Placing the Connection Between Structure and Nature With Seattle-Based mostly mwworks | Options

The mwworks team. Image courtesy of mwworks.

The architecture and interior design studio mwworks, founded in Seattle in 2007, has diligently contributed some of the most beautiful places in the modern building environment of the Pacific Northwest: rough in the right places, comfortable wherever possible, and principally authentic.

For the latest studio snapshot, Archinect discussed with the company’s founding partners, Steve Mongillo and Eric Walter, about their dedication to the craft, the conscious decision to grow the practice organically, and how the team kept their office culture alive and healthy during the pandemic held.

Can you tell us how mwworks was founded?

Before we started the office in 2007, we had worked together occasionally and found it worthwhile to separate ideas from one another. We approached projects in a similar way, and the reviews we shared were of great value in helping each other address design challenges. We found that we shared a vision for buildings that were well crafted, timeless and holistically connected to nature. Eventually we realized that we couldn’t ignore the lure of collaboration and we started mwworks.

Small house. Photo: Andrew Pogue.

Small house. Photo: Andrew Pogue.

How many people are currently employed at mwworks? How is your office set up?

We have gradually and carefully grown to nine over the years. We have two founding partners, two clients and then five other members of our design staff. We are all generalists and we are all involved in the design at all stages. Our goal is for everyone to get involved in creating the design – formulating an idea or approach to each design, then inviting contributions and finding the best solutions to design problems.

Case inlet retreat. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

Case inlet retreat. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

Do you want to enlarge and expand your team? What do you think is the ideal size for your practice?

The character of the office feels great right now – the smaller size allows us to stay connected with work across the office, including between office critics and reviews. There may be times when we consider a little expansion to take on something special, but we don’t want to grow quickly or reactively. We prefer to focus on less powerful projects and on attracting and retaining people who can contribute to success. It is important that the nature of the job and work is not compromised by growing too quickly.

Some aspects of our work stand out: the range of materials, the love of craftsmanship and detail as well as the relationships between the rooms – both within the building and in the landscape behind it.

What were the biggest challenges in starting and running your own practice?

Not long after we started mwworks, the bottom fell out of the economy. At the time, we obviously felt that this environment wasn’t ideal – but the upside was that it forced us to be innovative in how we felt about practice. Relationships with customers, builders and craftsmen were even more important in these difficult times. Those of us who weathered the downturn were well positioned and had an ingenuity that has served us well in the future.

Whidbey Farm. Photo: Kevin Scott.

Whidbey Farm. Photo: Kevin Scott.

What challenges did you face in the last months of the pandemic? Was remote working a solution?

When it became clear that the pandemic was not going to pass, we had some projects on hold and we had some conversations about how the office must adapt to survive. Fortunately, in the weeks that followed, we were encouraged to contact several other customers to let us know that they understood the risks but felt that they wanted to partially continue their projects to support the large engineering and construction teams involved. It was great to have this support and it reaffirms the value of working with good people. We have switched to remote working and have kept this with the exception of site visits and some construction supervision tasks.

The office culture impact was the biggest fear we had about moving to remote operations – how to keep an office culture alive and well.

The office culture impact was the biggest fear we had about moving to remote operations – how to keep an office culture alive and well. We’ve found it’s more important to structure times when we’re all together. We’re now committed to weekly happy hours and biweekly design discussions to connect. In a way, the design review portions of these meetings are almost easier to do online because the impromptu nature reduces the need for extensive prep and people can just share their screens and walk the team through the place they were this week.

Ocean Drive. Photo: Kevin Scott.

Ocean Drive. Photo: Kevin Scott.

Describe your work. How do you define your own unique style and approach?

Some aspects of our work stand out: the range of materials, the love of craftsmanship and detail as well as the relationships between the rooms – both within the building and in the landscape behind it. Our favorite work has a clarity or simplicity, but also a calm and warmth that arises from the superimposition of materials and textures.

Over time, we have become increasingly interested in the spatial qualities within the building. Part of this comes from the nature of the design using 3D modeling – you can really see and feel it. They just couldn’t prove these ideas in plan, height and section. As the tools changed and we started looking at the space a little differently, we spent more time looking at the space from the inside out, which of course changed the nature of the shapes. In a broader sense, this has been expanded to include the location, each of its rooms and the way they are connected to the building.

Laurelhurst Midcentury. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

What do you want your company to be known for?

We keep returning to the same core elements: material, craftsmanship, timelessness, simplicity and connection to the landscape. Sure there is more, but we hope that all of our work reflects these key characteristics, regardless of project type, size or location. Whether it’s a small or large house, winery or spa, we strive to create a place that feels comfortable, timeless, beautiful, and responds well to the surroundings.

Study. Image: mwworks.

Study. Image: mwworks.

Where do you see mwworks in 5 years?

Five years seems like such a short time in our profession. Since we are focused on slow, conscious growth, we see that practice does not change significantly during this period. Within design, however, we keep making discoveries, finding new points of interest, and moving in slightly different directions while remaining true to our core interests. We are also aware of how advancements in the tools we use have allowed us to better imagine space and communicate construction methods. It is easy to imagine that this development will continue.

Our favorite work has a clarity or simplicity, but also a calm and warmth that arises from the superimposition of materials and textures.

We look forward to applying the way we approach design to new project types, site conditions and other challenges. It’s always worth taking a unified approach to new types of landscapes and coming up with completely different solutions.

Courtyard residence. Photo: Kevin Scott.

Courtyard residence. Photo: Kevin Scott.

Do you have a favorite project? Completed or in progress?

There are aspects of each of the many completed projects that stand out as successes. For example, the Courtyard House is surprisingly comfortable in its urban setting, and Case Inlet Retreat expresses what we hope to do with simple shapes and connection with nature.

Still, the ongoing projects are always our favorites because it’s exciting to see where they will lead. They reflect our current thinking and interests, and it is true that what we are exploring now is what fascinates us most at the moment. In a way, if we’re still working on the buildings we live in – until they’re finished, we have to keep going.

Laurelhurst Midcentury. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

If you could describe your work / practice in three words, which would it be?

Well, our work is all about context, but we could say that craft, tranquility and landscape are important touchstones.