Caitlin Greenwood, AIA, IIDA has always been surrounded by strong women and has been inspired by many since launching her career as an architect. Tapping into this support system, whether it be family, colleagues, friends, industry partners, or even competitors, has resulted in a network of women who encourage each other to drive their careers forward.
Caitlin’s advice for young females interested in design and construction is, “There will be times that you are the only female in the room; use that to inspire you and push you further…”
According to the CBRE Q3 Cambridge Lab MarketView report, “the impact of COVID on office market demand has resulted in nearly every building owner evaluating whether a portion or all of their buildings can be converted to lab.” From a design perspective, these lab conversions pose an interesting set of challenges, particularly in an industry like life sciences where researchers might be doing anything from theoretical research on how to make a new salad dressing to developing prototypes for gene therapy.
By Imran Khan, Associate Principal and Director of Science at Margulies Perruzzi.
We have news to report. The data is in on business trends for the annual Interior Design Rising Giants, the 100 largest firms after our top 100 Giants. However, there’s a catch: It’s 2020. Which means our entire world is in various stages of flux—actually, upheaval may be a better word. No one knows what will happen next week, let alone next year. So while these new numbers can give you a fine idea of what kind of year the Rising Giants had in 2019, all bets are off on guessing how the design industry and the economy overall will weather the rest of 2020 and beyond.
MP has a long-standing tradition of Friday afternoon “snacks” where the entire office gets together to socialize, discuss projects, decompress and sometimes even vent about the stressful days. Our “beer thirty” often continues well into the evening where the laughter from great conversations among colleagues is amplified with cold drinks and the waterfront view of the city skyline from our roof deck.
But what happens when the world shuts down and hanging out on a Friday is no longer an option? Well let me start by telling you, it isn’t the same as human interaction. Look at this photo of us from the spring, the beginning of Covid-19; we are all so naïve. In a daily effort to keep sane and maintain connections, I had virtual meet and greets, coffees, and face-times. Then we all got exhausted. As some of you may already know, I am a social person, and I was over it.
Zoom fatigue is real. What is the last thing any of us want to do at the end of a long week? Sit on another call. But sometimes it may surprise you that yet another call marking this long-standing tradition, turns out to be just the thing you needed that week to help get you through. So keep going. Keep snacking virtually; and keep playing cards against humanity, drinking games, Pictionary and trivia with your coworkers because a good laugh is worth everything right now.
The first “snack” back in person is going to be one for the books, and we have that to look forward to when we pop online Friday afternoons until then. Someday the pandemic will end, we will be back to normal, and as Dan Perruzzi puts it in our daily email check ins – we are one day closer to that.
Architecture firm bolsters design team to serve the burgeoning life sciences market in Boston
Margulies Perruzzi(MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced the expansion of its Science Studio with the addition of Imran Khan, AIA, LEED AP as associate principal and Sarah Attia, LEED AP ID+C as an interior designer.
As an associate principal, Imran will be responsible for leading the overall direction of the Science Studio, including managing and recruiting staff, overseeing projects, and developing new client relationships. In her role as interior designer, Sarah will provide design, technical detailing, and space planning services from concept development through construction documentation for MP’s science clients.
According to the 2019 Industry Snapshot from Mass Bio, Boston is the number one hub for life sciences in the world. Massachusetts is home to a thriving life sciences community, the most highly educated workforce in the U.S., and universities and hospitals that are global leaders in biotech research. Over 12.4 million SF of commercial lab space has been added to Massachusetts in the last 10 years, an increase of 70%. Additionally, investment in the industry has again reached an all-time-high, with $4.8 billion of venture capital (VC) investment in Massachusetts biopharma companies in 2018.
“Boston’s life sciences employment growth has not only outpaced overall job growth at a pace of nearly four to one in the last year, but the region has also recorded the largest five-year employment growth out of any top life sciences cluster in the U.S.,” said Daniel Perruzzi, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, principal and senior partner at Margulies Perruzzi. “We are excited to welcome Imran and Sarah to our design team. They bring a broad range of skills and experience designing a variety of laboratory, technology, and healthcare projects, and they understand our firm’s focus on creating high-quality design and workplace strategies that support our clients’ business goals.”
Whether they are working on the next drug targeting a life-threatening disease, advancing immunotherapy, designing a new medical device to promote faster healing, science companies are focused on delivering important discoveries designed to improve the quality of life. Offering an integrated approach to design, Margulies Perruzzi’s design process parallels the scientific process: gathering data, observing conditions, proposing and testing solutions, and then deploying designs that improve the working environments for employees.
With an inspirational Science portfolio, Margulies Perruzzi specializes in life sciences, medical devices, research and development (R&D), and manufacturing. Margulies Perruzzi has worked with a wide range of industry leaders, including Siemens, Nuvera Fuel Cells, Millipore Sigma, Philips, Metabolix, Boston Scientific, and many others.
With over 25 years of experience with design firms in the Boston area, Imran has planned, directed, and monitored all aspects of technically complex, multidisciplinary projects such as the design for a mixed-use biotechnology R&D laboratory and office building for EMD Serono; the design and construction of a Manufacturing Science & Technology (MSAT) Pilot Plant; and a health sciences simulation laboratory suite at Northeastern University.
“Our goal is to leverage design to transform spaces in order to help our clients achieve their missions of improving people’s lives,” said Imran. “As designers, we are always seeking ways to improve the built environments through creative and strategic planning solutions. With a great team of people who truly care about the quality of their work, our process is dynamic, motivating, and productive enabling lifelong partnerships with our clients.”
Imran holds a Bachelor of Science in architecture from Northeastern University and he has served on the MArch Thesis Faculty at Boston Architectural College since 2007. A registered architect in four states, he is a member of the AIA, BSA, and USGBC as well as a LEED accredited professional.
