BOSTON–Saam Architecture, a Boston-based design firm, announced they have established new executive positions and expanded the team of principals with a promotion and a new hire. Co-founders Diana Nicklaus and Koos Louw will shift focus to executive roles, with Nicklaus serving as president and CEO and Louw as vice president and COO.
Current senior associate Diana Ostberg has been elevated to principal, and the company welcomes Ed Bourget as a principal. In just three years, Saam architecture has experienced growth and success that requires this leadership team expansion. The firm now has 24 employees and a fast-growing reputation for excellence in the architecture industry. The new structure will help Saam provide its clients with excellent service.
“As co-founders, Koos and I are proud of our progress, building a firm with a reputation for excellence and effective collaboration, as well as a diverse culture and an emphasis on work/life balance,” said Diana Nicklaus, President and CEO, Saam Architecture. “Our reputation as a great place to work has enabled us to draw many talented professionals. We are thrilled to promote Diana Ostberg, who has been with us from the beginning, and happy to welcome Ed Bourget, whose talents will be invaluable in future Saam projects.”
Nicklaus and Louw founded Saam Architecture in June 2014 and have succeeded through a collaborative process that takes advantage of the diverse skills of the Saam staff. Saam has assembled a talented team, in part by providing a quality of life that has drawn professionals with diverse backgrounds and complementary skill sets. The Saam staff is 74 percent female, unique for an industry traditionally dominated by men. Saam has been able to bring in some of the best young talent in the industry, along with seasoned professionals, in order to offer the best team to their clients.
Diana Nicklaus is co-founder of Saam Architecture. She has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, has practiced in both the United States and Italy, and her work includes high profile large scale institutional projects including those in higher education, healthcare, cultural arts, and K-12 education sectors. As president and CEO, she will continue to guide Saam towards providing innovative service to its customers.
With over three decades of experience, Saam co-founder Koos Louw has successfully completed residential, commercial, institutional, and healthcare projects for private clients, corporations, and state agencies in the United States, Africa, and the Middle East. He formerly served as managing principal of the Burt Hill Boston office and has extensive executive-level managerial experience, which has been essential to establishing Saam as an organized, collaborative, innovative, and highly-creative team. That leadership will continue as he becomes vice president and COO.
Diana Ostberg joined Saam in July 2014 as senior associate and has played a key role in establishing Saam as an innovator in the industry. As the VDC/BIM leader at Saam, Ostberg has received industry recognition as an authority on the use of Building Information Modeling on the Virtual Design and Construction of large, complex projects. Her calm, collaborative leadership style and her technical expertise have made her a vital part of the team, and as principal, she will continue to lead teams with her inclusive, straight-forward management style.
While new to Saam Architecture, Ed Bourget is well known to his Saam colleagues, as he previously worked with Louw, Nicklaus and Ostberg at Burt Hill Boston. Bourget comes to Saam with 27 years of experience in architecture, with projects including multi-family residential, higher education facilities, town halls, and libraries. As a project manager, Bourget has a reputation for building responsive integrated project teams that are attentive to the specific needs of the client while maximizing functionality. Bourget will bring that expertise and attention to detail to his work as principal at Saam.
