Apex at CityPlace, Overland Park, Kan., spans 693,000 sf in 13 buildings, including two office buildings, 18,000 sf of retail, and 366 luxury apartments and penthouse units with gourmet kitchens, quartz countertops, deep soaking tubs, and covered balconies and patios.
As Rent Spike Grabs Governments’ Attention, Multifamily Investors Brace For Regulation
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.
As one of the first 20 employees to join MG2, Smith quickly rose from project manager to CEO and chairman of the board by honing the craft of architecture. He perfectly balances delivery excellence with a design mindset, driving kinetic transformation long into the future.
“You can’t wait for a specific opportunity to arise to develop your staff,” Smith says. “You have to continually invest in and provide opportunities.”
MG2 Celebrates 50 Years of Award-Winning Architecture, Design, Strategy, and Branding
Perpetually guided by our vision to create transformative experiences that elevate everyday life, MG2 celebrated its fifty-year anniversary of delivering award-winning architecture and design projects across the globe.
In 2021, MG2 celebrated five decades of success. And true to our humble nature, we marked the occasion without much public fanfare. With the world still partially in lockdown, it was a challenge to truly celebrate how we’d originally intended. But the lavish parties we’d envisioned soon gave way to a whole host of virtual storytelling and celebratory experiences that were just as heartfelt and inclusive. And, in a way, it was more meaningful than we could have ever expected.
With everyone’s attention focused elsewhere the last year few years, it would have been easy to let this significant milestone pass by unnoticed. Instead, we decided to mark the occasion as much as the virtual nature of 2021 allowed: by documenting the big ideas of our leaders, elevating the perspectives of our diversifying employees, and putting it all out there, rough cuts, raw emotions, and real ideas.
To commemorate, we wanted to provide the firm with something new and unexpected. We curated numerous experiences and opportunities for staff to contribute throughout the year, with those compiled into a final physical and digital “zine” to encapsulate the past 50 years and look forward to the next 50. As a group of skilled visual designers and creative writers, our Creative Services and Marketing teams were uniquely positioned to bring the firm’s story to life through in-depth interviews, thought-provoking prompts, crowd-sourced ideas, and podcast-style conversations. We illuminated our people through photography, video, editorial design, and illustration. We shot for the moon.
It was important to us that this celebration have its own personality. We wanted it to have characteristics inspired by our past, but also have a cool new slant inspired by the future we envision for ourselves. In debating whether we should celebrate our past or nod to the future, we realized, why not both? Thus our 50日 Anniversary theme of “looking both ways” was formed: by looking in the mirror and really asking, “who is MG2?” we can see the vision of our past refract into the future.
We looked past the traditional to pay homage to the innovative trajectory of our firm while honoring the grit and sheer determination our foundation is built on.
On the Creative Services team at MG2 we love round robin design. It’s a true melting pot for everyone to collaborate and put forward their ideas for iteration and improvement. We leveraged the tactic when developing our 50日 Anniversary logo: one of us started with a sketch, then passed it to the next person. They refined and then passed it on again. Rinse and repeat. Over time we started to tease out these amazing ideas that everyone had a hand in. And in the end, there’s no better feeling then when each of us looks at the final product and sees a little sliver of our original idea.
With so much incredible content to gather, we leaned into a physical format to feel like a time capsule and live on past our 50日 Anniversary. Our goal was to immortalize what this anniversary meant to employees from all experiences and perspectives, and bring it to life through something that was unique, artful, and a little rough around the edges. Something cool and fun to display on our coffee tables amongst editions of Rizzoli and Phaidon.
The zine is comprised of three chapters, each depicting a certain time period of the firm. Each chapter features a distinct design personality; from color palette and typography to creative writing and voice, we wanted each element to feel like it belonged.
When you read the first chapter, “Reflections,” you’ll feel the pride that our founder Doug Mulvanny felt when he started the firm from a small rented desk and a phone line. You’ll also observe the confident leadership transition to Jerry Lee and the impact he created on the firm and in the community. This chapter’s visual language consists of a magenta palette with coral accents and straightforward sans serif typography to pay homage to “what was.”
