The firm’s current leaders Traci Engel Lesneski, Dagmara Cygler, Matthew Kruntorad, and Paul C.N. Mellblom are committed to carrying forward MSR Design’s values and to bringing new energy, ideas, and skills to meet challenges related to the built and natural environments.
Thomas Meyer, Jeffrey Scherer, and Garth Rockcastle established MSR Design in 1981 during a fishing trip to create innovative, responsible, and enduring work. The firm’s pursuit of self-renewal continues today.
We create tailored, human-centric, and inspiring spaces that arise from individual clients’ aspirations and goals and their communities at large. Our inclusive process results in a diverse mix of sustainable, equitable, healthy, beautiful projects.
MSR Design is a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) certified by the Women's Business Development Center-Midwest (WBDC-Midwest), a regional certifying partner of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
As part of our focus on sustainability and equity, we participate in ILFI’s Just 2.0 label disclosure tool program, which provides a transparency platform for disclosing our operations in terms of social justice and equity.
Generating ideas collaboratively in a healthy, stimulating environment, we challenge, support, and inspire each other to bring true innovation to our work for our clients and engage each other in lifelong learning.
MSR Design 510 Marquette studio, the first project in Minnesota to achieve LBC Petal certification
Sustainability affects human issues such as racial justice, gender equality, distribution of wealth, food security, and well-being. Therefore, in 2016, we committed to a goal that every MSR Design project strive for the highest level of sustainability possible and achieve generative impacts for its community and the environment. In 2023, we furthered our commitment by establishing a goal for credible achievements on all projects in at least 5 of the 10 measures from the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. Our 2027 goal is to commit to credible achievements on all projects in all 10 measures.
“I love everything about this firm . . . their process of deep research and attentive listening; their well-planned, expertly facilitated, interactive, fun, and productive meetings; their collaborative ethos; and their beautiful, sustainable designs.”
—Suzanne Churchill | Faculty Representative | Davidson College Library Advisory Committee | from The Davidsonian
