Community | creativity | responsibility
Welcoming Elizabeth Peterson: Transportation & Resource Management (TRM) Lead
MWA Architects is ecstatic to welcome Elizabeth Peterson to the firm. Bringing more than two decades of experience in transit design experience, she joins our Transportation and Resource Management (TRM) …
One Fabulous Year With Spencer, Max, Urmica, Chris, and Cheryl!
MWA is fortunate to celebrate an abundance of one-year anniversaries in 2025, and we’re excited to highlight this talented group. Please join us in recognizing Spencer Scott, Designer; Max Weisenbloom, …
Meet Raina, Our 2025 Summer Intern!
This summer, we had the pleasure of welcoming Raina to MWA as our summer intern. A Mechanical Engineering student at Oregon State, Raina brought curiosity and a collaborative spirit to …
Elevating Leaders, Fostering Growth
We are excited to announce the leaders who have been elevated this year. MWA’s 2025 promotions recognize individuals for their leadership, commitment to a more equitable and sustainable future, and …
A Year of Growth – Celebrating One Year with Dan Johnson, Wayne Yoshimura, Kelsey Plucar, and Madeline Phillips
MWA is celebrating the one-year anniversaries of Manager of Finance & Operations Dan Johnson, Architect Wayne Yoshimura, Designer Kelsey Plucar, and Designer Madeline Phillips. This talented group of individuals has …
Celebrating One Year With Steven Ohlhaber
We are so happy to celebrate Steven Ohlhaber’s one-year anniversary with MWA. Project Manager on our infrastructure team, Steven has gifted us with his humor and hard-working spirit. We are …
Green Roof Projects for Public Infrastructure Clients
This Earth Day, let’s talk about green roofs. MWA Principal and Director of Sustainability Jean von Bargen Root presented at the GRiT Green Roof Educational Symposium, walking us through three …
Jeff McGraw, MWA’s First Employee and President, Retires after 37 Years
With deep gratitude, MWA wishes Jeff McGraw, MWA’s first employee and former President, a happy retirement. His long-term relationships with clients, teaming partners, and our internal team have significantly contributed …
Five Years with Ying Hong
MWA is celebrating its five-year anniversary with Designer Ying Hong! A valued member of the San Francisco Housing Studio, Ying is known for her team-oriented approach, creative designs, humor, and …
Housing Oregon Conference 2024
Team MWA attended the Housing Oregon Conference and heard from groups that build, finance, and lend support to affordable housing. Housing Oregon is an association that is involved with organizations …
Celebrating Five Years with Erik Petersen
Team MWA is lucky to celebrate five years with Architect and Project Manager Erik Petersen! Erik, a key member of the Portland Housing Studio, is valued by his team for …
2024 Pride Celebrations
To celebrate Pride this year, MWA compiled a list of opportunities to support queer-owned and operated businesses, participate in Pride celebrations, and learn more about the historic LGBTQIA+ landmarks in …
Happy First MW-Anniversary to Michael Payne
Architect Michael Payne is celebrating one year with MWA’s Portland Infrastructure studio. As Project Manager on many of MWA’s large-scale infrastructure projects, Michael has been a jet-setter, traveling up and …
Moe and Madeline’s One-Year MWA Anniversaries
MWA has had the privilege of working with Designer Muhammed El-Sayed and Architectural Intern Madeline Phillips for the past year. They are hard-working, detail-oriented individuals, and MWA is delighted to …
The Expansion of MWA
Continuing our celebration of 35 years in business, we sat down with Jeff McGraw and asked him about his journey from working as an architect in MWA’s San Francisco office …
The Next Generation of Leaders Rise at MWA
Celebrating the accomplishments and success of our team, we are thrilled to announce this year’s promotions. Thank you to each of the people listed below for their continued leadership, upholding …
A Lifetime Love for Art and Architecture
David Williams Retires after 20 Years with MWA David Williams, Architect and Studio Manager in the Portland office, is retiring after 45 years in the industry. For 20 years, Dave …
Acknowledging Black History and Celebrating Black Futures
In 1988, Michael Willis founded Michael Willis and Associates, Architects. MWA’s mission and values are shaped by our history as a minority-founded firm, and social equity remains a foundation of …
The Beginning of MWA
MWA is celebrating 35 years since Michael Willis opened Michael Willis and Associates, Architects. For the past 35 years, MWA has been striving to create a legacy of beautiful and …
One Year with Celia Crawford Zapanta
Celia originally joined MWA as the Energy Trust of Oregon Net Zero Emerging Leaders Intern. After she completed the internship, MWA was thrilled to offer her a full-time position as …
Places of Pride – LGBTQIA+ Historical Landmarks
This Pride Month, MWA has been reflecting on the history of Civil Rights in the United States, considering the path we have already taken and the one we are continuing …
Just Another Day in Paradise
After 27 Years, MWA Principal Carlton Smith Retires “Just another day in paradise,” Principal Carlton Smith responds anytime someone asks how he is doing. Now, with retirement just inches away, …
Introducing Celia Crawford – MWA’s Net Zero Emerging Leaders Intern
With one of MWA’s core values being responsibility, we always seek to do the right thing. We believe that designing for Net Zero energy is the responsible thing to do, …
Five Years with Thomas Stark
Tom has worked in architecture since 1979, but this year, we celebrate five years with him on team MWA. Using his years of experience, Tom mentors designers and interns at …
