Ana Pinto-Alexander
2014 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI RECIPIENT
BA 1986, Interior Design
Principal and Senior Vice President, HKS Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
Ana Pinto-Alexander’s expertise in interior design is grounded in research—and evidence shows that design can influence both how we heal and how we feel. As a principal and senior vice president at the Indianapolis office of HKS, Inc., Pinto-Alexander has more than 27 years of experience, focused primarily on designing healthcare facilities. She worked at BSA LifeStructures in Indianapolis for 12 years before establishing her own firm, Maregatti Interiors, in 2001. It merged with HKS, a global powerhouse in architecture and design, in 2011. She was recently recognized by Healthcare Design magazine as one of the “25 most influential people in healthcare design,” and last year she was named a Legend IN Design award winner by the Indiana Interior Design Coalition.
Beyond her passion for designing healthcare environments that improve the experience of patients, families, and medical practitioners, Pinto-Alexander has also designed interiors for religious and educational facilities, including several buildings in Purdue’s Discovery Park.
“I try to think of each building as a living organism that houses human interaction,” she explained to THiNK Magazine. “The goal is to evoke a feeling when people walk into a particular building. If Purdue’s students find themselves feeling good and wonder why, then that means we are successful.”
Purdue Influences
I took classes in the building construction program, which gave me a better understanding of the constructability of my designs.
Purdue Memories
Being in the observation planetarium [in West Lafayette] in the middle of winter studying the constellations, and being thrown into the fountain by a stranger after a football game. Some of my favorite Purdue traditions include the Big Bass Drum, the Purdue fight song and fountain runs, as well as my favorite, Purdue Musical Organizations.
Purdue Now
Purdue is a school of innovators, from being the first school to have an airport to putting a man on the moon. The respect and value that Purdue has for its female graduates is also important.
Favorite Word
About Purdue, “Boilermaker,” because a Boilermaker is constantly in movement, making things better and assembling new ideas. My personal favorite word is “grateful.”
Greatest Achievement
Building a successful practice, Maregatti Interiors, where people have the opportunity to reach their highest potential. Our merger with HKS, with its global reach and reputation, is unquestionably the highlight of my professional career.
Person I Admire
Malala Yousafzai, for her courage and determination.
Idea of Perfect Happiness
Feeling good about yourself.
What I’m Reading
Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Marshall, StrengthsFinders 2.0 by Tom Rath, and The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller.
Profession I’d Like to Try
I would like to be a physical therapist.