02.09.2023 — MKA is thrilled to announce the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington (ACEC-WA) selected Presidio Tunnel Tops (PTT) park to receive a Gold Engineering Excellence Award (EEA) in the Special Projects category.  The award was presented during ACEC-WA’s annual gala on February 3 in Bellevue, Washington.

The expansive, 14-acre, $118-million PTT park—built atop two highway tunnels—is a landmark destination and the newest addition to America’s National Park system.  As the project’s civil and structural engineer, MKA incorporated innovative and human-centered design solutions to restore the natural landscape, overcome challenging site conditions, reconnect visitors to nature, and prepare the park for earthquakes and climate change.

PTT park is one of only eight ACEC-WA projects selected to move on to the ACEC national competition.

Winners of the national awards will be announced during the organization’s annual black-tie gala on June 13 in Washington, DC.  Learn more about the project in the Seattle DJC here.

» Presidio Tunnel Tops Earns ACEC-WA Award

02.03.2023 — MKA is pleased to announce David E. Eckmann, SE, PE, FAIA, has been named President.

Since joining MKA in 2005, Dave has represented the firm on over 160 projects, including many notable projects in his hometown of Chicago, such as Aqua Tower, River Point Tower, Salesforce Tower, Wolf Point East, City Hyde Park, and the Lincoln Park Zoo Education Pavilion.  He also led the structural design for the American headquarters of CoStar in Richmond, Virginia; the Mutual of Omaha and Applied Underwriters headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska; Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and McDonald’s Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Epic Systems’ 800-acre campus in Verona, Wisconsin.

Since 1995, Dave has been active with AIA Chicago, serving on the organization’s executive committee and board of directors.  He also is an AIA Fellow.  His involvement with AISC, which dates back more than 25 years, includes leadership roles as Vice Chair of the organization’s North American Steel Construction Conference (NASCC) Planning Committee and the primary author of AISC’s book Designing with Structural Steel: A Guide for Architects.  At the University of Illinois, Dave is a member of the School of Architecture’s Tang Committee and a former member of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s Structural Engineering Conference Committee.  He also is a member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a past Chair of the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings (CCHRB), and a past Director at SEAOI and the Structural Engineers Foundation.

“I am honored and excited to serve as MKA’s next President,” said Dave, who will continue in his roles as the Managing Principal of MKA’s Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors.  “I look forward to expanded responsibilities in continuing MKA’s commitment to providing consistent, reliable, and creative designs for our clients.”

Congratulations, Dave!

» MKA Announces New President

02.01.2023 — Join MKA in honoring Senior Principal Sean Clifton, who has been named an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 25 Newsmaker for 2022! ENR editors selected this group of change-makers for their leadership in making their industry and communities better places to live and work.

Sean’s nomination from ENR comes in recognition of pioneering work in advancing Performance-Based Wind Design (PBWD), a methodology that aims to increase safety and reliability while reducing materials, costs, and embodied carbon in high-rise structures. As the Principal-in-Charge for the structural design of 321 West 6th Street—a 671-foot-tall mixed-use tower in Austin, Texas—he spearheaded the use of PBWD in the tower’s design, making it the first American skyscraper built using this standard.

Sean joined MKA in 2008. He currently oversees the firm’s efforts in Southeast Asia and leads the design of many of the MKA’s Performance-Based Design towers.

Sean and the other ENR Newsmakers will be honored during the organization’s Award of Excellence Gala on April 13 at Pier 60 in New York City. Read more about the honor online here.

Congratulations, Sean!

» Sean Clifton Named an ENR Top 25 Newsmaker