Design Between the Lines: Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Design Between the Lines with Lori Ambrusch!  I am excited to dig into the intersection of design, science, and technology each month, approaching that crossroads from a variety of different angles and stakeholders. As the introductory installment, I would like to discuss what you can expect to see each month, as well as a little bit about myself, to provide context as to how I found myself writing about science and technology from an architectural perspective. 

I knew since kindergarten that I wanted to be an architect (it is still unclear where I heard of this profession at the age of five), but I always assumed it would be in the ground-up arena. I didn’t have a particular niche I was interested in, but I loved math and building things out of boards I would break during TaeKwonDo lessons. I have also always held a love for writing and have had a deep curiosity about anything I come across, but I was not fully sure how those interests would manifest in my architectural career. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I found myself learning the intricacies of pharmacy design while working at a healthcare architecture firm in Philadelphia.  I absolutely loved the precision and attention to detail it required, not only in the design itself but also in piecing together the variety of codes and regulations that stipulate requirements for the physical manifestation of the design intent. This level of detail is certainly different than base building architecture, but nonetheless, I realized I had found my niche.

Now, in the present, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring my final two passions into the mix, which are writing and pursuing my curiosities about the profession in the form of industry research and thought leadership. I have had the pleasure of meeting many brilliant minds on the engineering, science, brokerage, and developer sides (to name a few) of science and technology programming and design, and these interactions have helped broaden my understanding of the field and how to design innovative and inspiring spaces for scientists to develop groundbreaking research and treatments.  

In order to consolidate and organize some of these expert opinions, I will be interviewing these individuals periodically and sharing their insights in this column. I will also be delving into some topics that continue to raise questions and need to be demystified for a successful design output (we unfortunately can’t ignore MAQs and control areas, for example). There will be a healthy mix of new design topics, such as when labs will actually need to be converted entirely to electric power, as well as foundational topics that continue to evolve within the industry. I am also open to input and topic suggestions if there are any pressing issues that are on your mind related to design and the science and technology industry, so please do not hesitate to reach out with interests of your own so that we can delve into more depth within this column. I am looking forward to embarking on this journey of exploration with you – thanks for reading!

Involved in the design industry since 2013, Lori has worked as an architectural designer for several years and currently works as the regional director for Ware Malcomb Washington, DC.

All opinions expressed in Design Between the Lines with Lori Ambrusch are exclusive to the author and are not reflective of Lab Design News.