MKSK

MKSK is a collective of Planners, Urban Designers, and Landscape Architects, founded in 1990, who are passionate about the interaction between people and place. MKSK is an employee-owned practice with a network of twelve metropolitan studios in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the District of Columbia. MKSK works to solve the pressing issues in our cities and communities, and build places where people want to live. They work with communities and clients to reimagine, plan, and design dynamic environments for the betterment of all. MKSK approaches planning and design with a clear understanding that each place is unique and has economic, social, environmental, historical, and cultural influences which should be explored through thoughtful, context sensitive design. [1]

MKSK helps communities and clients meet the challenges of changing global conditions by addressing resiliency and sustainability. They shape place to improve lives and share their transformational stories and the power of strong planning and design to inspire themselves, their peers, and the world to work together for the common good.

Attributes

MKSK is headquartered in the Brewery District of Columbus, Ohio, and has six regional offices. It has approximately 100 employees.[2]

The company CEO is Brian Kinzelman.[2]

The company's designs aim to create pedestrian-friendly designs, including reconnecting neighborhoods divided by highways.[2]

History & Milestones

MKSK began in 2011, after the merger of two Columbus-based design firms both founded in 1990. MKSK has continuously evolved to reach their primary service areas and has opened 12 offices across the Midwest and Southeast. In 2019, MKSK became 100% employee owned. [3]

MKSK’s niche is transforming spaces into highly usable places that inspire and create lasting impressions. Their clients include cities, development organizations, higher education, hospitals, transportation agencies, Fortune 500 companies, developers, and architects. Their projects include planning and design for downtowns, river/ waterfronts, neighborhoods, cultural and campus environments.

Commitment to Diversity Practices

As Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, Planners and employers, we wish to express our commitment to the principle of equal employment opportunities for all persons, regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin. It is the commitment of this firm and its members to do whatever is possible to help erase discrimination and to set patterns for a more equitable society in the future. It is our hope that minority groups will learn of our commitment and look to this firm and its members as catalysts in the overall goal of improved employment and teaming opportunities.

MKSK firmly believes a solution to attain this goal is a commitment to seek out and partner with WBE, MBE, and DBE status firms. We recognize that all of us will gain in the end, as employers and employees and partners, minorities and majorities, when each of us becomes committed to this goal.

We recognize that discrimination needs to be overcome by active programs of nondiscrimination practices by individual employers and their employees. We support positive action programs which will encourage minority group persons to obtain the necessary training and education so that they will be qualified for positions as Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, Planners, Draftpersons, and Technicians in technical professions as well as for other types of positions.

Sustainability

MKSK is committed to sustainable design as an integral part of our planning and design process. We embed sustainable design methodologies into our work. We seek a balance between economic, environmental, and societal impacts and opportunities, the underlying principles of sustainability, and apply creativity and innovation to solve current issues while striving for responsible, long-term, practical solutions. Our design and planning projects begin with overall sustainability goals and consideration of LEED certification.

For each project site, we strive to achieve low-impact site development through means of preserving open space, accommodating multi-modal transportation and bicycle facilities, reducing impervious surfaces and heat island effects, incorporating passive solar design, retaining or creating natural habitat, integrating sustainable stormwater management through the use of permeable pavement, bioswales, rain gardens and green roofs, and using recycled and regionally available materials.

LEED Overview:

• 54 LEED certified projects: 22 LEED Gold; 27 LEED Silver; 5 LEED Certified

• 16 LEED APs or LEED Green Associates

Designs

Since about 2000, the firm or its predecessors have designed or created master plans for nearly every public space in downtown Columbus.[4]

Columbus

Other cities

References
  1. "MKSK". MKSK. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  2. "This Columbus architecture firm is now owned by its employees". www.bizjournals.com. October 16, 2019. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. "MKSK landscape architecture firm to become employee-owned".
  4. "Making a full necklace out of disconnected pearls: One landscape architecture firm's vision reshaping Columbus' public spaces". www.bizjournals.com. November 26, 2018. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  5. "Designing the Grandview Yard Master Plan and Implementation in Grandview Heights, Ohio | CU". June 26, 2021.
  6. "Designing The Scioto Peninsula in Columbus, Ohio | CU". May 29, 2021.
  7. "Designing the 15th and High Urban Framework Plan and Development in Columbus, Ohio | CU". June 12, 2021.
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