Connie de Laveaga Stoops' influences in architecture are intimate. Her family comprises generations of designers and builders who have lived in Northern California since the late 1800s. Connie's undergraduate focus on Romance Languages at the University of Oregon led to journeys through Europe, North Africa, Mexico and Central America. Influenced by overseas and domestic architecture, Connie began her career as an interior designer at Christopherson and Graff, a design-driven Bay Area architectural firm.