 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 |
 09.24.2022 — MKA’s Community Service Project returned in September following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 60 MKA employees, friends, and family gathered at Seattle’s Graham Hill Elementary School to breathe new life into an otherwise drab, concrete play area by creating a fun and inspiring space for children of all ages to learn and enjoy. The project list included two large shade structures, four sets of nestingbenches, four raised planter beds, tricycle and pedestrian paths, a wall with sensory and tactile panels, a compost bin, storage for tricycles and tools—and even a vibrant, water-themed mural measuring 72 feet long and 11 feet high, and featuring whales, salmon, a canoe, an octopus, and other Pacific Northwest emblems! “This was probably one of the most ambitious community service projects we’ve undertaken in terms of scope and trying our hand at something new by painting a mural,” said project co-leader Saya Kajiwara. “There was some day-of problem-solving. But all-in-all, it went very smoothly!” Saya and project co-leader Dave Steele offered special “shout-outs” to design team leaders Michael Kearns, Anand Mourougassamy, Jeff Pope, Logan Stewart, Marissa Stone, and Ray Yu, as well as Jeremy Hasselbauer and Russell Larsen for cutting all that lumber! In addition, Phil Leithner with DeWALT donated the project’s anchors—and even demonstrated how to install anchors in concrete and asphalt properly. Thank you to everyone who came out!! This project turned out #MKAwesome! » MKA Community Service Project 2022 |
 01.10.2022 — With heartfelt sadness, we share the passing of our friend and colleague, Bill Ward. Bill joined our firm in June 1954 as the firm’s name was transitioning from W.H. Witt Company to Worthington & Skilling and served in many capacities until his retirement at the end of 1991. His influence can still be felt in the culture of our firm. He was known as an engineer’s engineer and a very kind, fair, and considerate person. Bill earned his BSCE at Santa Clara University in 1950. When Bill joined the firm there were 13 employees. He was a very versatile engineer with the ability to work on both structural and civil engineering assignments. In 1978, Bill was promoted to Partner and was responsible for firm operations as COO. He brought a new, more progressive approach to the human resources part of firm management. Many of his initiatives still benefit the firm today. In 1983, Bill was elected President and COO and served in that capacity until his retirement. At the time of his election to President, the firm name changed to Skilling Ward Rogers Barkshire. Bill was active professionally in both the Structural Engineers Association of Washington and the American Council of Engineering Companies – Washington. He was elected as the SEAW Seattle Chapter President in 1973 and was selected as the SEAW Engineer of the Year in 1985. He was also named ACEC-Washington Engineer of the Year. For those that knew Bill, we all share the sadness of losing a great friend. We are better people having known Bill Ward. » Honoring Bill Ward, 1926-2022 |
 08.03.2021 — Every year, MKA looks forward to participating in Food Frenzy, two fun-filled weeks of events where businesses and community groups raise money in support of Food Lifeline’s important work to end hunger in Western Washington. While last year’s Food Frenzy was held virtually, this year MKA staff was thrilled to gather in person and bond through friendly tournaments of Jeopardy!, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, whirlyball, and cornhole, along with raffles for board games and bottles of wine. Our leadership team raffled off multiple community-building events, such as a boat tour of Lake Washington, stand-up paddleboarding, a golf outing, oyster-shucking competitions, a scenic flight around Seattle, a cocktail night, and more. During the two-week period from July 16-30, MKA staff and generous matching sponsors raised $20,147, which is a record for Team MKA and allows Food Lifeline to provide 100,735 meals! A huge thank you to everyone who donated. If you would like to volunteer or donate to Food Lifeline anytime, please visit https://foodlifeline.org/. » MKA Sets Food Frenzy Fundraising Record |
 02.12.2021 — It is with highest respect, reverence, and admiration that MKA recognizes and celebrates the life of Leslie E. Robertson. The remarkable contributions Les made to the design of some of the world’s most important and amazing buildings, along with the inspiration he provided to countless architects and engineers, stands as a lasting legacy to his brilliance. MKA is proud to count Les among some of our firm’s most influential and impactful leaders, and we are grateful for his contributions to the firm’s success. He will be fondly remembered and surely missed by many. PHOTO: Les Robertson and Saw Tee See with Ron Klemencic and Jon Magnusson at the CTBUH Conference in 2015. Read more in ENR and The New York Times. » In Memoriam of Leslie E. Roberton |
