environment? Although library, K12, and higher education environments vary widely, there are a few common priorities between them: safety and security, creating a sense of connectedness and engagement in a world of highly personalized learning, and building climates of holistic support.
How can people get in touch with you? You can reach me by phone or email: 315.317.5880 | sandra.march@c2ae.com I’ll be at the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) conference in March 2023 and the State University of New York Physical Plant Administrators Association (SUNY PPAA) conference in the summer.
