Michael Willis, FAIA

Principal Emeritus

In 1988, Michael Willis founded Michael Willis and Associates. He built the firm on the philosophy, “let the person in charge be the person in charge.” That set the foundation for the firm’s future leaders.

Michael served as principal on large public projects including the New International Terminal at San Francisco Airport and the Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone Station for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.  With projects such as Faubourg Lafitte in New Orleans, the Cecil Williams Glide Community House, and the GEDC Housing tower in San Francisco, Mr. Willis repeatedly demonstrated that good design does not have to be expensive to be comprehensive.

Other notable projects include master planning and architectural design services for the rebuild of San Francisco’s current Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant; the Joseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant Oxidation Retrofit Program (ORP) a 750 mgd facility in Granada Hills, California; master plan and design guidelines for the Robert B. Diemer Filtration Plant a 500 mgd facility in Yorba Linda, California, and architectural design services for the North Richmond Water Reclamation Plant and the Upper San Leandro Ozonation Facility, which pioneered the use of ozonation as a water disinfectant in the United States.

Throughout his career, his goal was to design buildings that are good neighbors in any community while providing a safe, efficient, and humane environment for its occupants. Michael retired from MWA in 2016.