Born and educated in Mozambique, completed her Architecture professional degree at the University of Cape Town (1983). An enduring curiosity has taken her to practice in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing, London, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg, in governmental and private spheres.

Notable built projects have been: the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town (1987), the Northern Cape Legislature in Kimberley (2003), the Lebone II College for the baFokeng nation (2011), the Soweto Theatre (2012), the Jabulani Amphitheatre and Cultural Precinct Masterplan (2014). A research-led practice, particularly in socio-economic issues, generated the award winning POD-iDladla (2015), a study for a modular starter-home, augmentable and moveable, defining the minimum area needed to live well.

Clara has worked as a consultant architect and team leader, from setting-up teams through to conceptual, detail design and implementation of projects to completion; furniture and objects-systems production have also been completed.

She has worked in Academia as a mentor and critique reviews at the South African universities of Wits, University of Johannesburg, Pretoria (Tukkies) and Bloemfontein.

Clara founded Collaborate000, a multi-disciplinary group that produces integral design solutions in a flexible and non-hierarchical association; the group is engineered to be adaptable to the needs of a fast-changing and interconnected world.