Alda Ly, a designer for female-oriented coworking space The Wing, has played a part in six of the firms’ locations in New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Wing cofounders Audrey Gelman and Lauren Kassan sought out a female architecture team when it launched in 2016. The coworking firm became Alda Ly Architecture & Design’s first big client.
With the help of designer Chiara de Rege, Ly created The Wing’s distinguishable look of plush lounge furniture, pastel shades, wood tables, color-coded bookshelves, and arched doorways.
Ly and de Rege have also had a hand in building the company’s core amenities, such as showers, lockers, cafes, podcast recording studios, and on-site childcare.
“My mission was like, ‘Let’s create a great living room—a place someone is going to want to hang out and be inspired by the furniture and finishes while also wanting to get work done,’” said de Rege. “You should be able to refresh and reboot, and experience great programming, like [at Manhattan’s] 92nd Street Y.”
Now, Ly believes that The Wing projects has set a precedent for her new firm as more women-owned businesses continue to reach out to her.