“Looking Both Ways” gives a more in depth look at MG2 today, and how CEO Mitch Smith found his way to the firm, climbed the ranks, and intends to lead us into the next 50 years. Among stories from employees across the firm, President Russ Hazzard talks about his “take the bull by the horns” approach. This chapter’s color palette takes influence from our focus on sustainability with pops of teal and a rich grass green. Typography comes to life through our standard typefaces, but with a twist of something new.
Finally, you end in an experimental play land, “Refractions.” As our female leadership takes center stage with CCO MJ Munsell and COO Celeste Lenon, electric colors of blue and coral erupt from the page as our typography twists and turns energetically, refracting the possibilities for our future.
The small touches really allow the zine to shine. We’ve integrated our audio and video experiences via QR codes that launch you to our “Conversations” series podcasts and video interviews with our executive team. Photo spreads are punctuated with die cut paper pieces that pace your experience and add a touch of whimsy. Gate fold timelines expand our history past, present, and untold future to create something truly interactive. Even the paper choices have been carefully selected to evolve and shift with the eras of stories they tell. And finally the zine is wrapped in one final iteration of our logo, this time dissecting it with notes and key drawings reminiscent of architectural plans.
Compiling this zine was truly a passion project for us. A predominantly virtual world made for a complex challenge to solve in celebrating MG2’s 50日 Anniversary. But our people and their stories made it worthwhile. We’re excited to bring this anthology along with us as 2022 ushers in year one of “the Next 50.” Cheers to a notable past, inspiring present, and very bright future for MG2.
小区内,居民可以找到一家4万平方英尺的全方位服务杂货店,以及一家位于小区对面的Costco超市。这尤其合适,因为 MG2 已在全球设计了数百家 Costco为了进一步打造步行社区,谷歌于 11 月敲定了附近 Lee Johnson 汽车经销店的购买协议,计划利用该地块设立新的实体办公室,扩大其在西雅图的业务范围。
有时被称为 15分钟城市, 这些社区的设计目标是,人们所需的一切生活必需品——从食品杂货到医疗服务——都能在步行或骑自行车15分钟内到达家。根据2019年一份题为“ 前方有行人 from Smart Growth America, these types of walkable developments lead to improved social mobility, economic growth and several other factors in residents’ lives.
100 Reasons to Celebrate: MG2 Announces Global 2022 Promotions
In the wake of yet another challenging year for our firm, our industry, and our world, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the incredible accomplishments and achievements of our dedicated team. As we enter 2022—a journey toward both unlimited opportunities and possibilities unknown—we’re thrilled to recognize this dedication, resilience, and passion with the promotion of one hundred MG2 employees across our global offices.
Amongst our leadership, we’re excited to welcome four new Principals—Shannon Suess, Terry Odle, Mai-Lee Lam, and Mat Yeung—four new Associate Principals—Barbara Granados-Saldana, Amy Hart, Cheryl Usnick, and Ta-Ren Chyn—as well as two new Shareholders—Janelle Schneider and Jooyeol Oh.
Beyond leadership, it is an honor and a privilege to nurture the careers of, recognize, and promote dozens of MG2 associates across every department, market, and level. There are no minor roles here; we would not be the firm we are today without all of our employees’ incredible talent and perseverance. We are grateful to have extraordinary individuals helping define and deliver a boundless future for MG2 and our clients, bringing your best to everything you do, and making our firm such a special place to be.
