Tolya Stonorov grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. Inspired by childhood travel with her mother through europe, she moved to paris at 19 and spent time doing research and studying art. In 1998, she received her undergraduate degree from oberlin college. From 1998-2000 she traveled through southeast asia and lived in london, working as a freelance artist and sushi caterer. In 2003 she received a masters of architecture from the University of California Berkeley, where she was awarded several grants, the Chester Miller traveling fellowship and the Howard Friedman Thesis prize. From 2003-2006 she worked with an award winning firm as a project designer/manager. In 2006 she started Stonorov Workshop with Otto Stonorov.