Energized Growth: Russ Hazzard

Hear from Russ Hazzard, President of MG2, in his Q&A with The Zweig Letter Correspondent, Liisa Andreassen.

“Hazzard first joined MG2 in 1993. He says that they’re always looking to grow their shareholder base and to bring younger contributors into the fold – people who want to grow the company and take over when the old guard retires.

“‘It will be exciting to watch as the next generation leads the firm and the industry into the future,’ he says.” Find the full interview in the link here:

Terminal 106

MG2 recently transformed a 23,000+ SF Port of Seattle Regional Office, originally built as a railroad shipping facility in 1952, into a space fit for a 21st-century workforce. Converted to office use in the ‘90s, the dated space has been completely redesigned as an open, airy workplace with an industrial feel. A nine-foot drop ceiling was removed, and solar tubes were added to the double-height ceiling to provide much-needed natural light to pour in.

This Federal Agency Office renovation also included implementing federal security requirements for a 24-hour government facility. Additional tenant improvements consisted of a training center, full gym, locker room, and dining area.


Meet Our Team

Mike Miranda, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Associate Principal

Mike is a dynamic, creative architect who continues to explore new and exciting opportunities throughout the architecture and construction industries and has over 15 years of experience working in the industrial, office, and retail market sectors. His passion for design and thirst for knowledge has driven him to work and study around the world. He has experienced a multitude of roles while tackling a wide range of professional challenges, including entitlements, architectural design, project management, contract negotiation, design-build coordination, technical documentation, and sustainable/green building consultation.

MG2 Listed in Building Design+Construction’s Top 200 Architecture Firms for 2024

MG2 ranked among the top 20 in Building Design+Construction Media’s recently released Top 200 Architecture Firms for 2024.

Architecture Firms See Billings Change – MG2 Ranked #18 in Architectural Firms list for 2024

So excited to see that The Orange County Business Journal has ranked MG2 #18 in its Architectural Firms list for 2024.

“The firm has seen an uptick in retail, industrial, and affordable housing markets, according to chief executive officer Mitch Smith. ‘The growth in all three of these sectors has had a substantial impact on architectural billings in our Irvine office, reflecting the adaptability and agility of our team,’ Smith said.”

The Orange County Business Journal ranked MG2 #18 in Architectural Firms list for 2024

So excited to see that The Orange County Business Journal has ranked MG2 in the top 20 of its Architectural Firms list for 2024.

The Best Commercial Architects in Irvine, California

We’re excited to be named one of The Best Commercial Architects in Irvine, CA by Los Angeles Architects.

Spearheaded by award-winning Managing Principal Meghana Joshi, AIA, NOMA, the company’s leadership champions a purpose-driven work culture, fostering meaningful connections between employees, clients, and the communities they serve. In addition to overseeing regional retail, mixed-use, and industrial markets, Meghana is responsible for expanding the firm’s reach, focusing on retail banking, as well as senior living and affordable housing in California.

MG2 is a trailblazer, continuously evolving and adapting to the changing landscape, earning accolades from Fast CompanyArchitizer, and Interior Design Magazine as well as feature articles in Building Design + ConstructionForbesDevelopment MagazineChain Store Age, and Architectural Record.

Supply Chain Revolution: The New Cool Kid of Retail

Consumers now expect seamless, unified commerce experiences where they can access products and information anytime, anywhere. This fluidity is reshaping how brands build loyalty and manage supply chains with a focus on responsiveness to meet these high expectations.

Listen to the full episode with guests Melissa Gonzalez and Matthew Goelzer, AIA, LEED AP, Principals of MG2 Design, as they discuss the pivotal role of supply chain management in modern retail.

41 Great Solutions for Architects, Engineers, and Contractors

Build Design + Constructions named MG2’s Costco Santa Fe project, located in Mexico City, one of “17 design Great Solutions for AEC firms for 2024.”

Costco Santa Fe in Landuum

In her article for Landuum, MG2 Associate Maribel Barba AIA discusses the remarkable Costco Santa Fe project, a community-centric marvel that blends seamlessly into the urban environment of Santa Fe, Mexico. This project is a testament to innovative architecture and sustainable practices, demonstrating how natural landscapes and recreational spaces can be successfully incorporated into urban settings.

“Our goal was to physically and operationally integrate Costco’s structures with the surrounding park, matching or exceeding the park and the city’s sustainability standards,” shares Maribel Barba.

