Expertise: Space planning

  • Multiple locations, U.S.
  • Food, beverage, & entertainment
Consumer Experiences

SSP America

Now Arriving: New Food Concepts at West Coast International Airports

Once a place for generic restaurants serving mediocre food, airports have come to realize investing in an array of quality F&B options can yield higher customer satisfaction and subsequent profits. As a result, multi-million-dollar renovation plans for the Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland international airports call for a number of new dining amenities.

Deschutes Brewery at PDX

After the government agencies that own and operate the airports announced redevelopment programs in 2017, MG2 worked with SSP America to develop a series of restaurant concepts to submit for leases. Concepts for multiple high-performing national brands and popular local brands were awarded contracts, as were one-of-kind brands crafted by MG2 exclusively for each airport. Six of the restaurants selected for the Seattle airport will be featured together as part of a food hall environment also designed by MG2.

LAX Photography: LAX Shop Dine

The work was developed and completed alongside SSP America and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports (URW Airports), the in-terminal commercial developer and manager of LAX Terminal 1.

  • McLean, VA
  • Worklife
Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

MG2 D.C. Office

Translating company values into a workplace paradigm

MG2’s former East Coast office met the company’s past needs but the expansive workspace layout wasn’t fostering the level of collaboration and connection that employees desired. In designing a new office space, MG2 began by considering how to bring the firm’s values – such as creativity, trust and a results-oriented approach – to life in the workplace. To reflect these values, the office’s design incorporates innovative strategies to increase interaction, visibility, flexibility and productivity while also efficiently condensing square footage.

The office is composed of three types of activity zones – public, communal and personal – that reflect the overall design inspiration stemming from the concept of a public park and the 21st century office environment.

Each area features color, pattern, lighting, furniture and technology selections that are distinctive but cohesive throughout the space.

Integrated, light-scale workstations with low privacy barriers open up the space and foster collaboration while allowing for individual design and work preferences. Employees can enjoy a variety of public spaces, including galleries, open meeting areas, niches and MG2’s signature Town Square space for office meetings and events. Like each of MG2’s offices, the workspace is visually inspiring and an effective reflection of MG2’s core values, sense of community and commitment to creating environments that foster creativity.

  • Seattle, WA
  • Brand design, Worklife
Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

MG2 Seattle Office

Bringing a brand to life

In designing a new headquarters office in downtown Seattle, MG2 envisioned a space that would drive connectivity within the firm and with clients, partners, and the community. MG2 needed a work environment that would showcase the company’s culture, people, and work and also reflect the firm’s updated brand identity.

To fulfill this vision, MG2 revitalized space in the 1101 Second building originally designed by Pacific Northwest modernist architect Paul Thiry. MG2 brought together a diverse team of its retail design, office design, and brand strategy experts to develop the office space in a way that applies the retail design sensibility to the workplace, from a focus on the “customer journey” to a unique street-facing exhibit space.

MG2’s design team played off the natural state of the building with its open floor plates and exposed concrete to create an expansive, modern environment set against a refined industrial backdrop. As in MG2’s other offices, the open environment provides employees with choice and flexibility between a variety of work spaces — from individual workstations to open and enclosed meeting areas and “quiet rooms” for individual work or small group meetings. This flexibility and the inspiring design of the space has created a new sense of energy and collaboration reflecting MG2’s continued growth and evolution as a firm.

  • Irvine, CA
  • Worklife
Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

MG2 Irvine Office

Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

MG2 Irvine Office

Fostering planned and spontaneous collaboration

Located on the ground floor of a prominent high-rise, MG2’s Irvine office is designed to reflect the firm’s agile, collaborative culture. The office’s open plan concept, complete with glass-enclosed conference rooms and casual meeting nodes, supports changing demographics, improves transparency and encourages employee socialization.

The strategic combination of workstation systems and freestanding furniture allows staff to reconfigure their space as business needs evolve without disrupting power and data infrastructure. Adjacent desktops and extension tops enable collective problem solving and osmotic learning, while storage elements and low-height partitions create boundaries between personal and shared work areas. A flex dining area adjacent to the kitchen serves as the office’s hub, with employees regularly gathering around tables for work sessions and presentations.

