A Day in Seattle With Olson Kundig's Ekram Hassen

By Julia Gamolina

Ekram Hassen is an Architectural Designer at Olson Kundig, where she works on projects of various scales, from a small cabin to large scale residential buildings. She is also on OK’s pro bono committee, helping select pro bono projects for the studio to work on. Based in Seattle, her day involves catching up on news with Democracy Now!, a lunch break in Pioneer Square, exploring a prototype for a local homeless encampment, and the many soothing sounds of Seattle.

6:30am: I wake up but don’t get up or turn on the light. This is my most peaceful time of the day. I like to listen to morning sounds, birds singing and cars passing in the distance. If it’s raining, which is not rare in Seattle, even better. Then I say some quiet prayers to show gratitude for a new day and for the things I have.

Ekram’s cut fruit laid out and ready to blend.

6:45am: I start browsing architectural sites like ArchDaily or Designboom for inspiration. During busy times with deadlines, it serves as a reminder of why I love and chose this profession. Sometimes I’ll read a book instead. I always read two completely different books at once, so I can jump back and forth. Currently I’m reading Machiavelli’s The Prince and Michel Pastoureau’s Red: The History of a Color.

8:00am: I always start my day with a smoothie. It’s a morning ritual I absolutely love, and I take great joy in making it and paying attention to the changing seasons. This morning I opted for a mango-papaya-peach smoothie since mango is in season. Once the slower part of my morning is done, I wash up and get ready for work.

It might sound odd, but I really miss my morning bus ride to work. I find sharing a small space with complete strangers for 45 minutes each day very interesting. It makes my commute fun and gives me a chance to see what kind of people live in the city. I look at their faces and wonder about their lives.

After the bus, I have a seven-minute walk to the office that takes me through Pioneer Square, the historic heart of Seattle. This city shares some similarities with the region where I spent my childhood in Ethiopia. Although I don’t drink much coffee anymore, smelling it as I walk through the rain always brings back happy memories.

Ekram working at her desk at OK’s offices. Photography by Kyle Johnson.

9:00am: I go over emails, making a note of anything that needs an immediate response and planning my day before I start my tasks. I work on residential projects, from a tiny cabin in concept phase in Sun Valley, Idaho, to a large house under construction in Seattle. On Mondays, I start with a team check-in for one of my projects followed by a chat with our contractor. Every day brings different challenges, and that’s what makes this profession exciting. The learning never stops! The morning usually goes by quickly and before I realize it, it’s lunchtime.

12:30pm: Recently, I went into the office for the first time in more than a year. It felt like a new place, nearly empty. A couple friends were also in the office, so we went out for lunch. We tried some of our usual places and were sad to find them closed. Walking through Pioneer Square didn’t feel the same, either – I hadn’t fully understood the impact of the pandemic. Ultimately we went to a Mediterranean place that has survived. Eating lunch and laughing over small things, I realized how much I’d missed interacting with people.

At home, I try to eat away from my computer and listen to the news, I’m a big fan of Democracy Now and if I don’t have much time, I’ll at least look at the headlines.

1:00pm: In the afternoon, I may have meetings with consultants or internal teams to check progress and ask questions. The later part of my afternoon is usually when I focus on one project. It could be preparing for a client meeting, researching code requirements or responding to RFIs – I work on small teams, so I get to experience different things.

Lunch in Occidental Park with Ekram’s OK colleagues. Photography by Kyle Johnson.

5:00pm: Later, I spend some time working on a pro bono project or researching our next one. The firm collaborates with local non-profit organizations to create opportunities for staff to serve our community, which is extremely important to me, too. Currently, I’m working on a prototype for a local homeless encampment that can be built for under $1,000 and easily assembled and disassembled. It’s been a challenging and fun project, and will be an installation at Seattle Design Festival in August.

Architects Without Borders board meeting.

6:00pm: I like to take a long walk to mark end of the workday, especially this time of year: the late afternoon light is magical. If I ever leave this region, it will be hard to say goodbye to summer sunsets. My family and friends often call, and we chat and laugh. This past year would have been difficult without those calls.

Sometimes instead of walking, I have a meeting for Architects Without Borders Seattle. As a member of the Board of Directors, I give time to support projects in collaboration with underserved communities here in Seattle and around the world. We have board members from various backgrounds and it’s been a good experience working with people outside of the building industry.

After my walk, I prepare dinner. Today I made Indian-style chow mein, which I had at a food truck in San Jose, California, and have been trying to recreate ever since! I usually eat dinner while watching TV, and then switch to the news. A part of me is always connected to my home country so I try to find out what’s happening over there, too.

8:30pm: Later I spend some time on volunteer initiatives and other things I enjoy. I like to search for new recipes to try, or learn random, new things on Coursera. Sometimes I watch historical or cultural documentaries or read a book.

10:30pm: At last I get ready for bed, take a shower and pray. I listen to soothing sounds for few minutes before turning everything off and going to sleep.

Ekram at the OK offices. Photography by Kyle Johnson.