 06.25.2020 — Last night, the ACE Mentor Program of Washington celebrated the conclusion of this year’s program with a virtual reception and scholarship event. The event was hosted by Jon Magnusson, who dubbed himself, jokingly, the "low-key MC" for the night. Congratulations to all the ACE participants and mentors this year for their perseverance and to the 14 scholarship recipients awarded last night. It certainly was an unusual year where mentors and participants were challenged to complete their final projects and presentations virtually. Handrae Henthorn was the recipient of a $7,000 scholarship sponsored by MKA and ACE and will attend Seattle Pacific University in the fall to study structural engineering. MKA is a proud Platinum sponsor and has been part of the ACE Mentor Program in Seattle since its inception in 2001. Congratulations to all and best wishes for your bright futures! » ACE Mentor Program of WA 2020 |
 02.13.2020 — MKA is excited to announce that 2020 is a historic year for our firm as we celebrate our 100th Anniversary! Looking back on the last 10 decades, we are humbled by the innovators and intellects we have partnered with and are grateful to the many clients, employees, families, and mentors who have shaped our path. Be sure to check out our 100-Year Video here to see some of our story and visit the About MKA History page for a timeline of our work and company milestones. Thank you to all those who have played a role in our firm. We are excited to embark on the journey of the next 100 years and eager to take on the challenges we have yet to encounter! » Happy Anniversary MKA! |
 10.17.2019 — MKA’s Josh Brickman, Bethany Myelle, and Cody Harvey participated in the Chicago CANstruction competition with a team consisting of SCB, MKA, and Walsh Construction. CANavera, based on the calavera or "sugar skull," is commonly a part of Dia de los Muertos celebrations and is a nod in honor of the many ethnic communities that are essential parts to the richly diverse Greater Chicago area. Our team took home second place in the “People’s Choice” competition and won the “Best Meal” award. Most importantly the team donated almost 6,000 cans to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and over 160,000 cans were donated from all the teams combined! Awesome job! Take a look at the time lapse construction on our Vimeo channel here: https://vimeo.com/371513061 » Team CANavera Wins Best Meal |
 09.14.2019 — On Saturday, September 14th, MKA staff, family, and friends participated in our Community Service Project — our 6th year! This year we gathered, 85 strong, at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Seattle. The overall project and breakout design teams were led by Patrick Burns and Catherine Cai. Planning for the event begins months in advance to select a project and collaborate with the chosen organization to best fill their needs. This year we constructed an outdoor learning classroom for the school. The centerpiece is a 25-foot diameter garden constructed of planters and benches. We also designed and constructed kid-sized picnic tables, a tool storage bin, and a worm bin! As you can see from the photos there was a lot of activity, but with the large crew of volunteers and amazing planning by the design teams, we wrapped up our work by mid-day. As the school year progresses, we are excited to see this “community garden for all” come to life! » 2019 Community Service Project |
 08.06.2019 — Each year MKA participates in two weeks of exciting office events and competitions to raise money for Food Frenzy benefitting Food Lifeline. A sample of this year’s activities included an Art Walk, Chili Cookoff, Homebrew Competition, Wine Raffle, Bake Sale, and an Oyster Party! MKA surpased our previous year’s totals by raising over $10,000 for Food Lifeline! Way to go team! We look forward to surpassing this total again next year as we all work together to fight hunger in our communities! » Food Frenzy 2019 |
 09.15.2018 — On Saturday, September 15th, MKA staff, family, and friends came together at Magnuson Park in Seattle for our yearly Community Service project. This year MKA partnered with the Children’s Garden at the park to complete several projects enhancing the space. MKA designed and built one adult and two child-sized picnic tables (both with wheelchair accessible ends), two secure tool bins, two sets of three nesting benches, a custom-built outdoor sink, as well as, completing a full day of gardening work! Although the weather threatened rain and sprinkled a bit at times, the team was able to complete all the projects planned. This is the 5th year of MKA’s Community Service project, serving five community partners. Engineers Kelsey Price and Jennifer Diggs led the project and breakout Team Leaders put in hours of design and pre-planning for the event. The Children’s Garden Team expressed the utmost gratitude, which is undoubtedly the biggest mark of success! #MKAServiceDay #MKAwesome » 2018 MKA Community Service Day |
