modern

March 19, 2019

Airport Pavilion Featured in The Golf Explorer Magazine!

Thanks to “The Golf Explorer” Magazine for featuring the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) and its Viewing Park, which was designed by MMA, in their 2019 edition! ## The GFIA Viewing Park, owned by the airport and located at 4820 KraftAvenue SE in Grand Rapids, has served as a popular place for local residents, families, visitors, and aviation enthusiasts alike since it first opened in 1995. Initially a park featuring a long, serpentine-shaped parking lot and cul-de-sac with picnic tables where visitors could capture the drama of flight as planes roared down the East-West runway, the site has been transformed and elevated with a simple, yet carefully detailed structure designed by Mathison | Mathison Architects, or MMA, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “This goes back to the primary kind of architecture: it is shelter. It has columns, the building is telling you what it is doing, it is directing rain, and it has this kind of purity as a structure,” said Ben Franceschi, architect at MMA. MMA, a full-service architectural firm grounded in modernism, is a practice striving to deliver projects that embrace its site, enrich its surrounding environment, and provide meaningful authentic experiences. Thomas R. Mathison, FAIA, principal and […]

January 31, 2019

Design Insights: Riverglass House

The family intelligently acquired a piece of property whose natural attributes eclipsed its suburban surroundings. The lot lines create a compressed, modest street presence and then expand in a gesture to the unique pointed setting on the Thornapple River, with a 200 degree water view. The concept of a long, welcoming landscape to a house that re-dramatizes the opening to a river view was foundational for the design process. Thinking about the house as a threshold to the river experience was an organizational tool for the project. A three story central core is a quotation of the outdoors—a large interior void around which all the individual uses of the house are organized. The core welcomes, but also negotiates egress between offset levels on either side. A large semi-public living room with high ceilings and prominent river views couple with the Master suite above to comprise the southern half of the house. Family function is supported to north: an expansive casual living, dining, and kitchen area on the main level, and children’s bedrooms and play area on the second level. At the highest point of the house, the third level provides multi-directional views and is reserved for focused work, reflection, wellness, […]

December 5, 2018

MMA Earns the Cover of Grand Rapids Magazine!

Thanks to the Grand Rapids Magazine for featuring both our Deer Haven House and our Romence house in their December 2018 issue. We were excited to see our Deer Haven House on the cover. The issue is available at newsstands around Grand Rapids now! “At first glance, passersby might not assume that two homes — one on a large, secluded plot in the woods of Cascade, the other on a small lot in residential Grand Rapids — have much in common beyond a modern façade. They would be surprised to discover, however, that the homes, while unique in their own ways, share striking similarities once you step through their thresholds.” Read more of an excerpt of the article found online HERE. Read more about Deer Haven House HERE and Romence House HERE

October 17, 2018

The Lake Residence: Design Insights

This new family home is located on a beautiful wooded lot that slopes down in two directions to wide, sunset views over the lake.

The family wanted a primary living space on the main or street level that still felt connected to the lake. While decks are a simple solution to adding main-level exterior space on lake-front homes, they often feel like an after-thought, creating a damp shadowy space below, and block daylight to the lower level. This large patio is over lower level living space, so it feels integral to the home and still allows for unhindered light and views at the lower level. The kitchen, sitting, and dining room open directly to the patio with a wide lift-slide door. A gracious stair leads straight to the lakefront below, creating an easy pathway for guests from the entry down and out to the lake.

October 17, 2018

Westshore Community College Master Planning in the News

Thanks to The Pioneer Group newspaper for including thorough coverage of the master planning meeting at Westshore Community College led by our own Tom Mathison.

"The West Shore Community College Board of Trustees and administration heard a report on Monday from Mathison Architect’s Tom Mathison, who handles the college’s Facilities Master Plan which has to be filed with the State of Michigan giving them the opportunity to secure funding for building projects.

Mathison has handled this duty for the college for the past 18 years, since 2000 when he was with the TowerPinkster Firm. He continued to provide those services when he established his own firm and annually reviews WSCC’s facilities and infrastructure for the Facilities Master Plan.

“I appreciate the opportunity to work with the college on its facilities master plan,” said Mathison. “We have seen the college grow and mature in the time we have worked with you.”

September 2, 2018

Muskegon ISD: Design Insights

MMA was thrilled to work with the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) to renovate, refresh, and add new space to the existing building.

The goals for this renovation project at MAISD included:

Better use of ineffective space.
Additional conference space and a variety of conference space sizes.
Clearer circulation paths throughout the building.
Additional storage capacity.
Centralized resources.
Provision for future growth.
Infrastructure upgrades.

View the process and results