伊尔文
Christine Sa’d – Associate 2
Clara Gradinariu – Associate 2
Gustavo Montalvo – Associate 2
Jasmine Le – Associate 2
Katherine Graney – Associate 2
Ahmed Islamoglu – Associate 3
Jenny Nguyen – Associate 3
Garrett Honeycutt – Associate 4
Maribel Abrica – Associate 4
Meadow Pirigyi – Associate 4
Arturo Reina – Associate 5
Matthew McClellan – Associate 5
Renee Krause – Associate 5
Isaac Perez – Senior Associate 1
Terry Odle – Principal
明尼阿波利斯
Lorren Mueller – Associate 2
Sarah Cooper – Associate 2
Elle Reinhard – Associate 4
NEW YORK CITY
Joseph Schafran – Senior Project Manager II
西雅图
Casey Hopkins – Senior Communications Manager
Chris Schanz – Facilities & Multimedia Specialist
Emily Walker – Marketing Specialist
Hannah DeVriend – Human Resources Coordinator
Hannah Shugrue – Senior Project Accountant
Kristin Troxel – Human Resources Manager
Kendal Solak – Shared Services Specialist
Mike Johnson – Senior Financial Analyst
Natasha Windle – Associate Director, Program Management
Richard Bendix – CAD Manager
Tyler Wissenback – BIM Account Manager
Abigail Shane – Associate 2
Alex Breuer – Associate 2
Charles Abuel – Associate 2
Cori Concepcion – Associate 2
Erin Dillinger – Associate 2
Isabella Noet – Associate 2
Lauren Cebulla – Associate 2
McKenzie Aitkin – Associate 2
Peter Kim – Associate 2
Taylor Chadwick – Associate 2
Yanie Hung – Associate 2
Carmen Campbell – Associate 3
Justin Bise – Associate 3
Marina Sosner – Associate 3
Melissa Lorenc – Associate 3
Morgan Nestegard – Associate 3
Sarah Bertis – Associate 3
Stephanie Henschen – Associate 3
Tais Wagner – Associate 3
Connor Dimick – Associate 4
Darren Mobley – Associate 4
Paul Yoon – Associate 4
Scott Nicholson – Associate 4
Colby Chapman – Associate 4
Moon Choi – Associate 4
Negin Sharifi – Associate 4
Alison McClellan – Associate 5
Amy McCurdy – Associate 5
Christina Puzon – Associate 5
Darren Thies – Associate 5
Jared Bassetti – Associate 5
Marit Jensen – Associate 5
Craig Chapman – Senior Associate 1
Eli Hardi – Senior Associate 1
Joe Palmquist – Senior Associate 1
John Leuck – Senior Associate 1
Megumi Matsumura – Senior Associate 1
Angela Balmer – Senior Associate 2
Elisha Person – Senior Associate 2
Geir Mjelde – Senior Associate 2
Geoffrey Grice – Senior Associate 2
Hong Ho – Senior Associate 2
Jason Breyer – Senior Associate 2
Kendall Williams – Senior Associate 2
Shawn Ronning – Senior Associate 2
Stephen Bullock – Senior Associate 2
Amy Hart – Associate Principal
Barbara Granados-Saldana – Associate Principal
Cheryl Usnick – Associate Principal
Mai-Lee Lam – Principal
Shannon Suess – Principal
上海
Elva Qian – Administrative Assistant II
Flora Cheng – Operations Manager (no change in title)
Song Yan – Associate 3
Vicky Nie – Associate 3
Lily Peng – Associate 5
Hsin Cheng – Senior Associate 2
Ta-Ren Chyn – Associate Principal
Mat Yeung – Principal
华盛顿特区
Alveena Kamran – Associate 2
Gabrielle Metzger – Associate 2
Emily O’Loughlin – Associate 3
Gabriella Santostefano – Associate 3
Katy Siu – Associate 3
Rosalyn Roman Iglesias – Associate 3
Cesar Cruz – Associate 5
Kevin Richardson – Associate 5
Nils Jonsson – Senior Associate 1
Meridyth Cutler – Senior Associate 2
Jeremy Goeckeritz – Associate Director, Cost Management
If you’re ready for a new challenge, MG2正在我们全球办事处的众多职位中招聘。看看我们的 公司文化 页面,以了解有关我们的更多信息,以及 工作机会 找到最合适的衣服。
Ranked 5th in the top 100 best companies to work for in Washington state.
100 Best Companies To Work For in 2021- MG2 Ranks 5th!
MG2s mantra is people make place. The 50-year-old firm has a robust DEI initiative with a five-year timeline that involves all staffers. It emphasizes sustainable design practices and invests in staff development through leadership training, coaching programs and free LinkedIn Learning courses. Staff events include happy hours, movie nights, ping-pong tournaments and Mariners games.