 08.28.2018 — As another summer comes to a close, so does another successful Food Frenzy event in Seattle! Food Frenzy is a fun competition between local Seattle businesses to raise money to support Food Lifeline, an organization dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington. MKA goes head-to-head against other firms in the A/E/C industry raising money for this worthy cause. For two weeks in July, our staff participated in creative activities and events, including bake sales, a wine raffle and tasting, tickets auctioned off for a homecooked summer barbeque, an in-office “art walk,” and more. MKA upped the competitive spirit within the office with a jeopardy game night, arcade tournament, and cornhole match, pinning colleague against colleague for some extracurricular excitement! This year MKA raised a total of $8,745, and since every dollar contributes four complete meals to families in need, that’s 34,980 meals! We look forward to surpassing this total again next year as we all work together to fight hunger in our communities! In an effort to further give back and keep the spirit of Food Frenzy alive year round, MKA employees are now participating in a volunteer night every last Tuesday of each month. Staff members volunteer to sort and repack donated and rescued food that will be distributed to over 300 food banks, meal programs, and shelters throughout Western Washington. To find out more about Food Lifeline or to donate, click here. Thank you to all who participated in Food Frenzy 2018! » Food Frenzy 2018 Recap |
 08.18.2018 — MKA celebrated summer in style at our annual MKA Summer Event. This year staff and their families enjoyed a day at the Seattle Sounders Soccer match. It was a beautiful day and also a lucky day for the Sounders vs. the LA Galaxy. The final score... Sounders 5, Galaxy 0. » MKA Summer Event at the Sounders |
 07.19.2018 — MKA is proud to be a co-sponsor of the exhibit, "Sculpture on a Grand Scale – An exhibit of the work of Jack Christiansen," researched by Tyler S. Sprague PE., Ph.D., Assistant Professor at of the University of Washington. The exhibition is currently on display in Boston at the IASS Creativity in Structural Design Symposium and highlights Jack Christiansen’s innovative work in the use of thin shell concrete — charting his design trajectory from the 1950s through the 1990s. The exhibit is also anticipated to be at the University of Washington in the Summer of 2019. » Sculpture on a Grand Scale Exhibit by Tyler Sprague |
 07.01.2018 — June was a busy month for MKA both inside and outside the office. From running to triathlon to volleyball... our staff racked up some great achievements! Hannah Bonotto competed in her first triathlon, the Ironman 70.3 Victoria in Victoria, BC. Congrats, Hannah! MKA’s David Sand, Beatriz Arostegui, Brad Strandquist, and Michelle Wilkinson’s volleyball team named, “Bump, Set, Beer Break” won the Sand Volleyball Championship of the Underdog Alki Beach Volleyball League! Ben Dupuy completed his first half-marathon at the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll, congrats Ben! Don Davies and his son, Ryan, also ran the half marathon. Amy Haaland and her Hood to Coast Washington team, “Runners of Unusual Speed,” won the Mixed Open division of this 77-mile relay through Washington State, and finished the race 6th overall. Kristine Svehla-Brown biked in Cascade Bike Club’s 47-mile “Flying Wheels” bike ride. And also competed in the Black Hills Sprint Triathlon in Lacey, WA. That’s what we like to call #MKAwesome! » June Staff Achievements! |
 09.26.2017 — MKA staff, friends, and family joined together on Saturday, September 23rd, to complete another successful community service project! This year we worked with the YWCA on several projects at their downtown facility. We had 60 volunteers in all, an MKA Community Service record! Projects included painting, purchasing and assembling 72 pieces of furniture, potting succulent planters to brighten resident’s rooms, and designing and building 3 standing planter boxes for the resident’s rooftop garden. This year’s co-leaders, Jennifer Diggs and Kelsey Price, made sure everything ran smoothly from day-one to build day. Additionally, individual team leaders planned logistics, design, and lead their teams on build day. Thanks to everyone who participated — you are truly #MKAwesome! » MKA Community Service Day 2017 |
 09.18.2017 — With heavy hearts, we said goodbye back in August to one of our firm’s engineering giants, Jack Christiansen. Among other achievements, Jack was well known for his mastery of thin-shell concrete structures. Jack was a part of our firm from 1952 until his retirement in 1983 when the firm was known as Skilling, Helle, Christiansen, Robertson. Thanks to the Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington (SEFW), part of Jack Christiansen’s story is preserved in this short film (link here) highlighting the Structural Engineers of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Learn more about the U.S. Science Pavilion design (now known as the Pacific Science Center) in which Jack collaborated with Minoru Yamasaki. Listen to Jack himself starting at the 12-minute mark — as well as seeing Jack’s design of the International Commerce and Industry Building’s flower-like roof canopies in thin-shell concrete at the 28:30 mark. These structures are a must-see, as they were a beautiful expression of structure which unfortunately no longer exist on the site. » Jack Christiansen History |
