Based in Philadelphia, MGA Partners is a nationally recognized firm distinguished for architecture that is considered, crafted, and resonant with its place. We are a design-oriented firm with experienced and mature leadership. Over the past thirty years, the focus of our practice has been for respected public and private institutions. Our work is collaborative, seeking fresh ideas drawn from the people and circumstances of each project—establishing our long tradition of making lasting contributions to urban and campus spaces, improving the quality of community through our planning and architecture.

Dan leads the approach to architectural design and craft for significant federal and academic institutions– sustaining for over twenty-five years the direction of the firm’s commissions as well as the continuity of the firm’s portfolio of design. His focus is on making thoughtful and artistically considered buildings. In parallel, his teaching affiliation has been with Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as presenting subjects of design and the built environment nationally and internationally. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and is a member of the Carpenter’s Company of Philadelphia. Dan is a native of Ohio.

Amy directs the firm’s work for significant institutional, academic, and federal projects, and those involving masterplans, building renewal and adaptive reuse. Her ability to establish a project vision and advance strategic goals among broad stakeholder groups has led to transformative projects that shape new gateway buildings for expanding programs and new prominence. Amy is active in Philadelphia’s preservation community through her decades-long involvement as a committee member of the Historical Commission, where she has helped guide development and uphold the design integrity of the city’s urban fabric. She has served on national design juries and has lectured at the AIA, the Society for Architectural Historians, and the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance. She is a graduate of Kent State and a native of Cleveland.

Katie directs the firm’s work for academic, cultural, and arts organizations. Her expertise in advancing modern pedagogy for learning, performance, and maker spaces has led to innovative designs that imprint a collaborative and experiential spirit on campuses. Katie has long maintained an immersive leadership role in Philadelphia’s cultural scene through her involvement with two non-profits dedicated to arts education for school children in the city—Musicopia and Dancing Classrooms Philly. She teaches design studios at Drexel University’s Westphal College, presents regularly at SCUP, AIA and NAIS conferences, is a board member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia chapters of the AIA, and serves on the Facilities Committee for Germantown Friends School. Katie is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. She is a native of Michigan.

Sara focuses on the planning, design, and management of significant university projects, which have included several R1 research institutions and one of the most advanced collaborative libraries in the US. Her sensitive leadership and advocacy, along with a deep knowledge of building design and construction, has guided several large-scale building conversions for academic clients to successful completion. Additionally, Sara has led large-scale planning studies for federal campuses. She is a founding director of the University of Pittsburgh summer design program for high school students, teaches a Design Studio in the university’s architecture program, and served for 10 years as a team leader for the ACE Mentor Program. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and is a native of Pittsburgh.

Chris directs the design of experiential components for our academic, cultural, and federal projects, and guides the creative approach to our studies and masterplans. As the firm’s Director of Graphics, he leads the studio’s representation of its designs, resulting in well-illustrated publications that gain project advocacy and support outreach campaigns. With a background in industrial design, he contributes to the craft of details and assemblies in our architectural spaces. Before joining the studio, Chris worked as a creative director in Boston, and taught design studios at Wentworth Institute of Technology and the University of Delaware for fourteen years. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a native of Delaware, where he serves as Chair of the Public Works Department and sits on the Transportation Masterplan Committee for his township.

Aisha focuses on the design, craft and management of complex projects primarily in the institutional and federal sectors. She brings a discerning attention to design through a passion for detail and materials, and through her client-focused practice to achieve strategic goals. Aisha has led Design Excellence projects for multiple federal agencies and is an expert on advanced workplace environments. Aisha is a Buchholz Fellow and a NeoCon Conference lecturer. She has taught architectural studios at Temple University, served as a teaching assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, and juries for the architecture department at Drexel University. Aisha is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects, and she is a native of Pennsylvania.

Margo’s decade with MGA Partners has been marked by a breadth of project complexity from specialized Federal workplace studies to multi-phased construction for significant university assets or the preservation of historic landmark buildings. Her expertise managing ambitious scope and programming requirements has been honed through projects in academia, cultural venues, Federal courthouses, and agency campuses. Within the studio, Margo oversees internal upgrades for project documentation while advancing the staff’s digital acumen and implementation of new technology. A national proponent for the sport of rowing, Margo has led planning for the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. Margo received her undergraduate degree in Architecture from Yale University, and her Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a native of New Haven, Connecticut.