About

Experience That Shapes Our Work

mcg architecture works closely with clients to anticipate emerging trends in each project type, capitalize on proven, successful formulas and deliver quality design and professional services.

The firm specializes in commercial work and has, over the years, expanded that specialty to a broader definition by including retail, mixed-use, storage, hotels, office and land planning.

The growth of mcg architecture is perhaps best exemplified in the number of branch offices that have opened in the past 20 years. Offices in Irvine, Denver, Orlando, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Cleveland have full-service capabilities to the requests of a growing client list.

Explore a Captivating Legacy of Over 95 Years in Architectural Design

Founded in 1927 by Robert Ainsworth, the office operated as a sole proprietorship and undertook institutional, industrial, and residential architecture. Mr. Ainsworth designed many of the finest civic buildings in Pasadena, CA, and single-family residences throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

Robert McClellan joined the company in the early 1950s and, in the ensuing years, helped to expand the realm of architectural work to commercial and mixed-use projects. The architecture firm operated as Ainsworth & McClellan.

Adolfo R. Cruz and Frederick J. Gaylord joined the office in the mid-1960s. The company continued to expand to more diverse architectural projects, and in the early 1970s, upon the retirement of Mr. Ainsworth, incorporated the office as McClellan/Cruz/Gaylord & Associates.

Throughout this period, we cultivated an impressive portfolio of retail and grocery-anchored shopping center projects, much like the one depicted to the left.

In the late 1990s, McClellan/Cruz/Gaylord & Associates was incorporated as MCG Architects.

In 2007, the company was transitioned from Frederick Gaylord to Scott Hoffland, Kevin James and Brian Tiedge. Then, in 2010, the corporate headquarters was relocated from Pasadena, California to Cleveland, Ohio and was incorporated as MCG-HJT, Inc., dba mcg architecture and mcg architects.

Originally, the work focused in Southern California. Since 1970, the work has expanded to 49 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The architectural services have commensurately expanded to address the requests for overall land planning and interior design and production.

In 2021, the company once again successfully transitioned for the fifth time, in its 95-year history, while maintaining its focus in retail architecture. The current leadership consists of Chief Executive Officer, Matt Majeed, President, Page Winkler and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Mousty. In 2022 mcg opened new offices in Phoenix and Orlando and continues to grow with numerous national retail tenants and developers.

In summary, the office, as McClellan/Cruz/Gaylord – MCG Architects – mcg architecture has been providing quality architectural services for nearly six decades. Considering the original beginning in 1927, the office can proudly cite stable and uninterrupted professional service for over 95 years.

What Makes Us Different? 
We Understand the Common Goals of Our Clients

Schedule

Our client’s number one priority is the project schedule. Delays are the costliest expense in the design and construction phase for our clients. Grand opening dates are tied to advertising, forecasting and sales expectations and depend on the opening date. Every decision we make is to ensure that this date is met.

Relationships

At mcg architecture, we pride ourselves on strong relationships with both contractors and developers, working collaboratively toward the end goal that prioritizes success and long-term satisfaction.

Budget

Project construction budgets are paramount to the success of each project. Evaluating the program requirements and advising our clients on the most economical solutions based on each unique situation is an invaluable asset to each of our clients.

Response

Whether responding to a client, public agency or contractor, mcg responds to every issue with practical solutions in a timely manner to ensure that the project is constantly moving toward meeting the anticipated goal of completion.

Code Expertise

Creating value through our experience in code interpretation may be the greatest asset to our clientele. While many of our clients look to expand into existing structures, mcg’s code resource team consistently looks to propose alternate solutions to building officials to gain maximum cost savings in the construction phase.

City Jurisdictional Expertise

mcg has Licenses in 49 states and having worked with hundreds of jurisdictions throughout the Country, we have developed a unique understanding of their processes and functions. Maneuvering through the complexities of the plan check process adds great benefit to our clients in maintaining critical schedules. Our qualified team of architects and consultants work directly with building, planning officials and clients to create workable solutions to keep the process moving toward the goal of receiving a building permit.

Our Licenses

mcg architecture has a nationwide team of professional architects, designers, and planners. Our diverse office locations, combined with licensing in 49 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces, give us proximity to projects and clients throughout the United States and Canada.

Our Philosophy

The objective of mcg architecture is to provide competent professional services to our clients, the public, and other design professionals. The firm strives to achieve design excellence, to design high-quality projects within budgetary limitations, and to conduct itself in an efficient, businesslike manner.