 07.10.2017 — On July 10th, our MKA summer interns toured the Second and Pike residential project currently under construction in downtown Seattle. Representatives of Sellen Construction led the group to the uppermost residential floor that was near-ready for concrete placement. Philip Beasley, an MKA design engineer on the project, led the tour and described some of the significant structural design features. The visit concluded with observations of the Level 8 amenity floor to see the installed curtain wall, MEP rough-in, and a steel canopy structure — with a final stop at a completed residential unit on Level 2. Each summer MKA is proud to bring on 5-7 interns, letting them experience true hands-on engineering! Welcome to this year’s interns (from left to right), Iris Kwong, Olga Pavlenko, James Gaitan, Marissa Gelms, and Eric Fleet. » 2017 Summer Interns Tour 2nd and Pike |
 08.27.2016 — Since 2014, MKA has chosen a Community Service project to tackle in the Greater Seattle area. The year starts with a call for MKA volunteers and the selection of an overall project manager. Brainstorming and project selection happens next, and then the design teams go to work creating detailed plans, supply lists, and much more – in anticipation for a well-coordinated build day. For this year’s project we planned several major improvements to Dr. Jose Rizal Park in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The park contains an orchard perched along the west slope, overlooking downtown. City Fruit, a non-profit organization, along with the park steward and volunteers maintain the orchard and harvest the fruit to benefit the Beacon Hill community and for use in local food banks. MKA’s task was to extend an existing trail for better access to the orchard; build secure, on-site storage boxes for tools used in the maintenance of the orchard; and to build a 3-step composting system for fallen apples. After six months of planning and design, 40+ MKA volunteers were on-hand on August 27th to complete the project. Take a look at our short video here to see what the team was able to build in one day! Our thanks to Seattle Works for assisting us with logistics and coordination for the third year running! To find out more about the rich history of the park and its orchard, visit here. » MKA’s 2016 Community Service Project |
 07.28.2016 — Food Frenzy for 2016 is a wrap. MKA participated in two weeks of fun events — all to raise money for Food Lifeline. Activities included everything from bake sales to trivia competitions. One office favorite was the “Cardboard Cutout Competition.” Staff donated dollars to send a large scale cutout to loom over their co-workers desk. Last year it was Justin Bieber, this year it was a T-Rex! And new for this year was the “Guess the MKA Baby Competition.” 25 photos were submitted to the contest. Our BIM Technical Lead, Ben Thomas, was the winner — identifying 16 of his co-workers from their baby photos! MKA’s staff raised $8,016.93, far exceeding our 2015 totals. Staff also helped sort, pack, weigh, and stack nearly 2800 lbs. of food at the Food Bank Volunteer Night. Thanks to Justin Grasse, Jessica Haas, Abby Taylor, Angela Bigelow, Kunal Vaswani, Megan Hays, Travis Corigliano, Eleanor Reynolds, Mandy Chen, Krzysztof Zaleski, Blake Doepker, and Michael Murphy for organizing the individual activities and to ALL our MKA staff for their participation. » Food Frenzy 2016 |
 05.27.2016 — Pictured here is Team MKA Chicago at the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge last night in Grant Park! (From L to R: Josh Brickman, Bethany Myelle, Adam Theiss and Lucas Cusak.) This was the 35th running of the event in Chicago and served as a benefit and awareness builder for "Get IN Chicago", a not-for-profit dedicated to identifying the most effective ways to reduce youth violence. Nice work team! » Team MKA Chicago Runs |
 01.27.2016 — MKA’s Chicago office was pleased to recently host a group of engineering students from MIT. The group led by Senior Principal and Chicago Office Leader, Dave Eckmann, P.E., S.E., AIA and Associate, Adam Theiss, P.E., toured two of MKA’s projects going up simultaneously along the Chicago River’s edge — River Point Tower and 150 N. Riverside. The next day the students were inspired to visit another MKA project, the pavilion at Lincoln Park Zoo. You can view the progress of the two towers by visiting the construction webcam, here. Photos courtesy: Professor John A. Ochsendorf, MIT. » MKA Chicago Hosts MIT Students |
 01.08.2016 — The ACE Mentor Program for 2015-2016 is in full swing. High school students from the Seattle and Eastside areas are working with industry mentors to learn about architecture, engineering, and construction. MKA is participating as a mentor firm again this year and has 19 MKA staff participating! This year’s project is to design a high-rise residential building located on Ninth and Virginia in downtown Seattle. Teams are given criteria for the building’s program that includes mixed use space, multiple floors of residential units and four stories of underground parking. The teams have 15 weeks to come up with their schemes. The final presentations will take place on May 25th. Good luck to all the teams! To learn more about the ACE Mentor Program in Washington, click here. » ACE Mentor Program 2016 |