A sizable living green wall greets employees and guests as they walk into the lobby. The installation symbolizes MG2’s dedication to integrating sustainable design solutions in its offices and throughout client projects. In addition to achieving ENERGY STAR tenant status from the U.S. EPA, the office received LEED Silver certification for its use of energy efficient equipment, solar-sensitive lighting and eco-friendly materials.

  • Menomonee Falls, WI
  • Interiors, Worklife
Community Environments

Kohl’s Innovation Center

Kohl's Headquarters

A connected center for innovation

When working with long-time client Kohl’s, MG2 was entrusted with redeveloping an existing warehouse into a new innovation center for several critical divisions of its company. The challenge was not only transforming a windowless manufacturing facility the size of five football fields into an engaging and interactive space, but to do so in less than 20 months and with a limited budget.

Creating natural light sources to fill the large, dark space was achieved by replacing the concrete wall panels with floor to ceiling windows while openings in the ceiling were creatively engineered to allow for the installation of skylights. MG2 also created five different mezzanines to establish departmental zones within the larger space, which include offices and conferences rooms. Color was used to further differentiate the various departments within these zones. To connect the campus to its satellite offices, three ballroom-sized spaces – capable of holding 1,500 people – were developed to house AV equipment and serve as a centralized communications hub for its facilities.

  • Seattle, WA
  • Interiors, Worklife
Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

Second and Seneca

Revitalizing an underutilized office lobby into a connected work experience

Urban Renaissance Group partnered with MG2 to renovate the lobby of their Second and Seneca office tower. With two existing cafés adjoining the lobby, the design team recognized the environment’s potential to enhance synergies between tenants’ work and social lives.

It was important the lobby’s interior design promote flexibility and choice among its users, while also respecting the existing architecture of the building. Ottoman seating is thoughtfully configured throughout the space to enable a variety of interactions. Additionally, an adjacent storage room was transformed into a mobile charging lounge where people can comfortably work from their devices.

To keep the lobby feeling energized, MG2 partnered with Digital Kitchen to create evolving custom content displayed on a mosaic of seven wall-mounted LED screens. The contemporary atmosphere of the new ground-level common space incorporates modern pendant lighting, fluted textured tiles and slated wall sections to create an amenity that will help Urban Renaissance Group continue to attract and retain high-caliber tenants.

  • Multiple locations, WA
  • Food, beverage, & entertainment
Consumer Experiences

Anthony’s Restaurants

Serving up a relaxed maritime atmosphere with waterfront views

For nearly two decades, MG2 has designed Anthony’s Restaurants, a family of locally owned restaurants in Washington. Dedicated to providing guests with a luxury dining experience, Anthony’s has earned the reputation for serving the finest in Pacific Northwest seafood. To complement the acclaimed cuisine, the majority of restaurants are built along rivers, lakes and the ocean. Oversized windows offer wide-sweeping views of these glistening bodies of water and create airy, light-filled dining environments.

As guests are led to their table by a host or hostess, they’re able to glimpse inside an open kitchen where chefs are expertly preparing fresh catches of the day. If they shift their gaze upward, they’ll notice exposed wood beams running across vaulted ceilings, an architectural detail intended to mimic the interior of a sailing ship’s hull.

MG2 recently helped Anthony’s introduce a new F&B concept, known as The Cabana. Located adjacent to the Anthony’s in Anacortes, The Cabana offers a more casual sit-down dining experience, as well as a classic fish and chips “to-go” bar and two sand bocce ball courts.

  • Kauai, HI
  • Hospitality, Interiors
Community Environments

Grand Hyatt Kauai

Modern, memorable luxury steeped in tradition

When Kawailoa Development and the Grand Hyatt Kauai began a journey to update its luxury resort offering, they sought an architectural and interior design partner that respected, embodied, and deeply understood the importance of maintaining the character of the hotel’s experience. Simultaneously, they required a trusted confidant and experts in implementing a continuous roll-out renovation program, helping them answer the question, “How can we fully update and elevate our offering over time without affecting those who seek to experience it in the interim?”

