MG2 Associate Principal Felipe Romero accepted his ICSC+CENTERBUILD Leaders Under 40 Class of 2024 award at Centerbuild this week.
With over a decade of experience, Felipe has developed thoughtful, community-centered environments. Recognizing the critical role retail plays in both the economy and local communities, he has dedicated his career to designing these vital spaces.
MG2 ranked among the top 20 in Building Design+Construction Media’s recently released Top 200 Architecture Firms for 2024.
Architects Brian Bennett and Jim Walker join MG2 as Principals
SEATTLE, WA—May 15, 2024—Global architecture and design firm MG2 has announced its acquisition of the Portland, Oregon-based firm Studio C Architecture. Studio C is known for its work in multifamily residential design and has specialized in affordable housing. Now backed by the additional resources that a large firm provides, the office will have the capacity and reach to do more than they could have in the past. For Principals Brian Bennett AIA, NCARB, LEED AP and Jim Walker AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, this new alignment is a coming home of sorts, as both principals grew their careers at MG2.
“We are excited to welcome Jim and Brian to MG2,” says Mitch Smith, MG2 CEO and Chairman of the Board. “Their strength in project design, understanding of building systems and experience in complex problem-solving will be invaluable. Their expertise, combined with their passion for affordable housing, is a perfect complement to our firm.”
Jim founded Studio C Architecture in 2007 with the vision that all projects are a reflection of the aspirations of the community in which they are built. Brian joined the firm in 2012 and together they have focused on the residential market with particular expertise in affordable housing. Recent projects include award-winning Deskins Commons in Newberg, OR, Deer Creek Village in Roseburg, OR, and Summit Gardens in Medford, OR, which is now under construction. Their passion for affordable housing stems from their understanding of the profound need and transformative impact that stable housing can bring to families, and both have been active in Habitat for Humanity.
“By joining MG2, we have the opportunity to do more, for more people, and in a shorter period of time,” says Jim. “This has always been my vision and my goal—to serve the community and provide affordable housing to people in need.”
“We are excited to work with a firm—that we know first-hand from past experience—has the design skills, abilities and expertise of MG2 as well as a devotion to engaging with the community and making an impact,” says Brian.
With 30+ years in architecture, Jim’s strength in project and team leadership is grounded in collaboration, diversity of thought, and a genuine curiosity for innovative problem-solving approaches. Jim’s mission of providing quality affordable housing has been a driving force, stemming from a profound recognition of the critical need and the societal issues it impacts. Jim sits on the Board of Directors for Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from North Dakota State University.
Throughout his career, Brian has worked on a wide array of projects, ranging from small retail tenant improvements to large high-rise residential developments. This breadth of experience has provided him with direct exposure to the unique technical demands of various building structural types and building systems. Brian earned a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Washington and a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon.
The Studio C office in Portland will become MG2’s seventh location after Seattle, New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Irvine, and Shanghai.
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
MG2 is proud to share our inaugural Sustainability Impact Report for 2023. This annual report will measure our progress year-over-year towards meeting the AIA 2030 Commitment to reach towards carbon neutrality by 2030. Taking this step helps us reach our goal of transparency and accountability to our clients, our industry, and the communities where we live and work. This report demonstrates our progress in design and project work and also calculates our corporate carbon emissions.
While sustainability has long been part of the MG2 ethos, we formalized our position in 2020 by joining the AIA 2030 Commitment and publishing our first Sustainability Action Plan. With this 2023 Sustainability Impact Report, we’ve taken the opportunity to refine our plan and take advantage of new tools and processes. As part of that plan, we have established four goals as a firm:
With a focus on building performance, we aim to reduce the amount of energy needed to operate buildings. In new construction, this involves building heating and cooling, lighting, plug loads, etc. For retail tenant improvements (TI), we primarily focus on the lighting power density which calculates the light output per square foot.
This goal represents all the building materials required for new construction or retail TI. Each material has an associated Global Warming Potential (GWP) number which considers the material’s extraction from the earth, manufacturing process, transportation to the building site, and building construction, called “cradle to gate.” We calculate the material quantities in the building (typically from a Revit model) and apply a GWP number to those quantities to determine the metric tons of CO2 a building uses. Reducing this number requires higher efficiencies in our designs and our materials.
Many material manufacturers provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for their products. This goal emphasizes the importance of collecting EPDs when we procure or specify materials. In addition to the AIA 2030 Commitment, we are proud signatories of the AIA Materials Pledge. Our job as designers is to bring a deeper awareness of the material makeup and offer our clients “good, better, and best” choices when selecting materials.
Water is one of our most precious resources. We calculate and track water usage for irrigation as well as indoor water use. No matter where you live, water is becoming a scarce resource, and as designers we are responsible for implementing innovative solutions.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure, and as a firm we always challenge ourselves to do better. We are constantly tracking data for the above goals during each design phase of a project, from Concept Development through Construction Documentation. Each design team is responsible for collecting and evaluating data during the design process and looking for ways to improve efficiencies.
MG2 invites you to check out our 2023 Sustainability Impact Report and check back each year to see our progress. Enter your name and contact information below to gain access, then click on the report to read full-screen.
Named after the adjacent waterway that forms the site’s southern boundary, Deer Creek Village serves Roseburg’s special-needs populations and veterans with PTSD. The development was carefully positioned to take into account the wetland area that covers a significant portion of the site. The building is organized around a central courtyard that overlooks the adjacent wetlands and woodlands abutting Deer Creek. Resident amenities include a bicycle storage room, a central laundry, an outdoor play area for both youth and adults, and a spacious community room with associated kitchen.
This garden-style development includes seven new wood-framed buildings organized around an existing historic house. The team managed the Historic Rehabilitation and the Historic Resources Design Review Process necessary for the renovation of the structure. Additionally, the preservation of Oregon White Oak trees creates a sense of permanence and naturally integrates the buildings into the neighborhood. An extensive on-site stormwater management system was designed to mitigate poor soil infiltration conditions. The team also prepared design documents in support of the funding application to Oregon Housing Community Services, helping to secure the award of tax credits.
Soaring rents across the country have kept the outlook for multifamily owners bright, but they could soon become a double-edged sword as politicians sharpen their focus on housing affordability and are increasingly proposing regulations that would cap rent growth.
999 Hiawatha is a three-story, multi-family apartment complex located in an urban enclave of downtown Seattle. Hiawatha’s 20 floor plans offer residents a variety of housing needs, and the development includes in-building parking, electronic car charging stations, and ample bicycle storage to promote a new model of healthy urban living. The design maximized the site’s potential with the addition of two landscaped rooftop terraces, featuring breathtaking views of both the downtown Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier.
由Mercy Housing与Urban Impact合作开发的Emerald City Commons旨在满足低收入家庭的需求而又不影响质量或功能。特别针对有孩子的家庭，精心布置了居住单元，使较大的三居室单元从建筑物向外延伸，以提供自然通风，并为父母提供180度的视野，供父母观看孩子在室外公共场所玩耍。
考虑到这些家庭的需求，MG2的设计结合了一系列具有成本效益的绿色功能，例如低VOC涂料和可减少过敏原的饰面材料。安全的停车场和入口，健身中心，计算机中心，以及用于社交和娱乐活动的大型公共区域，可以营造一种支持感，健康感和家庭感，从而创建一个真正的社区。
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