 01.07.2016 — Ending 2015 with the giving spirit, MKA staff raised $1,153.00 for Treehouse, a Seattle organization that supports foster children, teens and their families. Donations were collected online and also through a multi-day bake sale. Three boxes of toys and clothes were also delivered to the Treehouse Warehouse just in time for Christmas. Thanks to everyone who participated to support Treehouse! » MKA’s Giving Spirit |
 10.19.2015 — Team MKA participated in the 2015 Puget Sound Heart & Stroke Walk this past Saturday at Seattle Center. Combining individual donations and an office-wide bake sale, the team exceeded their fundraising goal of $1000. As you can see, the baking presentations got creative with Rice Krispies Treats stacked as a replica of one of our projects, SkyRise Miami. » Team MKA at the 2015 Puget Sound Heart Walk |
 08.31.2015 — If you live in the Seattle area, you know this past Saturday’s weather was a bit hectic with wind and rain.... however, our amazing MKA Community Service Team spent the day at Lake Samm Foursquare Church building a sensory playground, nature trail, activity panels, tricycle storage, playground seating and fences. The centerpiece of the playground is a large octopus made of concrete with mosaic and tactile surfaces. Cleverly, the head of the octopus covers a tree stump in the middle of the playground area that would have been tough to remove. These spaces were designed to engage children on the autism spectrum, specifically a group called FEAT of Washington (Families for Effective Autism Treatment), just one of the many groups that Lake Samm hosts at their location. Again this year we partnered with Seattle Works for logistics and coordination. We are thankful to Katie Tiehen for all her help and Lake Samm for their support and day-of snacks that kept the team going! We will return this week to put finishing touches on — and sincerely look forward to seeing the kids put their new playground and nature trail to use. » MKA’s 2015 Community Service Project |
 03.11.2015 — The Chicago Architecture Foundation maintains a very elaborate (and famous) model of Chicago buildings, a permanent exhibit that is updated annually and grows along with the city! A team constantly watches the Loop for new construction, then each year adds new projects and takes out demolished buildings. Once a project begins, the team contacts the architecture firm for an exterior file of the building that can be used as a guide to 3D print the building’s model. This year, 4 of the 16 new buildings were MKA designs: 151 North Franklin Street, 200 North Michigan, 150 North Riverside, and River Point at 444 West Lake Street (MKA also did a peer review of OneEleven at 111 West Wacker). With a Chicago office and over 50 projects in the area, MKA has made quite an impression on the city’s skyline. Check out the link to read more and see pictures of the impressive model. Can you spy any MKA projects? http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/24/caf-chicago-model.php Photo Credit: Kate Gardiner » MKA Projects added to Chicago City Model |
09.25.2014 — This year, MKA is sponsoring the Community Enhancement Program put on by NAIOP’s Washington State Chapter. Each year, NAIOP Washington selects an improvement project, supported by donations of time, money, materials, and expertise. This year’s project is Camp Waskowitz in North Bend, WA, a facility built during the Great Depression and named a National History Place in 1993. The camp has been a valuable community resource for 80 years and is now in need of some NAIOP TLC. For those interested in volunteering, project work is set for October 4th from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Visit NAIOP’s website for more details. » NAIOP ’s 2014 Community Enhancement Project |
 09.13.2014 — After months of planning and coordination, MKA volunteers completed their first community service project for Lettuce Link at Marra Farm in south Seattle. The farm, one of the last historic agricultural plots in Seattle, was in need of two things: first, a Mushroom Shack, where the farm could cultivate a variety of edible mushrooms. Second, a secure and portable Market Stand, which would allow the farm to sell produce to the residents of South Park, where fresh, organic produce is a rarity. Volunteers from all departments at MKA set out to design and build both projects with financial support from the company and logisitcal help from SeattleWorks. While the design and planning of the projects took several months, 35 MKA volunteers successfully built both projects in one (very long) day. Excellent work, everyone! » MKA Community Service Project at Marra Farm |
 08.11.2014 — Over the sunny weekend, MKA hosted the firm’s annual Summer Picnic. This year, engineers and their families gathered at Woodland Park Zoo for a picnic, animal encounters, face painting, and games. » 2014 MKA Summer Picnic at Woodland Park Zoo |
