ENR Northwest has unveiled its 2025 Regional Best Projects, and our First Light mixed-use high-rise in Seattle won Best Residential / Hospitality Project! Members of the project team, David Russel, Elik Grin, and Murl Eley, accepted the award at Tuesday night’s ceremony.
Perched above Snoqualmie Falls, Salish Lodge is an iconic Pacific Northwest destination. MG2 partnered with Salish Lodge to re-envision its guest experiences, maintaining the original character while introducing a contemporary approach. Rooted in the surrounding landscape, the reinvented spaces offer warm, inviting atmospheres that bring the beauty of the outdoors inward.
MG2 reimagined the Restaurant and Terrace Bar while upholding Salish Lodge’s aesthetic. The design team retained key original features, including wood beams, slate flooring, and a distinctive light fixture, while thoughtfully integrating new elements. Bricks salvaged from the original fireplace were embedded into the exterior pathway, repurposing a sentimental piece of the lodge’s legacy. Natural textures and organic tones continue throughout, blending seamlessly with the grounds.
The restaurant renovation focused on both functionality and guest experience. A new commercial kitchen supports increased capacity and more efficient operations. The dining room was reorganized to maximize views, with raised banquettes at the back ensuring every guest can observe the stunning scenery. The new ballroom faces the waterfall, and carpeting throughout both spaces subtly echoes its flowing water. Updated finishes, improved lighting, and natural materials contribute to a cohesive, elevated dining experience that feels fully integrated with the rest of the lodge.
What was once a meeting room was transformed into the new Terrace Bar, offering expanded seating and a stronger connection to the outdoors. An obstructing column was removed to create a full, sweeping counter that anchors the space. Extending into a glass pavilion, the bar allows guests to enjoy the waterfall year-round while remaining sheltered from the Pacific Northwest weather. Inspired by the surrounding nature, honey-colored tile at the bar front reflects native yellow wildflowers, and leathered granite countertops introduce subtle texture. A revitalized fireplace, featuring a stone surround that ties into the bar’s granite, is framed by warm wood paneling to enhance the room’s inviting character. Deep green walls and brass accents balance cool and warm tones, while layered, moody lighting completes the atmosphere and reinforces the bar’s intimate, restorative feel.
MG2 further enhanced the lodge, introducing a new lobby bar, a rideshare-friendly porte cochere, and a bespoke grand timber reception desk.
Nestled into the hillside and deeply connected to its environment, the reimagined Restaurant and Terrace Bar combine legacy with renewal. By preserving the essence of Salish Lodge while introducing refined upgrades and improved functionality, MG2 has created spaces that feel both familiar and revitalized, offering guests a more expansive, connected, and memorable experience.
Multi-Housing News recently announced its 2025 Excellence Awards Winners, and our 6 Corners Lofts project in Chicago won Gold in the Best Adaptive Reuse category.
NAIOP’s Night of the Stars Gala & Awards Ceremony was last week and our First Light project in Seattle won High-Rise Residential Development of the Year!
Multifamily Executive has announced its 2025 MFE Awards, and our 6 Corners Lofts project in Chicago, IL won in the Adaptive Reuse category!
MG2 Principals Felipe Romero, Meghana Joshi, and Eli Hardi accepted the award at a breakfast ceremony during the Multifamily Executive Conference in Newport Beach.
MG2’s Minneapolis Office was recognized as an AIA Emerging Professional Friendly Firm! This recognition celebrates our dedication to supporting recent graduates and those in the early stages of their careers through mentorship, collaboration, and meaningful professional growth.
位于华盛顿州阿灵顿的“风之天使”房车度假村的会所设计灵感源自国家公园的豪华别墅。一个房车大小的门廊是通往度假村的大门，将宾客与入口直接连接，带来无缝衔接的入住体验。度假村提供高雅的露营环境，这正是当今旅行者所追求的。
Essential to the building’s design is its indoor/outdoor connection, emphasized by floor-to-ceiling windows. A grand hall has a gable roof, high ceilings, and a large fireplace for gatherings. A gathering room featuring a lounge area with foosball and pool tables and a view of the outdoors was designed for casual conversation.
Shou Sugi Ban Charred Wood, used on the façade, is repeated in the interior, along with locally finished cedar wood ceilings and paneling. A large communal firepit reminiscent of a campfire beckons guests to meet and mingle and encourages impromptu conversation.