Since its onset, MG2 has been the go-to for every phase of guestroom renovation on the property. The team, consisting of several designers who worked on the original hotel and lived on Hawaii themselves, came armed with a personal understanding of the island experience. With each additional project, they continue to gain deeper insight into the resort’s brand and the area’s history, building on that established foundation of knowledge and expertise without adding time or cost to the program’s strict budget.

MG2 has designed and delivered numerous updates to the Grand Hyatt Kauai’s offering through a strategic, incremental approach while allowing the resort to maintain 80% occupancy throughout each project’s lifecycle.

The newly minted guest rooms and suites—completely redesigned from the ground up—were crafted to maintain the resort’s rich history while modernizing color palettes, refreshing interiors, elevating competition with neighboring properties. In addition, space layouts are optimized to better facilitate guests. By implementing a transitional and modern approach that utilizes lock-off and connectors, the resort can now rent out half or quarter suites to maximize occupancy.

“The freshness of the design wows our guests. Thoughtful Hawaiian elements throughout fortify the beauty of the host culture, and have been a key selling point. Demand has been at an all-time high for family and multi-generational travel. As a result, the suites have been consistently occupied, attributing to overall average rate growth.”

Katy Britzmann, Director of Sales & Marketing, Grand Hyatt Kauai

With a classic Hawaiiana aesthetic woven throughout each room and suite, designers leveraged a neutral interior palette that invites in and focalizes the stunning views and organic elements beyond to persist as the main event. Freshly painted white walls offered a blank canvas to enhance with subtle pops of color that furthered the goal of “bringing Hawaii inside.”

Furniture is low and contemporary so as not to hinder ocean views and complement natural elements that add both pattern and texture. Hyperlocal materials and flora—from monkeypod wood and coconut husk to orchids and ginger plants—were used to accent and enhance the biophilic feeling inside each room.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai’s handcrafted decor and personalized touches include locally commissioned monstera leaf-shaped coffee tables and traditional outrigger paddles, adding to the resort’s commitment to immersing guests in the local heritage and rich tradition.

With each hotel renovation project—including the upcoming Ocean Suites—MG2’s understanding of the Grand Hyatt Kauai becomes more profound and refined. As a result, our partnership continues to exceed expectations for all involved. In addition to offering a newly elevated guest experience, the resort has almost doubled its revenue per available room from the dynamic renovation of its suites, which have become more marketable and profitable than ever.

  • More than 785 locations worldwide
  • Large-format retail
Client Programs

Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale has partnered with MG2 for over 30 years.
Costco Wholesale Santa Fe La Mexicana by MG2

An enduring partnership with a global leader

Over 30 years ago, our partnership with Costco Wholesale began with one warehouse. At the time, the wholesale leader was putting down roots in rural and suburban communities, where space was ample. However, as the brand gained popularity and expanded its reach into urban neighborhoods, development became more challenging with greater constraints. Simultaneously, Costco Wholesale boldly began to broaden its offering, with services such as optical and hearing centers, pharmacy, gas stations, and fresh, high-quality meat, deli, and seafood selections. As jurisdictional codes became more complex and demanding, creative design solutions were required. A dedicated partner—one who understood their goals, embraced their values, and sought to grow with them—was needed. They went all-in on MG2.

Three decades and 780+ locations worldwide later, MG2 remains that partner today. Our relationship has grown and strengthened, both personally and professionally. We have worked together to streamline organizational efficiencies in building design and delivery, cost management, entitlement services, built asset management, and program management. MG2 anticipates Costco Wholesale’s needs, evolving alongside, and elevating the speed and consistency of our results over time.

Costco warehouse: New Orleans, LA (Photo Credit: George Kuchler)

With MG2 as their program partner, Costco Wholesale has set the bar by creating and maintaining the platinum standard in optimized rollouts: It takes just 110 days from the time construction begins to the moment doors open to their members. Their “high quality, best price” approach toward building design—also reflected in their products and customer services—is an inherent part of Costco Wholesale’s brand promise. 

