A Day in Red Hook with ALA's Director of Architecture Marissa Feddema

Marissa Feddema is an NYC-based architect and designer who is currently the Director of Architecture at Alda Ly Architecture (ALA) — a full-service Architecture & Interior Design firm that specializes in rethinking traditional retail, healthcare, hospitality, office, and cultural spaces. Originally from Minnesota, Marissa has lived and worked in NYC for the past twelve years, focusing on projects that merge architecture, branding, sustainability and user experience for clients like Tia, Under Armour, Vornado, and the United Nations Development Program. Prior to ALA, she worked with studios including A+I, Sharon Davis Design Studio, Cycle Architecture + Planning, & Van Alen Institute. Marissa’s day involves a ferry commute, a timesheet party, white construction site attire, and a Red Hook sunset.

8:20am: I usually wake up between 7:00 and 7:30, but I’m feeling extra tired after a delayed evening flight and therefore hit snooze what feels like 107 times before forcing myself out of bed. It doesn’t help that my cat and partner are still passed out peacefully next to me. Torture! I hop in the shower and make myself a quick smoothie before heading out.

9:00am: My partner and I live in Red Hook, Brooklyn which feels like a sleepy little beach town in the mornings. My commute-of-choice when heading into our office or meetings in Manhattan is the ferry. While I love the NYC subway system, nothing beats starting my day on the water.

Our team is truly exercising a “hybrid” work style these days. We are all working from home most days, but we have an office in the city to have meetings, do collaborative work, and organize all of our material samples. It’s not a huge space, but has a killer view. We also have the option to use WeWork whenever we’re hopping around the city between meetings and site visits. Today, I start my day in the office taking a few zoom calls before I meet two of our project managers for on-site meetings reviewing the progress of our local projects in construction.

9:30am: The official start of our “work day” always begins with a quick “TB” at 9:30. We use this as a time to touch base about our days, any priority items, and generally just to say good morning to each other. There’s also our “timesheet party”... sounds fun and not nerdy at all, right?

It is! We consult on an hourly basis for a number of our projects and it’s also critical to track that our projects are staffed properly and profitable. Because of this, it’s important that we keep record of how much we work on each task… which is typically a bit of a pain and impossible to do properly if you don’t do it right away. So, we decided to try to add some spice to it. We take 5 mins each morning and do the previous day’s timesheet together, while I “DJ” background music from a shared Spotify playlist we all contribute to – there’s everything from HAIM and A Tribe Called Quest to some epic throwback Mariah. Maybe someday we’ll release it to the public.

*Weekly construction meeting in Williamsburg with Chloe.*

10:00am: Zoom call with our partners in Iceland to check in on Anna Jona, our cafe and theater project in Reykjavik. Not only has this project been a complete delight, but we’re learning so much about how architects, engineers, and builders work in a place that is completely different than what we’re used to.

*Marissa and Sophia on the site of a new health and wellness space in Soho.*

11:00am: We have a weekly “OAC” (Owner/Architect/Contractor) meeting for a healthcare project of ours in Soho that is in its final leg of construction! I meet my teammate Sophia who is our Project Manager and we review a few site conditions that have to be resolved on site, ensure that we are complying with code, and that our design intent is being carried out. We also document progress for the week so we can report back to our clients who are based in SF.

Over the years, I’ve learned that wearing white is surprisingly the key to transitioning from a messy construction site meeting to a more formal conference room pitch or presentation. There’s typically so much white drywall dust on construction sites that if you wear black, you leave looking like an extra in the Thriller music video for the rest of the day.

12:45pm: I exit the subway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and swing by Juice Press for an Acai Bowl for lunch before my next meeting.

1:00pm: Another “OAC” meeting, this time with our fearless PM Chloe. I get to work with the best people… and while there have been bumps in the road and unforeseen challenges with supply chain issues on this one, Chloe and I have been forging ahead and finding ways to get this thing done. Once we get out of the weeds, I actually think this project is going to be really special… another health and wellness space focused on bringing women the holistic care they deserve.

2:30pm: I hop back on the ferry in Williamsburg and head back to Red Hook, taking a zoom call from the boat (this time, off video) with a past client at Clean Market.

3:00pm: Back home, I feed our cat a quick snack and sign on for yet another zoom call, this time to discuss a new space for seniors. We’re working with a stealth healthcare startup that truly has the potential to create a new norm for care for this group. I can’t say much more because they haven’t launched yet, but this team is going to be one to watch for – we feel grateful to be in the room with them imagining how their spaces can be an extension of their mission.

I have one more meeting and a new business proposal to review, then switch my slack status to “away” around 6:15.

6:30pm: I was a dancer, teacher, and choreographer through my late 20s so movement was always scheduled into my day. These days, the challenge is finding something that I enjoy as much as dance to get my body moving. Typically, I try to fit in a morning run or walk in the park with one of my girlfriends, but today, I head over to the public pool in my neighborhood and swim a few laps. Being in the water after a day of running all over and being on dirty construction sites feels amazing.

7:45pm: On my walk home, I get lucky and catch the sunset. In my opinion, sunsets from Red Hook are the best in the city and truly magical.

9:00pm: Most evenings, my partner and I make a late dinner or get takeout and watch The Office, but tonight he’s got a gig so I’m doing one of my favorite things: a solo dinner while catching up on emails or work. Some nights, I bring a book, but tonight, I’m writing this! There’s a spot down our street that’s got fantastic food, a great wine menu, and usually has a quiet spot for me to sit out back - insert chef’s kiss.

11:30pm: I turn in for the night after what my partner describes as my “forever-long nighttime ritual”. What can I say, I’m a sucker for organic face products and have too many of them. I unapologetically layer them on while sipping some mint tea and then do the Wordle and read the news in bed before crashing.