2021 Women in Construction: Alison Buckley, WELL AP, Associate IIDA Interior Designer, Margulies Perruzzi

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? I earned my WELL Accredited Professional (AP) certification which means I have advanced knowledge in human health and wellness in the built environment, and specialization in the WELL Building Standard. I decided to pursue the WELL AP certification because I have always been interested in health and wellness as it relates to design. It is an integral and important aspect that needs to be taken into consideration when designing spaces because, ultimately, we are designing for people. The selection of responsible and sustainable products and methods can have a significant impact on the occupants of the spaces we design.

What are you most looking forward to post-pandemic? Being around people again! Collaboration drives design and it has been hard being disconnected from people physically. We thrive on being in our spaces or with our clients to feel creative and inspired to create innovative spaces for our clients.

Starting out in the construction business, who or what empowered you? My mother worked in real estate on the Cape and I helped her out during the summer. I have a degree in arts education but hadn’t realized you could leverage art and real estate as a career. I started at the Boston Architectural College (BAC) before transferring to NESAD (Suffolk University) where I completed my master of arts in Interior Architecture. Since graduating, I have been fortunate enough to have a wide range of interior design experience, including higher-ed, retail, hospitality, and multi-residential. I am currently focused on corporate and healthcare projects.