MG2 evolves the Costco Wholesale warehouse prototype every month, finding innovative ways to update and improve the concept while upholding our swift construction schedule and high-quality standards.

Our relationship goes beyond the depth of resources and broadness of services MG2 provides; there’s a consensus-driven approach across a joint team that keeps the proverbial ship moving forward. We work together to create modern, industrial retail environments that are contemporary, clean, safe, and never compromise Costco Wholesale’s standard of delivering quality. We’ve tackled countless new challenges together, leaning into the seemingly impossible to come up with solutions foundationally based on our co-journey. 

And along the way, we’ve optimized Costco Wholesale’s program to the business benefit of millions of dollars per year, while continuing to help them grow and expand to new consumer markets across the globe.

  • Multiple locations, U.S.
  • Large-format retail
Client Programs

Public Storage

public-storage-interior

An experience as valuable as their storage solutions

The leader in self-storage across the U.S. and Europe, Public Storage, remains wholly dedicated to customer service by going above and beyond merely leasing storage space. They are steadfast in their commitment to long-term energy efficiency and sustainability. To help them continue to shine in an increasingly crowded marketplace, Public Storage partnered with MG2 to refresh and reimagine the customer journey. 

The partnership has resulted in a prototype design solution slated to stitch together and cohesively unite 2,400 existing locations and future property acquisitions under one brand. In tandem, the team innovates on new construction projects through a unique, patent-pending “office of tomorrow” prototype design. These initiatives set the stage for an instantly recognizable brand to offer a seamless transformative experience, regardless of location, that stands out from the competition.

  • Issaquah, WA
  • Master plan, Worklife
Client Programs / Community Environments / Consumer Experiences

Costco Wholesale Headquarters Campus

Costco Wholesale first opened its global headquarters campus in the mid-1990s and has continued to expand as the company grows. Working closely with the City of Issaquah, MG2 has been partnering with Costco on developing a 30-year agreement to expand on the original master plan, which features up to 1.5 million additional square feet of office space. 

The design aims to evolve Costco’s corporate campus by reimagining working environments, enhancing connectivity to the surrounding natural environment and community, and integrating modern, efficient, and sustainable practices and materials. In its current phase, open, collaborative workspaces, multi-functional parking facilities, and high-efficiency sustainable materials and operations take center stage.

Flexible Workspaces for Wellness and Collaboration

MG2’s interior design programming for Costco’s new nine-story building serves as the standard and foundation for all office spaces across the company. Layouts and furnishings place a consistent emphasis on health and wellness, providing employees with open-concept workspaces and flexible meeting areas. To further promote collaboration and culture, three new food and beverage spaces, an auditorium, and an art-centric exhibit space contribute to the brand’s principles of “campus, connection, and community” that it has envisioned for its evolved headquarters.

The expanded fitness center, which now includes a gym in the parking garage, allows for more daylight and promotes overall employee well-being. The flexible exhibit area on the ground floor of the new parking garage provides a space for vendors to showcase their products to employees.

A Multi-Functional Parking Garage

In tandem with Costco Wholesale’s new nine-story office building, MG2 also designed a complimentary parking structure for employees, featuring 1,694 stalls and 712,000 square feet of space. Connected to the workspaces via a sky bridge, the first floor of the parking garage features a 13,130-square-foot staff wellness center—complete with a fitness gym, aerobics room, full-service locker rooms, and secure interior bicycle storage—a 14,500-square-foot exhibit hall—which provides a space for vendors to showcase their products to employees—and a catering kitchen.