The indoor pool features skylights that pour natural light into the space, and a scissor door opens at its entrance to connect guests to the outdoors. S’Klallam artist Brian Perry crafted traditionally inspired artworks throughout the property, with the Stillaguamish Cultural Department providing additional pieces.
俱乐部会所之外是度假村的配套设施，包括182个房车停车位、8个蒙古包、带淋浴和洗衣设施的酒店级卫生间、野餐和烧烤棚、一个不拴狗绳的狗狗公园、一条步道、9个篝火坑、匹克球场、一个迷你高尔夫球场和一个儿童游乐场。远处是一座观景亭，可以俯瞰山谷和贝克山的景色。俱乐部会所旨在为整个房车度假村提供一个聚会和娱乐场所，并融入该地区的自然奇观。
Camino Colibri, a 34-unit affordable housing community, was designed for agricultural workers in Southern Oregon. Developed in response to the 2020 Almeda Fire—the most destructive wildfire in Oregon’s recorded history—the project supports families displaced by the loss of more than 2,600 homes across southern Oregon. MG2 partnered with local organizations to create a multifamily complex that brings residents together into shared spaces reflective of their values.
Working closely with CASA of Oregon and Coalición Fortaleza, the design team listened intently to local voices that helped to inform key decisions, including site configuration, shared spaces, unit layouts, and interior features. Open kitchens were prioritized to accommodate family cooking and gatherings. Residences were designed to maximize natural daylight and include balconies and patios that connect to outdoor areas. Windows face the playground, allowing parents to keep an eye on their children while cooking.
Camino Colibri is made up of three residential buildings bordering a shared lawn, playground, and communal garden—spaces intended to encourage daily interaction and social connection. The community building includes meeting spaces, a shared kitchen, a covered patio, outdoor barbeques, and a basketball court.
The name Camino Colibri—or “path of the hummingbird”—was chosen by the community. Representing resilience and the residents’ connection to agricultural work, the hummingbird is featured in two larger-than-life murals on the development’s exterior, visible from the sidewalk.
Camino Colibri addresses a need for affordable housing in the region and reflects MG2’s collaborative, community-informed approach to design.
MG2 partnered with Yaodi, a Chinese based supermarket chain owner and operator, to develop a first-of-its kind Albert Wang Market, located within the CapitalLand Mall in Sun Palace, Beijing. The grand opening of the new organic market drew over one million customers, introducing the community to a fresh, engaging approach to grocery retail. The playful design incorporates bright colors, geometric shapes, and graphic signage, creating a fun and inviting atmosphere.
Vibrant colors and bold patterns are layered throughout the space, creating an artistic, energetic atmosphere that organizes and highlights product displays. Graphic signage acts as a dynamic visual guide, leading customers through the store.
Integrated into the design is the concept of a culinary theater, transforming part of the retail space into an open production area. Here, customers can observe the preparation of baked goods, meats, and fresh fish, enhancing the shopping experience while building confidence in product quality.
The design also adopts a sustainable modular system that aligns with the organic concept of the market, consisting of display components that can be reconfigured, disassembled, and recycled. This approach not only improves the functionality and flexibility of product arrangements but also reinforces the market’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
MG2 and Yaodi collaborated to create an engaging experience that embodies sustainable values and provides its community with a unique grocery store.
ENR West recently announced its Northwest 2025 Best Project Winners and our First Light project in Seattle won for Best Residential / Hospitality!
MG2 collaborated with Westbank, James KM Cheng Architects, and Build Group, Inc. to bring this mixed-use high-rise to life. Highlights include a cantilevered rooftop pool with panoramic views, a seven-story glass installation by artist John Hogan, a terraced clubhouse, and an open-air Secret Garden.
In the heart of Seattle’s vibrant Fremont neighborhood, at the crossroads of Stone Way and Bridge Way, a new seven-story development seamlessly blends modern design with practicality. Anchored by two retail spaces at street level, the building boasts a wealth of shared amenities, including a central courtyard with a trellis adorned BBQ area and a rooftop deck that overlooks the bustling Stone Way.
In our second year of publishing the Sustainability Impact Report, MG2 is proud to share the strides we’ve made in advancing energy-efficient design and reducing carbon emissions across our portfolio. Notably, our collaboration with Costco has led to improvements in operational energy performance and measurable reductions in embodied carbon—demonstrating how thoughtful architecture can drive scalable environmental benefits.
