MBH Architects
In the Business of Architecture
By Kay Wilthew
A company builds its reputation by focusing on the core areas in which they excel and by "making the main thing the main thing." For architectural firm MBH Architects, the "main thing" is delivering smart, perceptive and intuitive customer service. Communication is the key: When the client's needs are clear, expectations are more easily managed. MBH's approach to communication with their clients is simple; they listen.
(Left to right) Dennis Heath and John McNulty, MBH Founding principals. MBH Architects, established in 1989, is a diversified and multifaceted practice employing 220 professionals with offices in Alameda and Newport Beach California. As a comprehensive and service-oriented architectural firm, MBH embodies design excellence from the inception of the project through to its successful completion. The firm has designed and completed a wide range of projects in the housing, hospitality, retail, restaurant, mixed use and planning industries. "It's our people who make great places." ® (Photo by Bob Morris Photography)
"Business is sort of an elusive thing for architects," notes Dennis Heath, one of the principals and founders of MBH. "I've read recently that many architects don't gravitate at all toward business, because they feel it's almost sinful to be a business person if you're a 'true' architect. I think that's awfully naïve." Success hinges on the ability to interpret the customer's objectives and confirm their goal is attainable; then doing everything possible to realize that goal. "Some architects believe the projects are all about them, and in reality it's about the client. And if it's a one-of-a-kind project, it's the client who really has the vision. The architect is there to help them execute it, but ultimately it's the client's vision."
San Francisco Fire Credit Union, San Francisco, CA. This two-story, 30,000-square-foot, long-life financial institution has an open and modern design. The limestone panels represent the stability and strength of the institution and the formal interior layout illustrates the sophistication of a financial organization. Awards received: 2001 Gold Nugget Awards. Collaboration: Gary Gee Associates (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
Co-founder John McNulty shares belief in this concept. When McNulty and Heath left San Francisco architectural firm Gensler 18 years ago to form their own company, they adopted many of the same successful philosophies. "We were exposed to a certain way of producing architectural services that was founded on solid business fundamentals. Our goal was to set up a first-class company that would be able to produce high-quality architectural services to businesses that valued our contribution. We would then be able to manage the entire process, from conceptual design through to the project's completion," states McNulty. "It's just amazing how much responsibility the architect has. We must have the chassis in place to stand a chance at making it work successfully day after day."
( Target, Redondo Beach. This two-story, 153,288-square-foot, big box retail project includes first-floor lobby entry area: 5,906 square feet; second floor: 147,382 square feet; and 604 parking spaces. This was the first design concept that incorporated an innovative two-story illuminated glass atrium/lobby with an elevated sales floor over ground-level parking. This new design allows a much larger prototype store to be incorporated into denser urban areas. The Target Corporation, a valued MBH client for 15 years, has exploded in growth and popularity. MBH collaborated with Target to develop their brand by designing dynamic and interesting new building facades, breaking the mold of the average big box. Awards received: 2006 Gold Nugget Awards (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
West Hollywood Gateway, West Hollywood. This 4.84-acre and 244,047-square-foot vertical urban power center includes subterranean parking for 1,050, eclectic collection of street facing facades and a large plaza that functions as a civic space and gathering area. This development allows a big box tenant retailer to serve the dense urban area of Hollywood, West Hollywood and Los Angeles. Awards received: California Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Award, Award of Excellence, Office/Commercial. Design Architect: The Jerde Partnership (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
MBH Architects is well known and respected throughout the Bay Area. Their portfolio includes some of the most prominent restaurant, retail, housing, hospitality and commercial companies in the country and around the world. Their project map extends to 42 states and six countries, spanning three continents. Regardless of location or scope, MBH proactively manages projects from concept to permit filing to construction. Heath understands exactly what their clients hope to accomplish. "They want their project completed and open. If it's a retail center, they want the cash register ringing, and if it's a commercial office building, they want the space leased."
(Left to right) Clay Fry, principal and Housing Director; John McNulty, founding principal; Andres Grechi, principal and Design Director; Dennis Heath, founding principal; and Rebecca Ross, principal and Retail Director (Photo by Bob Morris Photography)
Good Tidings Foundation, Pier 9, San Francisco. This 1,500-square-foot corporate headquarters tenant improvement was a pro bono project completed by MBH. The main workspace and gallery opens up with large storefront doors onto an existing wood deck and the San Francisco Bay beyond. Slick industrial light fixtures were chosen to hang in the workplace and a powerful sound system was integrated to give the area terrific kinetic energy. (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
Whether that space is commercial or housing, today's consumer expects sustainable and environmentally responsible elements. Efficient lighting, recycling water, recycling wastewater, effective landscape elements and sprinkler systems all translate into a positive environmental impact. "It's not anything singular that's dramatic, it's the compilation of several logical things over a long period of time that will be effective," McNulty explains. "We're not doing it because it's trendy and green; we're using sustainable elements because it makes sense."
