Our goal is to help successful and visionary people build their dream home with a process that is more enjoyable than they ever thought it could be. That’s because we believe that architecture is all about the people who inhabit it. So we keep the human relationship central, both in the result and in the process along the way. We want to put the humanity back into architecture. We design for the way you live, for the needs of your family, and on a timeline that doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold.
We’re committed to the historic craft and practice of architecture, but always driven by and responsive to the wishes of the client. It’s not that we don’t have strong convictions about architecture itself — just ask — but the joy for us is in helping our clients realize their vision.
So you won’t find any black turtle-neck attitude around here. That’s so last century. We bring the sophistication without the stuffiness. You’ll find a team ready to work hard, have fun, and create buildings as diverse as our clients’ dreams.
In the very beginning phase of a project our team spends a great deal of time getting to know each of our clients, the particulars of their lifestyles, how they live day to day and how they want their home to function. Combined with detailed studies of the project site and the natural features and views of the property, we set the stage for the development of the design.
In this phase based on the information gathered for a project a series of early sketches and concepts begin for the overall design. Effectively the “concept” of the design is created and our clients begin to see the overall vision for their residence based on their personalized wants and goals. Knowing that drawings are difficult to understand at times we develop our projects in 3-Dimensions for our presentations so that clients can fully understand the direction of the project.
During the design development phase a higher level of design is applied to the project and effectively the concept created prior are developed to a great level of detail. Materials are evaluated, structural details are considered, and all aspects of the design are developed to create the home and style that our clients are after. By the end of this phase with all the information collected, the project is presented 3-Dimensionally again in photo-real imagery.
At this stage of the architectural design process, the focus shifts from design to communicating the design and providing all information necessary for construction. Engineering is coordinated through this phase into the design of the project. Construction details are developed to give the contractor the insight to construct the project.
The last phase is making sure that the design and wishes of the client are perfected during construction. In this phase we review shop drawings, submittals, and monitor the construction to make sure what is being built meets the design intent. This phase can range from one site visit every month to one site visit every day depending on the owner’s needs, but the end goal is a perfected project for our clients.
We thrive on seeing people succeed; that’s true for our clients, our vendors, and in a special way for our team. We think a crucial part of professional success is to be empowered to do the work you want to do. That means helping our team members find what they are truly interested in, then helping them grow and learn in that area. That takes some work, but we’re big on people around here, so it’s worth the effort.
Empowerment is nothing if you don’t have the opportunities to pursue your passions, learn new skills, and hone your craft. There is great satisfaction in creating a culture where talent, curiosity, and initiative are rewarded. Whether it is a new designer just starting out or the seasoned architect who is ready to lead their own team or even studio, we’re always looking for opportunities to help them grow and what’s on the horizon for them in their career.
The result of this approach is a greater feeling of ownership for everyone at MHK. Of course, this means we have to find people willing to take that on, to care deeply about their work and be proud of what they do. It means finding people who are willing to be stretched and learn, because our designers are involved in every phase our projects. Ultimately, we believe that this approach gives people greater joy in their work, and that means they do better work. Simple, right? But hard to do. That is the creative culture we’ve always sought to create and that is the creative culture that drives us forward.
We constantly are looking for talented individuals to join the MHK team. While you can apply to our current job openings through our Careers page, we encourage you to send your resume to the appropriate office location if you don’t see an active posting that matches your expertise. To view our locations and their contact info, please visit our Contact page.