En su artículo para Landuum, Maribel Barba AIA, asociada de MG2, discute el notable proyecto de Costco Santa Fe, una maravilla centrada en la comunidad que se integra perfectamente en el entorno urbano de Santa Fe, México. Este proyecto es un testimonio de la arquitectura innovadora y las prácticas sostenibles, y demuestra cómo los paisajes naturales y los espacios recreativos pueden incorporarse con éxito a los entornos urbanos.

“Nuestro objetivo era integrar física y operativamente las estructuras de Costco con el parque circundante, igualando o superando los estándares de sostenibilidad del parque y de la ciudad”, comparte Maribel Barba.

E-Commerce Fulfillment Centers

After decades of brick-and-mortar success, a leading retail client came to MG2, hoping to expand their e-commerce investments. Partnering with MG2, they initiated multiple new fulfillment centers and upgrades. With flexible design and space optimization at the forefront, the MG2 team facilitated seamless integration of new systems, enhancing operational efficiency.


Cross-Dock Logistics

cross-dock logistics

An integral component of supply chain efficiency is cross-dock distribution centers. For each of these projects, MG2’s primary design objective is the same: to provide a facility that meets the demands of high-speed and efficient operational activities while ensuring all technical, code, site, and operational challenges are diligently managed during the design and construction phases.

MG2’s expertise, combined with their team members’ ability to coordinate with jurisdictions during permitting phases and contractors and vendors during construction, has led to the successful delivery of 20+ depot projects across the world.


Bakery Commissary

The 94,000 SF production facility was built in conjunction with an attached 400,300 SF e-commerce and cross-dock depot on an 80-acre site. The commissary includes production offices and five production lines. Specialized pieces of baking equipment were imported from Europe, requiring MG2 to partner with mechanical, refrigeration, and processing engineers across six countries. MG2 responded to strict environmental requirements and introduced faux window elements and accentuated cornices into the metal-clad façade to visually soften and reflect the area’s surrounding residential architecture.


Skyservice

MG2 worked with Rice Commercial Group on the New Skyservice FBO at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The project includes a new 100,000 SF hangar space, virtually doubling Skyservice’s hangar space in Toronto. The new FBO includes large areas for aircraft storage and maintenance, associated amenities, and office spaces for tenants.


  • Project Details

  • Location Mississauga, ON
  • Client Rice Commercial Group
  • Market Sectors
  • Size 100,000 SF
  • Services

Data Centers

MG2 is currently working on multiple sites for a national, sustainable data center client in Atlanta and Kansas City. Each project presents a different structural type, including precast, concrete tilt walls, and pre-engineered metal buildings based on end-user requirements and site conditions. Beyond the architectural design, MG2 is addressing complexities in MEP, structural engineering, security, and acoustic concerns. Furthermore, MG2’s involvement extends to tenant work, demonstrating our capability to provide comprehensive support for large-scale projects. In addition to our work with mission-critical facilities, the client sought our expertise in program design and program thinking.


Protein Processing Plant

 

CWI partnered with MG2 to design and construct multiple protein processing plants to meet their customers’ growing demand for protein.

The protein processing plant in Morris, IL, produces over 220 million hot dogs, 152 million burger patties, and 13 million pounds of meatballs annually. MG2 optimized the layout for maximum efficiency, implemented utility systems for large-scale machinery, and strategically designed the building to accommodate refrigerated storage, a microbiological laboratory, a test kitchen, and a two-story office area to support 75,000 SF.

In addition to the plant in Illinois, MG2 designed and constructed a protein processing plant in Tracy, CA. This West Coast distribution depot includes a meat packing plant, a perishable foods storage depot, and a frozen foods facility to serve CWI’s stores on the West Coast. Over 220 million hot dogs are produced in the Tracy, CA plant alone. The massive meatball cook room is built entirely of stainless steel, and high-tech handwashing sanitation stations are scattered throughout the plant and connected to counters that allow plant officials to ensure they’re used regularly.

 

 


Poultry Processing Plant

MG2 was brought on as an owner’s representative to manage the design and construction of this unprecedented $300 million project, which includes a chicken hatchery, feed mill and processing plant. The state-of-the-art complex is expected to produce nearly 100 million processed birds annually. The supply chain – from feed manufacturing to the breeding of chickens to the final packaged goods produced – will be concentrated within a hundred-mile radius of the facility. MG2 is also assisting CWI with building an anaerobic lagoon system in partnership with the city to promote the biological oxidation of wastewater.


