2021 Women in Construction: Miika Ebbrell, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Ebbrell Architecture + Design

What was your greatest achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? Construction of the interior fit-out for Via Separations, which involved the conversion of a former flag manufacturing building in Watertown, MA into a state-of-the-art wet lab and prototyping space for the company’s revolutionary membrane filtration platform. The project was ramping up in the early days of the pandemic which forced the whole process to shift to virtual team meetings, develop new on-site construction protocols, as well as contend with material supply and utility-related delays. The team maintained a high level of collaboration and ultimately delivered a high-functioning space for the client on time and on budget.

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months? We have always placed a strong emphasis on the early programming phase of a project to ensure we fully understand our client’s needs and vision to develop a design that fully expresses their values. The pandemic has increased that early design phase focus as we provide the expertise and guidance to help our clients navigate a return to the workplace and/or build out a new space that meets the realities of both remote and hybrid work models. Clients are particularly interested in implementing new technology solutions that help them manage space usage in addition to our overall design value.