Building a Greener Future Inside and Out

Costco and MG2 prioritized sustainability throughout the design, targeting sustainable certifications and sourcing local materials. Key sustainability features include:

  1. Triple-glazing: The building envelope utilizes triple-pane glazing and strategic positioning of north vs south facades to reduce energy demand and optimize natural daylighting.
  2. Daylighting: Daylight sensors, LEDs, narrow floor plans, and an intelligent interior layout maximize natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
  3. DOAS System: The dedicated outdoor air system efficiently recovers energy and reduces heating demand by using interior building heat to warm up outside air, reducing fossil fuel usage.

Additionally, a 43.75 kW solar photovoltaic system on the roof trellises—equating to roughly 2,250 square feet of solar panels—is installed atop the parking garage, while the interior of the garage houses three large backup generators to support the adjacent offices.

Costco’s commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated by providing real-time feedback through a display in the Headquarters lobby, helping inform employees on how they can improve their energy and water consumption.

Setting a New Standard for Corporate Campuses

As the 30-year master plan continues to evolve and take shape, MG2’s forward-looking design approach for Costco’s Headquarters expansion creates a dynamic, interconnected, and sustainable work environment that fosters collaboration and well-being. 

The emphasis on a healthy interior design language, multi-functional environments such as its new parking garage, and sustainability features both inside and out showcase the brand’s dedication to its employees, the local community, and the environment.

  • Multiple Locations, U.S.
  • Brand design, Food, beverage, & entertainment
Consumer Experiences

Smashburger

Smashing is fun and delicious

Across nine countries, thirty-seven states, and counting, the fast-casual restaurant Smashburger has served millions of their namesake-style burgers to hungry fans around the globe since 2007. Ready to elevate their consumer offering and continue differentiating themselves in an increasingly crowded market, they partnered with MG2 to refresh their dine-in experience and brand, emphasizing their unique process, encouraging community, and embracing their and embracing their heritage as a chef-designed product.

An open, comfortable layout that encourages diners to stay longer than just their meal. Each Smashburger space is outfitted to reflect a chef’s studio with the addition of USB chargers, free WIFI, and a variety of different seating options cater to all types of experiences—from one person grabbing a burger and a beer, to a big group of friends celebrating a sports win. Views into the kitchen were opened up to reveal the burger-smashing technique, complete with bleachers to properly observe the proverbial show. Meanwhile, elements of the equipment in use extend out to the service counter, truly enveloping customers in the cooking process.

The updated color palette pays subtle homage to the brand’s Colorado roots and acts as a key differentiator in an oversaturated market. MG2 designers utilized gray, dark gray, and yellow, fused with the subcategory of rust and blue—a nod to their Denver roots—creating a unique style and personality that simultaneously generates both visual recognition and distance from the typical red, white, and black color palette of your average burger joint.

Finally, and perhaps most pronounced, each Smashburger proudly showcases local pride through customized art installations and EGD in each new location.

Boston, for example, pays homage to its local architecture through a wall covering featuring the silhouette of Leonard P Zakim’s Bunk Hill Memorial Bridge, as well as interior touches that mirror the structure’s cable design.

  • New York City, NY
  • Specialty retail
Consumer Experiences

Nordstrom Local

Nordstrom Local

As part of its growth strategy to better serve customers and expand its presence into the New York market, Nordstrom sought to expand its local store experiences to offer new services such as online order pick-up, alterations and tailoring, styling, and more, catering to the unique needs of customers who live and work in target neighborhoods.

They partnered with MG2 / The Lionesque Group to bring their vision of offering boutique, local services to life in New York City’s Upper East Side. Working side-by-side with the Nordstrom team, our designers ensured furnishings, fixtures, customer flow, and build-out met the demands of the local shoppers. The resulting space features a flexible model and floor plan that is adaptable to the changing needs of customers.

The act of service on display

  • Confidential
  • Brand design, Food, beverage, & entertainment
Consumer Experiences

Corporate Campus Food Hall

Culinary wellness, elevated

Faced with an aging, closed off cafeteria space and disjointed design unrelated to the company or regions in which it resides, MG2 was tasked with creating an inspired dining experience for our client’s corporate campus employees to enjoy. Through a ground-up expansion, interior renovation, and the introduction of eight new culinary venues, our team was inspired to create an atmosphere on par with the best modern food halls around the world.

