10 Questions With... Ámbar Margarida December 14, 2020 By Carlene Olsen For Ámbar Margarida, principal at the global architecture and interiors firm Spacesmith, making design more accessible to all is a mainstay of her career. Margardia, who won the HiP Greater Good: Large Firm award at this year's virtual HiP People awards ceremony, leads the design of humane and uplifting urban environments at the firm, creating environments for some of the most vulnerable and underrepresented communities, such as the homeless, the previously incarcerated, and children in the foster care system. Margarida, who grew up in Puerto Rico, draws on psychology often in her work, taking into account wellness and sustainable design principles when starting a new project. The designer, who also is a faculty member at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts, has reimagined spaces for organizations such as the New York Legal Assistance Group, the QueensEconomic Development Corporation and SCO Family of Services and has helped minority-owned businesses safely resume operations given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to teaching and her work at Spacesmith, Margarida also is a founding member of the Latino American Commercial Real Estate Association, where she advocates for Hispanic members of the commercial real estate industry.