Sarah Attia, LEED AP ID+C ~ Interior Designer
With nearly 15 years of experience, Sarah has a deep and varied portfolio of science and technology, commercial, hospitality and healthcare projects. She excels at all aspects of the design process and has exceptional programming, space planning, code analysis, and technical skills, including interior detail development.
Since beginning her career in interior design, Sarah has worked at several Boston-area architecture and interior design firms as a designer, interior architect, and project manager. In these roles, she contributed her extensive interior design skills for projects in the pharmaceutical, R&D, healthcare, corporate, hospitality, and higher education markets.
Sarah received a Master of Arts in Interior Architecture from the New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University in Boston and holds a Master of Law from Tel-Aviv University in Israel. She is a LEED accredited professional and a member of the IIDA New England Chapter.
About Margulies Perruzzi
As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi (MP) designs Workplace, Healthcare+Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at http://mparchitectsboston.com.
For the past month we have been working on our Magis Puppy – Sprinkles of Hope. The design inspiration behind our pup was to bring awareness to Cancer research. We used ribbons that represent all 26 different types of cancer, as recognized by the American Cancer Society. Since the purpose of the Magis Puppy Design Challenge is to raise donations for the Children’s Hospital Arts Program this year, our team wanted to create a playful puppy that represented a worthy cause.
Congratulations to Northbridge High School for their big win at the Eco-Carpentry Challenge 2019, taking home the Best in Class Small Shop! Mentors included John Greene from Margulies Perruzzi, Mike Maclean of Peabody Office, and Chelsea Snow of AIS (Affordable Interior Systems).
The Furniture Trust, a nonprofit committed to responsible reuse of unwanted office furniture, held its annual signature event, the Eco-Carpentry Challenge, designed to promote resourcefulness and upcycling while providing students critical skills. Used office furniture donated by local businesses was delivered to ten high schools where students had five months to use teamwork, imagination, and carpentry skills to transform these materials into new products, later donated back into the community.
For over thirty years, Margulies Perruzzi has been designed buildings and interiors that nurture and inspire. Over that entire time we have remained laser-focused on helping our clients increase productivity and creativity, attract and retain talent, and enhance mission engagement. On this anniversary of the founding of the firm, the Partners are delighted to announce the elevation of nine talented professionals to positions of Associate and Senior Associate. They are being recognized for their exemplary leadership, commitment, professional competence, values/character, and client service. New Associates include Sarah Farrell, Marnie Glover Kaplan, Caitlin Greenwood, Jenna Meyers, and Rui Ribeiro. New Senior Associates include Karen Estabrook, Joe Flynn, Kim Smith, and Jane Sullivan. These friends and colleagues will continue their dedication to our clients’ success, to stewardship of the planet’s resources, and to the well-being of our community at large. Please join us in congratulating these wonderful individuals who we know will further enhance Margulies Perruzzi’s innovative approach to the design of buildings and interiors across the country.
Boston, MA – According to Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA), John Fowler, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, has been elevated to the position of associate partner of the firm. Fowler is the 12th member of the firm’s partnership and will continue to lead MPA’s growing healthcare studio, along with associate principal and partner Jason Costello, AIA, EDAC.
MPA also welcomed Mark Thomsen, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, as senior project manager for healthcare. Thomsen brings 23 years of experience as a master planner, project manager, and healthcare planner for a wide variety of hospital and healthcare clients and project types.
“The addition of Mark Thomsen to MPA’s healthcare studio offers our clients deep technical expertise coupled with proven project management skill. As an associate partner and associate principal advancing MPA’s healthcare practice, John Fowler has worked tirelessly with Jason Costello to secure new clients and position the firm for continued growth in the healthcare market,” said Marc Margulies, FAIA, LEED AP, senior partner and principal at Margulies Perruzzi Architects. “We look forward to the collaboration of these three healthcare architects to design and deliver successful projects for our clients.”
For the past 20 years, Fowler has been designing healthcare and science facilities throughout the U.S. His focus on improving the built environment for patients and the clinicians that care for them is a passion that permeates every project with which he is involved. Fowler’s expertise in healthcare planning and design includes leading clinical 3P planning events, facility master planning, feasibility studies and strategic planning, in addition to architectural services. His recent project experience includes cancer care centers, surgical centers, endoscopy departments, compounding pharmacies, diagnostic imaging, and multi-specialty clinics.
Prior to joining MPA, Thomsen spent more than 23 years as a healthcare planner and project manager at a Boston-based healthcare architecture firm, where his experience ranged from hospital campus master planning to large hospital projects and outpatient clinics. His portfolio includes Jahra Hospital in Kuwait, Albany Memorial Hospital in New York, and Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Most recently, Thomsen led design teams for the multi-phased Boston Medical Center Menino Pavilion, working on several aspects of the project including medical/surgical inpatient units, the ICU, the central sterile department, and the pharmacy.
What’s a better way to kick off a relaxing weekend than doing a 90 minute intense workout? Some people might be able to list any number of things they’d rather do instead, but on Saturday February 9th that’s exactly what a knockout team from Margulies Perruzzi did!
For the third year in a row, Margulies Perruzzi showed up in force to participate in the United Way’s annual Fight United fundraising event. Joined by 96 other fighters, the Margulies Perruzzi team of 7 helped to raise over $35,500 to help fund programs that support the educational success of youth in our communities. Even more impressive, Margulies Perruzzi’s Kara McGuane and Cyndy Murphy ranked as the 1st and 3rd place overall fundraisers, respectively! The main event, hosted at George Foreman III’s boxing gym Everybody Fights in the seaport, consisted of 15 high-intensity circuit training stations with each team spending 5 minutes at each station. From rope slams to burpees, and row machines to punching bags, these fighters did it all!