Modeled to reflect the “approachable industrial” feel of the existing structure and the forest-scape along the perimeter of the campus, the food hall design includes an extended footprint and elevated roofline, further highlighting the outside-in experience.

MG2’s design team created several “from-scratch” brands (complete with separate design languages for each, as well as logos and environmental graphic design) to reflect a wide and varied menu of fare for the diverse population of diners.

Since its reopening in 2016, the cafe—now an authentic representation of the building and culture—has bolstered employee participation, enhanced meaningful technology into the customer experience, driven guest satisfaction, and elevated its customer service through expanded offerings and reduced queue times.

  • Multiple locations, U.S.
  • Brand design, Specialty retail
Consumer Experiences

Evereve

A window to the soul

Curated to accommodate styling sessions and women shopping with children.

Balancing sophistication with playfulness, MG2 partnered with Evereve to design a space for discerning women who work hard, care for their kids, and want to look fabulous.

Our designers worked closely with the styling company’s founders and visual merchandising team to create a new retail concept that elevates their brand stories. The “soul” of the store is the fitting room and lounge area where seating and tables are thoughtfully curated to accommodate styling sessions and women shopping with children.

Throughout the environment, pops of color, metallic accents, and eclectic imagery are juxtaposed against poured concrete, white brick, and industrial fixturing. The result is a space that feels energetic and visually communicates to women they don’t need to stop shopping for chic, fun outfits simply because they’ve entered motherhood.

  • Mill Creek, WA
  • Large-format retail
Client Programs

Arena Sports

A year-round destination for sports and entertainment

MG2 partnered with Arena Sports to design their first ground-up sports and entertainment destination in Mill Creek. Dedicated to family fun, Arena Sports focused the center on indoor soccer. They wanted a vibrant space with expanded service offerings that would not only bring the players together but connect their families and communities.

With this in mind, MG2 created indoor programming for family entertainment, including on-site dining, bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, an arcade, an inflatable playground, and a ropes course. Amenities for special events, private parties, and corporate functions were also a significant component of the design. The 98,000 square foot facility features an efficient and functional layout with open spaces and natural light coming in from nearly 70 skylights. Whether hosting retired pros, weekend dabblers, or a parent looking for enriching activities, the new center can adapt to fit every visitor’s needs.

  • Multiple Locations, United States
  • Specialty retail
Consumer Experiences

Burrow House

Enabling the retail evolution of a D2C brand

When Burrow—an innovative home furnishings brand part of the new direct-to-consumer retail movement—sought to follow up on the success of two pop-up shops with permanent flagship locations in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, the design of these spaces hinged on a central question: How could these new flagships transform a successful online retailer into a lively, exciting lifestyle brand shoppers would now have the opportunity to interact with in-person?

Partnering with MG2 / The Lionesque Group, the teams collaborated on store design, site evaluation, and project management to bring to life Burrow House: immersive, multi-faceted, award-winning retail environments designed to grow with the company’s product line and tell the brand’s story in an experiential way.

Designed to showcase what life would be like with their furniture, Burrow House illustrates vignettes from the smallest city studio apartments to sweeping suburban family rooms. They flow from one space to the next, curating distinct narratives that offer fully shoppable bed and living room experiences. Each Burrow House location is unique, individually scouted, selected, and modularly curated by designers to best represent the brand to its target demographic in each given neighborhood.

Sustainably sourced materials reflect an inviting and familiar, mid-century style within a refined atmosphere using temperate woods and warm paint colors. And, like their award-winning furniture, the store design is flexible and modular, allowing for the continued evolution of their interiors to align with seasons, design trends, new collections, and blossoming partnerships with other DTC brands.

With locations in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, and more on the way across the country, Burrow House is a memorable retail experience that emboldens one to redesign their living spaces far beyond a single purchase of a new couch. 

Since opening its doors, Burrow House has been featured in Furniture Today as well as Forbes, and recognized by Fast Company’s Innovation By Design Awards for Retail Environments.