 07.28.2014 — This month, MKA participated in Food Lifeline’s annual “Food Frenzy,” a two-week competition between local businesses to raise funds to combat summertime hunger. This campaign encourages participating businesses to create their own fundraising and team building activities. No stranger to creative solutions, MKA engineers worked together to raise over $6,600 to benefit Food Lifeline, placing the firm third overall in the Design and Construction Category. In addition to annual MKA staples like jeopardy competitions, “tailgate toss” matches, and bake sales, some highlights from this year’s Food Frenzy include: - MKA Arcade: engineers competed for high score on arcade classics like Pac-Man, played on an “old school” video game console created by Robert Baxter, Senior Associate at MKA - Food Bank Night: engineers volunteered at Food Lifeline’s Shoreline Repack Center, making over 8,000 meals possible - Spare Change Competition: specialist groups teamed up to compete in a unique spare change competition, which resulted in about about 160 pounds of change! » Food Lifeline Food Frenzy 2014 |
 06.23.2014 — On June 19, 2014, MKA engineers Jordan Jarrett and Kevin Aswegan shook things up at the Museum of Flight’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Camp: Wonderous Waves. Speaking to 6th and 7th graders, they discussed the waves of motion associated with earthquakes and tools for understanding the effects of earthquake motion, including plate tectonics, seismic waves, measurement of earthquakes, and the faults affecting Seattle. The campers engaged in several hands-on actives, including making seismic waves out of slinkies, creating their own “earthquakes” by jumping around an accelerometer, and building candy structures that were tested on a shake table. » MKA at the Museum of Flight STEM Camp, Wonderous Waves |
12.18.2013 — MKA and our employees are proud to give back this holiday season. Our staff adopted 13 families through the YWCA Seattle King Snohomish Adopt-a-Family and also raised more than $36,000 for United Way of King County! Way to get into the holiday spirit, everyone! » MKA Holiday Spirit |
 11.23.2013 — Patricia Decker earned the title of this year’s Washington State Cyclocross Cat 4 Women’s Champion at Arlington Municipal Airport. Despite a dropped chain on her second lap and a flat front tire on her final lap that prompted her to switch to her single-speed bike, Patricia still came in more than a minute ahead of the second finisher. She also earned her upgrade from Cat 4 to Cat 3! » Patricia Decker, Cyclocross Champion |
08.24.2013 — Amy Haaland ran in the Hood to Coast Relay and Kristine Svehla-Brown did the Lake Sammamish Triathalon and placed 2nd in the Athena Division. Nice work! » Lake Sammamish Triathalon |
08.17.2013 — Krzysztof Zaleski, Andy Fry, Amy Haaland, and Adam Theiss all ran in the Columbia Winery Charity Run and Walk 5k/10k . The event helps raise funds for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. » Columbia Winery Charity Run and Walk 5k/10k |
 08.16.2013 — Not only did MKA Building Information Modeler Alison Cheuk make a chocolate cake in the shape of a squirrel (amazing in and of itself)…she modeled it in Rhino, made templates for cutting/assembly guides, anchored it with chopsticks, and created it all out of 1.5" layers. Magnificent! » MKA Cake Engineering |
 08.01.2013 — And the feats of athleticism just don’t stop! During the month of July, six MKA employees participated in the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride, two were on a Ragnar relay team, one raced in the ChelanMan Olympic Triathalon, one raced in the Lake Stevens 70.3 IronMan, and one rode the RAMROD (Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day). Great job, everyone! » MKA Feats of Athleticism |
07.31.2013 — Food Lifeline’s Food Frenzy fundraiser just came to a close with MKA raising nearly $5,000 in donations as well as 90 hours of volunteer service accrued throughout the year! Nice work, everyone! » MKA Food Frenzy |
07.30.2013 — A group of about 30 MKA employees made it down to Safeco Field for the Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners game last Friday. We got a warm welcome, but the Mariners still lost! » MKA Safeco Field Mariners Game |
 07.19.2013 — » MKA Engineers Trip to Bertha |
 07.01.2013 — The MKA softball team is now six games into the season, with a record of 3-3. Not bad! » MKA Softball |
 07.01.2013 — In the “impressive but slightly crazy” category, Derek Beaman, MKA President, is about halfway into his 2013 personal goal of running one half-marathon a month! So far, he has run the Rain Run Half in Redmond (January), the West Seattle Half (February), the Mercer Island Half (March), the Magnuson Series Earth Day Half (April), the Cinco De Mayo Half in Snoqualmie (May), and now the North Olympic Discovery Half in Port Angeles (June). He’ll have quite a collection of t-shirts when the year is over! Shown above, Derek Beaman, Emily Carlip, Katelin Crook, Trace Farmer, Andy Fry, Amy Haaland, Mike Jewsbury, Mat Johnson, Erin Olson, Janet Ranf, and Kristine Svehla-Brown all ran the South Lake Union 10k on Sunday, August 18. Other non-MKA team members included Todd Olson, Danny Hartnell, and Shana Jewsbury. The MKA team won second place in the Corporate Challenge, behind Amazon. Way to go, MKA-ers! » MKA’s Runners at the South Lake Union 10K |