Beyond our project work, we’ve deepened our commitment to corporate responsibility by expanding our tracking of emissions while also addressing impacts from business travel and employee commuting. These efforts reflect our holistic approach to sustainability—one that integrates design excellence with accountability and transparency.
We invite you to explore how our team continues to push boundaries, innovate, and lead with purpose in shaping a more sustainable built environment.
First Light, a 48-story mixed-use high-rise—retail, office, and luxury residential—in downtown Seattle, was designed as a livable piece of art. Its most prominent feature is a jaw-dropping, cantilevered rooftop pool that hovers over the city’s skyline. As Executive Architect, MG2 was charged with taking this complex project from design concept to final delivery.
At the tower’s base, “The Veil,” a permanent seven-story glass installation by sculptural glass artist John Hogan, wraps the podium in 10,000 glass discs, each individually set and angled. The local artist’s design creates an everchanging façade while also diffusing views and enhancing privacy. For residents, 20’ doors open to a lobby of polished concrete and stainless steel that features a custom Fazioli piano with more of Hogan’s glasswork integrated into the lid.
At the top of the tower and suspended over the city, the cantilevered pool deck is framed by panoramic views of downtown Seattle, Elliot Bay, and Mt. Ranier. V-shaped concrete columns support the pool deck and expansive amenity spaces, balancing engineering precision and the design’s vision to optimize structural integrity without compromising aesthetics.
The terraced clubhouse—with lounge areas, kitchen, and coworking, all with breathtaking, floor-to-ceiling views—fosters a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. A glass-enclosed, open-air Secret Garden, reached by private elevator, is landscaped with native ground covering and offers a Zen-like retreat.
From sidewalk to rooftop, First Light is a physical embodiment of culture, a place where art, architecture, and everyday life converge. In collaboration with Westbank and James KM Cheng Architects, MG2 created a one-of-a-kind high-rise that embraces Seattle’s character and contributes a new presence to its skyline.
MG2 Principal Jooyeol Oh shared details behind the design of our 6 Corners Lofts mixed-use project in his recent article in Retrofit.
“By leaning into design and employing thoughtful adaptive-reuse strategies, MG2 successfully blends modern residential living with retail while preserving, enhancing, and amplifying iconic Art Deco elements for a 21st century sensibility. Thoughtful adaptive reuse, like 6 Corners Lofts, not only supports community revitalization but preserves neighborhood character for future generations.”
First Light, a mixed-use high-rise in downtown Seattle, was featured as a Project of the Week in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
“In addition to 459 units, the 48-story property boasts a signature cantilevered rooftop pool, a rooftop lounge, rooftop gym, a secret garden space, and a chic residential lobby with a grand piano.”
Our 6 Corners Lofts project was selected as a Finalist in the Architecture + Adaptive Reuse category of this year’s Architizer A+Awards!
In an effort to revitalize a 1938 Sears building and reinvigorate Chicago’s historic Portage Park shopping district, MG2 partnered with Novak Development to bring 6 Corners Lofts to life. MG2 Principal Jooyeol Oh preserved iconic Art Deco elements while introducing modern touches, thoughtfully connecting past and present. The innovative mixed-use project is complete with 206 residential units and over 50,000 sf of retail space.
在MIXYPLIX最近发表的文章中，“萨利什温泉旅馆 “通过餐厅和露台酒吧推出经典的全新诠释”，詹妮斯·席尔瓦 (Jenise Silva) 在新开业的现场餐厅探索度假村的新设计理念和重新设计的菜单。
此次翻新由 MG2 建筑事务所和 Absher Construction 负责，餐厅的面积已扩大至超过 3100 平方英尺（约 297 平方米）。餐厅外部，全新的露台酒吧和庭院额外增加了 1237 平方英尺（约 117 平方米）的带顶棚的供暖空间，非常适合全年舒适用餐。日落区的篝火坑则是一个宜人的地点，您可以一边享用晚间鸡尾酒，一边欣赏美景。
Farmdale is an innovative farmworker housing development in Woodburn, Oregon. A replacement for a 1970s Rural Development complex, Farmdale seamlessly blends into the surrounding residential fabric by breaking up the massing to resemble a series of gabled homes. To break down the scale even further and embrace the context of the neighborhood, vibrant colors of the exterior mirror the warmth of a family neighborhood. Farmdale fosters a sense of community and connection, offering expansive outdoor spaces that include playing fields, gardens, and playgrounds.