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.
Victor brings over 20 years of experience marked by prestigious accreditations, including NCARB, AIA, and LEED GA, bringing invaluable communication skills and an unwavering passion for design. From concept to completion, Victor empowers a unique perspective of focusing on the big picture while ensuring no details are overlooked.
With specialties ranging from mixed-use complexes and multi-family residential to hospitality and healthcare experiences, Victor is LEED GA accredited and continually views the design of each project through a future-centric lens. His real-time experience on all phases of projects—from concept through construction— further grants him a unique perspective of focusing on the big picture while still ensuring no details are overlooked.
When he’s not leading project teams to produce precise 3D models or overseeing the design and management of new experiences, you’ll find Victor soaking in the abundant inspiration of New York City streets, watching his son play baseball, or painting with his daughter.
Where Mixed-Use Innovation Meets Historic Revitalization
In an effort to revitalize a 1938 Sears building and reinvigorate a historic Chicago shopping district, Novak Development has partnered with MG2 as their design architect to bring to life an innovative mixed-use project complete with 200 residential units, over 50,000 s/f of retail, and 300 parking spaces.
MG2’s cross-market expertise spanning multi-family and mixed-use built environments grants our team the ability to create a holistic, inviting community experience. Simultaneously, our decades-long relationships with some of the world’s top retail brands and intimate knowledge of their programs and operations allow us to engage our portfolio of partners, bringing Target in on the ground floor—literally and figuratively— to create a truly unique experience for the residents of Chicago.
6 Corners Lofts mixed-use development provides the opportunity to create an architectural transformation that connects past and present and sets the tone for the future of the neighborhood.
“Six Corners was once the second-busiest shopping center aside from downtown area,” says Richard Fahy in a recent article by Block Club Chicago. He is a representative for Operating Engineers Local 150 and a longtime Northwest Side resident, “This site has the potential in playing a vital role in transforming our community and give our local economy a boost that is long overdue.”
The existing 1932 building serves as a historic backbone and foundation from which we can build a new and meaningful story for the neighborhood, residents, and visitors. The revitalization of 6 Corners Lofts is an opportunity to design a destination-worthy experience for the area. Our design—an iconic juxtaposition of Art Deco with cutting-edge technology—honors the historic nature of the site while simultaneously infusing new energy and life to the community it serves.
Chicago poised to OK plans for former Sears at Six Corners
City planners, fulfilling long-time wishes of Northwest Side residents, are backing the redevelopment of the former Sears store at Six Corners in Portage Park.
The building at the northeast corner of Irving Park Road and Cicero Avenue would be renovated with new Art Deco touches and accommodate 207 residences. Plans on file with the city show the building would get a rooftop addition that would make it six stories tall.
Neighbors Applaud Six Corners Sears Redevelopment At 1st Public Meeting
Neighbors of the proposed Six Corners Sears redevelopment largely applauded the project at a virtual public meeting Thursday, but some raised concern over the lack of affordable housing, among other things.
为了将宜人的目的地带到Bellevue的市区走廊,MG2与该城市合作设计,建造并实现了Wilburton Village South。与“俄罗斯方块的城市规模”相比,该建筑群经过精心策划,每个零售商铺和店面都经过完全定制,可以满足该品牌的需求。
与相邻的North项目一起,Wilburton Village South将为社区提供各种服务,包括医疗,餐馆,银行,杂货店,娱乐,休闲,体育用品和家居摆设。该广场设有充足的户外座位和喷泉,此外还提供动态照明,可适应不断变化的心情和季节。令人叹为观止的玻璃幕墙将顾客欢迎到中心,而雨棚覆盖的人行道可保护行人。
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。
Suzhou Sunny World International Apartments offers 50 floors of modern luxury for its global resident population. As the second phase of Sunny World City – a massive multi-building development in a growing CBD anchored by a Shangri-La Hotel – MG2 designed the project to maximize program areas without compromising on quality.