  • Project Details

  • Location Fremont, NE
  • Client CWI
  • Market Sectors
  • Size 75,000 SF
  • Services

Cold Chain Logistics

cold storage

As the demand for healthy, fresh food increases, the requirement for storage increases. Coupled with the ever-increasing population, cold storage buildings have become a critical and lucrative investment. Leveraging our cold storage experts’ knowledge, MG2 knows how to integrate new technologies that make it possible to get fresh, perishable foods to stores without putting the foods at risk. Our teams ensure that clients can take advantage of its usable space and ensure that every square foot is used efficiently. Our expertise helps control the total cost and quality of the finished facility in repeatable, reliable ways long into the future.


Last-Mile Delivery

Last-Mile Delivery has become an integral part of the supply chain. Both E-commerce giants and traditional retailers are under pressure to fulfill client orders with a next-day expectation. Last-mile facilities have unique needs as they must accommodate truck traffic, fleet operations, and the needs of a large on-site employee presence. These facilities range from build to suit and spec built to adaptive reuse. MG2 has also worked in this category to design and deliver last-mile fulfillment as extensions of existing brick-and-mortar retail stores. The key to success in any of these has been early engagement with project stakeholders and a balanced approach to brand standards, operational needs, and site-specific constraints.


MG2 Ranked #4 in Architecture and #5 in Multi-unit Residential in ENR Northwest 2024 Top Design Firms

MG2 has been ranked #4 in architecture and #5 in multi-unit residential in ENR Northwest’s 2024 Top Design Firms.

MG2 Ranked #3 in Retail in ENR California 2024 Top Design Firms

We’re thrilled to be ranked #3 in Retail for ENR California’s Top Design Firms 2024. Meghana Joshi leads our Irvine office, which spearheads our California operations and elevates projects across the region.

MG2 featured in Architectural Record’s Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms of 2024

We’re excited to be included among the Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms of 2024.

Costco Santa Fe Receives Special Mention in Architizer’s A+ Awards

Built on landfill, Costco Santa Fe, with its massive warehouse, parking structure, and loading bays, is almost completely hidden from public view.

This Costco, which also includes a large green roof with 21 varieties of native plants and grasses and 15 insect hotels, was designed to meld into the neighborhood and serve the community. A pedestrian bridge and walking/running path connect the sports fields and courts to the nearby Parque La Mexicana, seamlessly integrating the new facility with the park’s urban green space.

MG2 Taps Meghana Joshi, AIA, NOMA to Lead Irvine Office

New managing principal in Irvine will oversee retail, banking, and residential markets.

IRVINE, CA—May 29—MG2 welcomes Meghana Joshi, AIA, NOMA to lead the global architecture and design firm’s Irvine office. As managing principal, Meghana will be responsible for expanding the firm’s reach in the California market, focusing on retail banking as well as senior living and affordable housing.

An award-winning architect with 25 years of experience, Meghana’s projects have been honored with multiple awards including SAGE Gold, SoCal Gold and the high-profile PCBC Gold Nugget Award, the oldest and most prestigious residential design award in the country. She has been a regular speaker at recent AIA chapter and national events. Meghana received a Bachelor of Architecture from Karnatak University in Dharwad, India and a Master of Architecture from San Francisco Institute of Architecture.

“I am excited to share my experience and expertise with the team in Irvine and grow the firm’s portfolio in the region,” says Meghana. “This office has a distinguished group of architects and designers who can tackle complex projects, and I look forward to working with them to further MG2’s brand in Orange County through targeted industry engagement and strategic business development.”

Meghana’s unwavering commitment to advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice in architecture led her to establish the Women in Architecture Committee at AIA Orange County, providing a vital platform for regional firms to actively contribute to advancing professional conditions for women in architecture. She also spearheaded the creation of an EDI+J Committee, dedicated to fostering mentorship opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the profession. Currently, her leadership extends to her role as Vice-President of AIA Orange County.

“We are thrilled to welcome Meghana to MG2 as the managing principal of our Irvine office,” says MG2 President Russ Hazzard. “Her experience and expertise combined with her awards and accomplishments make her an excellent choice to lead our SoCal office.”

MG2’s dedicated Irvine office, with 40+ employees, has been serving select markets and clients including Costco, Vans, and Target for more than 20 years.

ABOUT MG2 Guided by our vision to create transformative experiences that foster and elevate healthy communities, MG2 has been delivering award-winning projects and programs for over 50 years. We partner with some of the world’s most recognizable companies and brands to bring exceptional design solutions to life through full architectural, strategic planning, cost

management, interior design, brand strategy, and program consulting services. Our seven offices in the U.S. and China—Seattle, Portland, New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Irvine, and Shanghai—integrate building performance and social responsibility into every project. At MG2, our greatest strength lies in our people, our clients, and our commitment to helping them succeed. We are purpose-driven by nature, data-driven by design. www.mg2.com