06.22.2013 — John Hooper, Andy Fry, Amy Haaland, Jordan Gevers, Rita Greene, and Stephen Pool, all MKA employees, run in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon/Half Marathon. » Rock ’n’ Roll Seattle Marathon and Half |
06.15.2013 — Kristine Svehla-Brown, MKA Graphic Designer, is also keeping active this year. She is part of Team LUNA Chix’s Seattle Triathlon Team, which mentors and trains women of all ages and ability levels to help them meet their triathalon goals. On June 15, she was a “Race Buddy” for a first-time participant in the Dilettante Women’s Sprint Tri (1/4-mile swim, 13.6-mile bike ride, and 5k run). Way to go! » Team LUNA Chix’s Seattle Triathlon Team |
 06.06.2013 — MKA participated in the second annual Seattle Science Festival, which ran June 6 through 16. Thanks to the many MKA employees who volunteered their time with the presentations on the structural design of the Experience Music Project as well as Expo Day, where MKA brought out its custom-made shake table. » MKA at the 2nd Annual Seattle Science Festival |
04.20.2013 — MKA’s Derek Beaman, Matthew Johnson, and Amy Haaland run the Magnuson Park Earth Day Half Marathon. » MKA Runners at the Magnuson Park Earth Day Half Marathon |
04.14.2013 — MKA’s Jordan Gevers ran the Whidbey Island Half Marathon and finished with a sub-8:30 pace. » Jordan Gevers Runs the Whidbey Island Half Marathon |
04.05.2013 — MKA’s Adam Koczarski played in two brackets of the Washington State Racquetball Singles Championship Tournament. He made it to the quarter finals of the men’s B division before losing and won the consolation championship title in the men’s aged A division (45 and older). » Adam Koczarski in the Washington State Racquetball Singles Championship Tournament |
03.24.2013 — MKA’s Kristin Booth participates in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Big Climb up Columbia Center, conquering 69 flights of stairs and over 1,300 steps! » MKA at Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Big Climb up Columbia Center |
03.24.2013 — MKA’s Derek Beaman, John Hooper, and Amy Haaland run the Mercer Island Half Marathon, all with a sub 8:30 pace! » MKA at the Mercer Island Half Marathon |
02.09.2013 — Emily Carlip, MKA engineer, gives a presentation as part of the 2013 ASCE Young Members Forum Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition, which MKA sponsored. » 2013 ASCE Young Members Forum Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition |
10.20.2012 — Many MKAers participate as part of the MKA/Sellen team in the 2012 Puget Sound Heart Walk, and MKA made a donation on the team’s behalf. » MKA at the 2012 Puget Sound Heart Walk |
10.07.2012 — Derek Beaman, MKA Principal, and Andy Fry MKA Chief Operating Officer, ran all 26.2 miles of the Portland Marathon. Derek ran it in 3:53:29, and Andy in 3:57:05. Impressive! » MKA at the Portland Marathon |
09.15.2012 — Jon Magnusson, MKA President/CEO, ran the Disney Half-Marathon through California Adventure, Disneyland, and the Angels Ballpark. » MKA at the 2013 Disney Half-Marathon |
09.01.2012 — We had a great turnout at this year’s golf tournament at Echo Falls in Snohomish on Friday, August 24, with 45 players and 12 scramble groups. The winning group included Brook Jacksha, Ben Thomas, Jeanette Lam, and Alex Dehoux—congratulations! Women’s long drive winner was Jeanette Lam, and men’s long-drive winner was Greg Briggs. Closest to the pin went to Brian Morgen, who was just 19 inches from the hole on 14 (which was 130 yards). Additional group entertainment was provided at the 18th hole, where finished players could watch those who followed put a LOT of balls into the hole’s water feature. » MKA Golf Tournament |
08.29.2012 — MKA is proud to have provided civil and structural engineering services and a day of volunteer labor for Habitat for Humanity’s newest net-zero, modular home here in Seattle. Tours of the house start this weekend. http://on.fb.me/U4Rc67 » MKA partners with Habitat for Humanity’s newest net-zero, modular home in Seattle |
08.18.2012 — MKA had a good showing at the Covey Run! MKA made a donation in support of the run, which goes towards uncompensated medical care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Runners completing the 10K included Amy Haaland, Krzystof Zaleski, Andy Fry, Janet Ranf, Adam Theiss, Elizabeth Theiss, and Tyler Ranf. Katelin Crook and Emily Carlip completed the 5K (but missed the photo op!). There were also 9 additional "MKA friends and family" participants, including the Fry and Theiss kids. » MKA at the Covey Run |
07.17.2012 — Food Frenzy continues at MKA headquarters. Yesterday, at the bake sale, there was a clear favorite: cookie-stuffed cookies. We were too busy eating to take a picture, but suffice it to say that these Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies raised some serious dough for Food Lifeline! Then, yesterday evening, MKA engineer Kevin Wang won the bowling tournament with a striking score of 196! Today’s events included the Bag Toss and the Minute to Win It airplane contest, where our structural engineers flexed their aerospace engineering muscles. Next up: Jeopardy (complete with the custom buzzer). http://on.fb.me/MMLvWs » Food Frenzy 2012 |
