Amparo Vollert, of Great Barrington, passed away peacefully at home on November 1, 2025. She was 50 years old.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Amparo lived a life defined by creativity, integrity, and deep connection. She was a devoted wife, mother, architect, and friend whose luminous spirit touched everyone who knew her.
Amparo earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, where she graduated as an honors scholar, and she received her Master of Architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Her early research and writing on space, perception, and experience shaped a lifelong philosophy that architecture is not only about structure—it is about how we live, feel, and connect within the spaces we inhabit.
In 2008, she and her husband, fellow architect Pedro Pachano, founded PACHANO&VOLLERT, an architecture practice dedicated to elevating the quality of people’s lives through design by combining thoughtful innovation with contemporary beauty. Amparo’s work was guided by a profound respect for natural light, material, and the interplay between interior and exterior worlds, as well as a belief that these qualities should be made available to everyone despite scale or budget. Her spaces invite discovery and reflection and are grounded in beauty and purpose.
Beyond her remarkable professional accomplishments, Amparo’s greatest joy was her family. Her partnership with her husband Pedro was one of shared vision, mutual respect, and deep love. She was a fiercely loving and devoted mother to their son Joaquin, whom she guided with wisdom and unwavering belief. Amparo cherished Joaquin’s creative spirit, helped nourish his love of piano music, and supported his artistic pursuits wholeheartedly.
Those who were fortunate to know Amparo will remember her as a force of nature—vibrant, insightful, and endlessly curious. She lived fully and authentically, blending strength with tenderness, intellect with intuition. She adored nature, hiking the Berkshires’ trails, sharing meaningful conversations with friends, and gathering over beautiful, nourishing meals.
Amparo was true to herself until the end: fierce and focused. She fought her illness with everything she had. She died with dignity and privacy.
Amparo is survived by her husband Pedro Pachano and their son Joaquin Pachano Vollert, both of Great Barrington; a brother, Klaus; her mother Amparo; and her extended family in Colombia. She is predeceased in death by her twin sister Claudia Vollert and her father Klaus Vollert.
To honor Amparo’s memory, you are encouraged to donate to your local food pantry. Amparo provided food to the pantry regularly, as was her giving nature. Amparo’s light will continue to shine in every space she designed, every life she touched, and in the beauty she brought to this world. Condolences may be made through the website of Birches-Roy Funeral Home.