The Odeon, 150 Powell St., San Francisco. This four-story, 104,000-square-foot mixed-use restoration project includes H & M flagship store, 29 market-rate residential units and 12,000 square feet of office and basement storage space. Originally built in 1906, the historical facade of "The Elevated Shops" was shored, saved and adjacent smaller buildings were removed. In their place, a new four-story mixed-use development was created. Awards received: Redevelopment Project of the Year - California Construction Best of 2007 (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Las Vegas, NV Phase I includes a 28-story tower. Phase II includes a 38-story high- rise that connects to lobby, 427 one-to-three bedroom timeshare units and eight floors of upgraded penthouse units, 4,500-square-foot full- service spa, a six-story parking garage, meeting rooms, new retail and sales center space. Projected completion: 2011 and will include 1,514-villa timeshare resort, 2,365,000 square feet at completion, 9.7 acres and four high- rise towers ranging from 26 to 46 stories located in a pinwheel pattern around a grand central lobby with breathtaking porte corche. Interior Designer: Merilee Elliott Interiors Awards received: 2006 American Resort Development Associate Awards, ACE Project of Excellence Awards; 2005 Southwest Contractor's Best Of Nevada Awards Best Concrete Project; 2004 Outlook 04/05 Best of Awards Best Concrete Project; 2004 American Resort Development Association Award, Winner, Resort Design, Interior Design Common Area (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
The major challenge from a development standpoint, according to Heath, is urban sprawl. "Green design is great, but I think the mentality is still lagging when it comes to density. People are going to keep moving here, but I don't think our density limits really address that. We're starting to see transportation-oriented developments, and I think that's great, but there must be more height, more density, whether it's for office buildings or retail or housing, so we can minimize the sprawl." The solution, says Heath, is to utilize building sites more efficiently. "Let's go up rather than going out into the Valley. There is an impediment to putting square footage on property. Why put a five-story residential project when you can put up 10, 15 or 20 stories? We should be making developments more dense."
Exciting new product types offer fresh options for efficient development. MBH thrives on designing alternatives such as lifestyle centers; upscale mixed-use retail and restaurant spaces reflecting a vibrant, unique character. "The nice thing about lifestyle centers is that in the early stages you begin to work with the client to see what kind of story you're going to tell. That's how lifestyle centers begin," says McNulty. These developments contrast sharply to homogenous malls and prosaic retail centers by integrating an imaginative mixture of local flavor and historical significance into the design.
The Village at Petrini Place, San Francisco. This two-story, 300,000-square-foot residential mixed-use development includes 134 units of one- to two-bedroom lofts/townhomes, a grocery store, central podium courtyard and grade-level parking (separate residential and retail parking). Awards received: 2003 San Francisco Chamber of Commerce; Excellence in Business Awards (Ebbies) Community Developer. Design Architect: Christiani Johnson Architects (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
Joseph Smart, managing principal of the MBH Newport Beach office. Named principal in 2001, Joseph played an integral part in opening the Newport Beach office and energizes its continued growth. The Newport Beach office specializes in master planning, retail/mixed- use, hospitality and high-density housing projects. (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
"Lifestyle centers usually incorporate a fairly large piece of land," McNulty says, "and that location has a history." MBH determines the reason a site was chosen and, from an architectural standpoint, what that area represents. "We spend a lot of time in the library researching the history and materials that come from that location. We don't want to contrive a design and patronize an area; we want to create it with realism. So we may take elements of a firehouse, or the city hall, or use the limestone that's quarried in an area close to the development. We use those pieces, whether it's in the paving or the light fixtures. They all have a kind of synergy with that particular location."
The Town Center at Levis Commons, Perrysburg (Toledo), OH. MBH was the design architect for the first two phases of the mixed-use Levis Commons development in Perrysburg, OH, including the 319,000-square-foot town center and the second phase entertainment complex, signature clock tower and village green amenities. The second phase, which is under construction, also includes a hotel and conference center and up-market residential over additional retail and restaurants. (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
This attention to detail distinguishes MBH's reputation as a creative leader. Heath and McNulty attribute MBH's award-winning designs and industry success directly to their talented staff. The motto, "It's our people who make great places," encapsulates the company's confidence in the skill, vision and energy of its people. MBH haunts regional architectural colleges and career fairs to enlist the best and brightest graduates. "We're very impressed with the kids that are coming out of school. It gives us a feeling of comfort that the firm, and the profession in general, will be in very good hands," McNulty says. This welcome enthusiasm is tempered with mentoring on the subtleties of customer service. "They embrace technology, and what we try to give them is a little taste of reality as well."
MoMo's, San Francisco. Located in San Francisco at 760 Second Street across from AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, MoMo's is a 260-seat restaurant that stands as one of the city's premier dining destinations. The restaurant's stylish yet casual interiors, including a main dining room, bar and two private rooms, welcomes guests with generous leather booths and chairs, rich dark wood finishes, a cherry wood bar, lush reddish-brown carpeting and soft golden walls. Of course, guests who want to remain outdoors can turn to the restaurant's dining terrace. (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
Serramonte Corporate Center, Daly City, CA. This six-story, 165,000- square-foot class A steel-framed mid-rise office building is home of Kaiser Permanente and is located on a hillside overlooking South Bay with a generous rooftop terrace and 360o views (Photo courtesy of MBH Architects)
MBH Architects love what they do. Management promotes a culture of philanthropy, fun and positive energy. They treat their customers, partners and local officials with respect, and receive the same consideration in return. And to those businesses looking for an architectural firm that elevates customer expectations to the highest priority, MBH has just one thing to say: We hear you.
MBH Architects' Northern California office is located at 2470 Mariner Square Loop in Alameda, CA 94501. Their Southern California office is located 1300 Dove Street in Newport Beach, CA 94660. To reach the Northern California office, call (510) 865-8663 or visit mbharch.com for more information.
Testimonial
"I attended about 12 years of BIA LAC breakfast and lunch meetings and have never had a main speaker topic so well covered as you did today. The audience whom you treated to your overview of the Tribal/Cultural Resources process as it relates to the development industry thought so too. I have never seen so many people listening, engaged and asking questions afterwards. I too learned a few new things today. Thank you for doing this. Now let's get the county of Riverside to follow the law."
-- Borre Winckel, Executive Director, BIA of Southern California, Inc., Riverside County
January 2008 Commercial Edition Issue
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