07.12.2012 — Every July, Food Lifeline, a local nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington, holds their annual Food Frenzy fundraiser. We’re participating this year by holding a ton of employee fundraising events, including a scavenger hunt, bowl-a-thon, and Jeopardy tournament. Lest it be forgotten that we are indeed an engineering firm, MKA Jeopardy participants will be using a buzzer system (shown here coming out of storage) designed and built by our very own engineer Robert Baxter. Learn more about Food Frenzy and Food Lifeline’s great work at http://on.fb.me/M5zgIy, and stay tuned for more pictures of MKA’s Food Frenzy events! http://on.fb.me/Pbuxmb » Food Lifeline’s Food Frenzy at MKA |
06.28.2012 — MKA’s soccer team is ready for the summer season. Here they are working towards a 5-1 victory over fellow engineering firm KPFF on June 16. Great playing, everyone! http://on.fb.me/Ma5Pq4 » MKA’s soccer team is ready for the summer season. Here they are worki |
06.23.2012 — Seattle’s Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon/Half Marathon on June 23 drew many from MKA onto the streets of Seattle. Krzysztof Zaleski, Danny Currit, Amy Haaland, Andy Fry, Janet Ranf, Kristine Svehla-Brown, and Derek Beaman all put in great performances. Particularly impressive was Danny, who placed 50th out of more than 3,000 marathon runners with a time just over 3 hours! Congratulations to all. http://on.fb.me/N4Fnst » MKA at Seattle’s Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon/Half Marathon |
06.14.2012 — We don’t always use concrete and steel when designing structures to withstand earthquakes! We also use marshmallows and skewers, albeit only in VERY controlled situations…http://on.fb.me/NL3jqg » MKA at the Seattle Science Festival |
06.01.2012 — Thanks to the seventeen MKA engineers who volunteered their time to serve as mentors for the 2011-2012 ACE year! http://on.fb.me/Lq2r9J » MKA serve as mentors for the 2011-2012 ACE year |
05.27.2012 — MKA engineers Ben Klingenstein, Ben Enfield, Drew Kirkpatrick, Ryan McKinney, and Mat Johnson competed in a seven-leg, multi-event relay known as the "Ski to Sea Race." The event starts at the top of Mount Baker and ends in Bellingham Bay, and 500 teams competed. The seven events were cross-country skiing (Ben K.), downhill skiing (Ben E.), running, road bicycling, canoeing (Drew), mountain biking (Mat), and sea kayaking (Ryan). Their team finished in just over 9 hours, at 9:08:26. Impressive! » MKA at the 2012 Ski ti Sea Race |
 05.01.2012 — MKA’s running group rushed out the door to get a glimpse of Seattle’s long-awaited spring sun...and they almost made it! » MKA’s Running Group |
11.28.2011 — The White House honors the ACE Mentor Program of America with one of eight 2010 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring; MKA started the Washington chapter of the ACE program ten years ago » The White House honors the ACE Mentor Program of America |
10.31.2011 — Waldo is found in MKA’s civil engineering department! » Where’s Waldo |
08.20.2011 — "Team MKA" (consisting of employees Andy Fry, Wyatt Henderson, Derek Beaman, Amy Haaland, Adam Theiss, Krzysztof Zaleski, Janet Ranf, and John Hooper) participates in the Covey Run for Seattle Children’s Hospital; MKA employees supported the team with contributions totaling more than $1,200 » "Team MKA" (consisting of employees Andy Fry, Wyatt Henderson |
08.14.2011 — Drew Kirkpatrick (MKA engineer) participates in the Lake Stevens Half Ironman, a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, finishing in 6:15:47 » Drew Kirkpatrick (MKA engineer) participates in the Lake Stevens Half Ironm |
07.30.2011 — Danny Currit (MKA engineer) is one of 244 participants who completed the White River 50 Mile Endurance Trail Run near Crystal Mountain Ski Resort at Mount Rainier, scaling an 8,700-foot climb in elevation over the 50 miles, and finishing in 09:54 » Danny Currit (MKA engineer) is one of 244 participants who comple |
07.25.2011 — The MKA softball team wins first place in its co-rec division, and brings home a towering trophy to show off in the office » The MKA softball team wins first place in its co-rec division, and brings h |
07.22.2011 — Food Lifeline completes another successful Food Frenzy campaign, resulting in $350,000 in revenue raised (7% increase over 2010), 2,900 volunteer hours contributed, 23,000 food items donated, and in total, 1,050,000 meals provided for hungry children; MKA participated in the fund-raising campaign with bake sales, wine raffles, trivia contests, and tournament-style games around the office during July » Food Lifeline completes another successful Food Frenzy campaign, resulting |
06.25.2011 — MKA design engineers Janet Ranf and Adam Theiss finish the Seattle Rock & Roll Half-Marathon race, Adam with a time of 1:38:02 and Janet at 1:58:47 » MKA design engineers Janet Ranf and Adam Theiss finish the Seattl |
04.18.2011 — MKA engineer Amy Haaland completes the Boston Marathon in 3:37:53, an average of 8.19 minutes per mile » MKA engineer Amy Haaland completes the Boston Marathon in 3:37:53, an avera |
