Behind the design

We draw our inspiration from the people we work with, the communities our projects reside in, and the engagement we have with our peers. Often times, the story behind the design is what makes our projects truly special to us and to the community they serve. Often, this inspiration is nurtured through an open dialogue between designers and the individuals who breathe life into our buildings.

McGranahan Architects Welcomes New Owners

We're excited to announce the newest members of our ownership group, Benjamin Fields, AIA and Dion Serra, AIA.

September 6, 2022 | News

Timberline Middle School Receives AIA SWW Merit Award

Timberline Middle School has been recognized with a Merit Award by the... 2021 AIA Southwest Washington Chapter Honor Awards Program.

February 9, 2022 | News, Craft

Hope Grows Here

The new mural installed at McGranahan Architects is the latest in Tacoma’s grassroots Hope Grows Here campaign which seeks to add... beauty to our community, thank those battling this pandemic, and encourage building connections with one another.

July 14, 2020 | Ideas, Culture, Craft, Passion

Partner Michael McGavock wins 2018’s Al Beck A4LE Award!

June 15, 2018 | News, Passion

Celebrating Marc’s Retirement

January 19, 2023 | News

40 Under 40 Feature: Shona Bose

Early on in her career, Project Designer Shona Bose challenged herself to build up her skills, get involved and make... an impact in her community. This month, she made South Sound Business Magazine's 40 Under 40 List.

June 11, 2020 | Ideas, Craft, Passion

Whole Child Learning Series

In this series, we take a dive into the holistic approach for student success in the exploration of... key components such as nutrition, fitness, connection with nature, and much more.

April 28, 2020 | Ideas, Craft, Passion

A4LE LearningSCAPES 2019

This year’s international A4LE conference, LearningSCAPES 2019, has a theme of ‘Co-Creation,’ which focused on how our... combined knowledge, accumulated wisdom and collaborative experiences work together to create unique learning spaces.

December 19, 2019 | News, Ideas, Craft

AIA 2019 National Conference

Recently, our two architectural associates Shona Bose and Dion Serra flew to Las Vegas for the much-anticipated AIA 2019... National Conference to participate in this year’s theme of “Blueprint for A Better Future.”

August 2, 2019 | News, Ideas, Craft

Say Hello to Our New Project Coordinators

Who are the operators behind our project teams’ successes? That would be... Latoya Berry and Alexandra Arnold, our two new Project Coordinators.

June 18, 2019 | News, Passion

AIA Film Challenge 2018: ‘Connecting Community with Nature: The Environmental

September 12, 2018 | News, Ideas, Craft, Passion

Peek Inside SAMi (Video!)

January 17, 2018 | News, Craft

Does Designing For a Better World Begin at School?

For Learning Environments: Session 5, we watched architect Rosan Bosch's... Ted Talk on "Designing for A Better World Starts At School"

October 13, 2017 | Ideas, Craft

AIA CAE Award of Merit Goes to Advanced Technology Center

The Bates Advanced Technology Center earned the Award of Merit from the AIA's Committee on Architecture for Education

September 14, 2017 | News

Seong’s Story of WILLO

Each woman and girl has a unique story to share that has the capacity to shatter cultural... stereotypes and create opportunities for deeper understanding and respect.

July 27, 2017 | Passion

Designed to Inspire

Cebula Hall is living proof that sustainable, high performing buildings can be achieved with cost-effective measures. The facility... provides a healthy, high performing and attractive environment while supporting a growing engineering program.

July 24, 2017 | Craft

“Hub on the Hilltop” AIA I Look Up Film Challenge

Our submission to the AIA's 2017 I Look Up Film Challenge: Blueprint for Better

August 28, 2017 | News, Passion

Schools Designed Around Community Partnerships

What would happen if the rich cultural, natural and recreational assets of... our communities were leveraged in creating learning environments?

June 6, 2017 | Ideas

Learning Environments: Thriving Spaces

What makes a thriving learning environment?

June 13, 2017 | Ideas

Michael’s Journey to Uganda

I was invited to travel to Uganda to explore the idea of building a library.... In the course of the visit, plans went in a different direction...

June 21, 2017 | Passion

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