Interior spaces are organized to stimulate spontaneous meetings between neighbors, whether it is by encouraging the use of the open stair or by treating the mailroom or laundry facilities as true communal functions. The two-story community room functions as the heart of the project, providing multi-use purpose for many occasions.
At MG2, designing for community means creating spaces that respond to the needs and voices of the people who will use them. It requires deep engagement focused on actively listening to resident priorities coupled with a commitment to accessibility, sustainability, and long-term functionality. The community engagement session with Farmdale residents was held in both Spanish and English and focused on capturing community priorities and encouraged residents to vote on various programmatic elements.
Spruce Street is a mixed-use podium building in the heart of the Yesler Terrace neighborhood in Seattle, WA, at a crossroads of zoning and architecture of varying scales. The design steps the building down to integrate this large project into the surrounding context and meet the adjacent structures. To create a pedestrian-friendly scale, the building uses façade modulation, textural changes, and patterning. Programmatic surroundings are considered, with a double-height retail space along the main street and private terraces on the ground floor along the quieter residential streets. At the heart of the building is a large central landscaped courtyard accessible from the main lobby and several indoor amenities, which include a fitness center, TV/game room, pet wash and dog run, and a sky lounge with views of Mt. Rainier.
董事 Jooyeol Oh, AIA, LEED AP, spoke with Joel Groover of ICSC C+CT about how MG2 projects, The Bowden 和 Mountlake Village, show the effects of Seattle’s future light rail expansion on the city.
Groover writes about The Bowden, “an MG2-designed mixed-use project that sits near the Overlake light-rail stop, which will connect to new stations at Marymoor Village and downtown Redmond. Construction will start this year, and the project will add 574 residential units and more than 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. As Oh sees it, growth of such residential projects should spur more demand for walkable retail in the neighborhood.”
Jooyeol Oh notes, “The city is envisioning that area to be a much-denser residential community, mixed with retail.”
MG2 材料经理、LEED 绿色助理 Eleazar Juarez-Diaz 与《西雅图时报》的 Amber Katz 讨论了设计环保家庭办公室的简单方法。
他说：“使用更大的显示器、触摸屏或平板电脑来查看和编辑文档可以减少打印的需要。如果必须打印，请选择环保且对人体健康友好的品牌，例如《优质购物指南》评选的品牌，并使用FSC认证的打印纸。此外，请务必回收或重复使用您的打印机墨盒，因为大多数墨盒最终都会被填埋。”
“This ambitious project showcases the principles of adaptive reuse. The building’s evolution from a retail giant to a 206-unit residential complex, with a ground floor Target store, highlights a commitment to sustainable design,” says Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT, host of ARCAT’s podcast Detailed, in her interview with Principal Jooyeol Oh about 6 Corners Lofts.
Jooyeol Oh continues his description of the project, “The primary goal of the client and community was really preserving the character and history of the building…This presented both a limitation and an opportunity to reimagine the building into a residential mixed-use building, and we were really excited about it. With its incredible bones and unique potential, we wanted to create a mixed-use building that could be distinctive and appealing to the residents and neighbors. The process was more challenging, as opposed to a ground-up brand new build, but it made the process all the more rewarding.”
地球日即将到来。在“环保家居装修”栏目中，Eleazar Juarez-Diaz与《西雅图时报》的Amber Katz进行了访谈：
“MG2 Design 的材料经理 Eleazar Juarez-Diaz 表示，填缝、安装挡风雨条和使墙壁密封将对家庭节能产生重大影响。
“关键在于尽可能减少空气进出房屋，”Juarez-Diaz 说。“这个过程可以从墙体施工开始，也就是选择隔热材料的时候就开始了。如果你的装修没有那么深入，你仍然可以使用填缝枪、膨胀泡沫和铝制防水板等工具来形成紧密的空气屏障。”
“James K.M. Cheng Architects designed the 48-story project, working with local shop MG2 as the Executive Architect. First Light topped out in the fall of 2023. Since then, it’s mostly been interior work, though a few workers were out on the balconies on Tuesday morning.”
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