Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Year founded: 2017
Firm size: Six full-time staff
Firm leadership: Alda Ly, principal
Education: M.Arch., Harvard University Graduate School of Design; B.A. in architecture, University of California, Berkeley
Experience: Rafael Viñoly Architects, 212box, MASS Design Group, HWKN, Leong Leong
What led to the founding of the firm: I’m a woman of color working in a field traditionally dominated by men. Initially, this launched me on a path designing for women, but it quickly morphed into designing for those who aren’t typically considered. At the core of our process is listening to potential users and learning their stories. We don’t just talk to the person who’s hiring us; we make sure to uncover the voices of the people who will use the space every day—whether they are patients, janitors, receptionists, or executives. By asking questions, we inevitably find some shared experience that resonates with us.
Firm mission: Our goal is to create architecture that is shaped by care and empathy. When the intended audience steps into one of our spaces, their first reaction should be, “Wow, they heard me.”
First commission: The Wing, a 10,000-square-foot women’s coworking space in New York
Defining project and why: Parsley Health in New York City. We were hired because we didn’t have any experience in health care—the client knew we could bring fresh ideas to stagnant spatial typologies. They wanted a doctor’s office like no one had ever seen before—and we delivered. This was the beginning of our health and wellness portfolio, which includes some of the work we’re most proud of: HealthQuarters in New York, Liv by Advantia Health in Washington, and Tia Los Angeles.
Most successful collaboration: Our office is currently all women. Some amazing collaborations happen when our client, consultant, and general contractor teams are also all women. There are no egos. Everyone works intently with the same common goals. Problem-solving is collaborative. And it’s fun! While it’s a rare combination in the field, we’re proud to say that we work hard to seek out partnerships with clients who have a collaborative, open, and experimental approach like we do.
Personality of the practice: Intentional, considerate, and playful
Design tool of choice: iPad Pro and Pencil 2. I use them daily for sketching plans and ideas. More importantly, they’ve helped to solve some of our studio’s need for creative collaboration while working remotely. All of our designers received iPads and Pencils during the pandemic. We have regular sketch sessions during the early design phases for each project. We can quickly layer sketches over floor plans, post our screenshots on Slack or Google Slides, and go around the group for discussion. This is our pandemic version of a pinup.
Biggest career leap: Becoming a mom, and finally hiring senior staff. The growth of my firm ran in parallel with the growth of my family. I became pregnant with my first child one month of starting the firm, and had my second child two years after that. Having kids of course changes your perspective on your time, attention, and the bigger things you want to focus on. That led me to rethink how our small firm was structured, which I did by hiring our two directors and also supporting and mentoring our talented designers to grow and take on more responsibilities. I realized that my role is to support them, not the other way around.
Ambitions for the firm in the coming five years: Working with inspiring clients to push the boundaries of traditional building typologies, and successfully blending hospitality, healthcare, wellness, and community spaces.
Currently on the bookshelf: Radical Candor by Kim Scott. Recommended by Marissa Feddema, one of our super-talented directors.
Skills you hope to master: Servant leadership. It’s an ever-evolving skill that’s impossible to perfect, but I aim to keep getting better.
