While our historic buildings carry value beyond just dollars per square foot, funding always plays a key important role. Many historic buildings qualify for special grants and programs. We have experience in dealing with these programs to help you take advantage of all available funding opportunities.
Each historic building is unique, and we love discovering a building’s history and uncovering its inherent beauty. We are excited to craft a solution that will accomplish your goals and serve your needs while enhancing the buildings’ existing features. We sincerely hope that by helping you preserve your historic building it will continue to serve as an asset to your community.
Historic buildings are an important part of our ever-changing collective of memories; they help us remember who we are and where we come from. Giving a historic site a new purpose can bring life back into your community. Your community’s past has great potential to become an integral part of your future.
We strive to raise awareness of the valuable role historic buildings play in supporting our communities, promoting economic redevelopment and enriching our lives.
Carl Efante writes “The greenest building is the one already built.” Preservation and reuse of historic buildings reduces consumption of materials, puts less waste in landfills, and consumes less energy than demolishing buildings and constructing new ones. We aim to design your project following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment for Historic Properties to ensure that your building is kept safe for generations.
Compliance with current life safety codes can be tricky for historic buildings. We have expertise in using a variety of code compliance methods to improve occupant safety and meet building code while preserving character defining features and finishes. Ensuring that proper code compliance is met will help ensure that your historic space lasts for generations.
Historic preservation is not about freezing time; it is about sustainable evolution. We design adaptive spaces that respect a site’s historical narrative while seamlessly integrating modern functionality to serve our community’s changing needs.
Cultural preservation of our unique communities is vital to prevent gentrification during revitalization projects. It is important that all voices are heard and considered. Historic places are also a tangible connection to our communities’ past; they are living history books that you can touch and feel. Historic buildings are the most vivid places to learn about history and ourselves.
Kyle is President of our firm. Kyle has been the lead designer on many of our more involved building design projects. He specializes in three-dimensional modeling and uses these models to develop the exterior design. This system makes your understanding of the project easier from the first ideas through the last interior details of a project. He worked summers in construction during college and learned a lot about working in the field. He enjoys public speaking and is also a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) for accreditation in sustainable design and construction practices.
Direct Line: (319) 200-8493
Zach leads business development at MGA with a people-first mindset and a strong focus on building lasting relationships. A graduate of Mount Mercy University with a degree in Marketing and Finance, he’s spent years working across a wide variety of project types, bringing energy and insight to every phase—from first introductions to final walkthroughs. Zach has a natural talent for connecting people and ideas, and he’s passionate about helping clients find the right fit through collaboration and trust. He’s also deeply involved in the community and values the role architecture plays in shaping spaces that bring people together. Whether he’s networking at local events or helping spark new partnerships, Zach is always looking for ways to support meaningful, community-driven work. Outside of the office, you’ll find him with his family, on the golf course, or making the most of his time outdoors—especially if there’s a lake or a quiet trail involved.
Direct #: 319-200-8497
Bethany is certified in historic preservation and has built her career with historic preservation as a cornerstone of her portfolio. As Past President of Save Cedar Rapids Heritage, a local non-profit focused on raising awareness of the value of historic buildings in our communities, she has an empathy and understanding of the issues of historic preservation. Bethany is originally from Marquette, Iowa, a small town in the northeast, so she can relate to the issues of life in our smaller communities. She has extensive project management experience, having led complicated and difficult projects. Bethany places a high value on craftsmanship and quality design and construction.
Email Bethany
DIRECT #: 319-200-8499
Ingrid is originally from Lima, Peru and studied Architecture & Urbanism at PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru). She moved to Iowa in 2019 and started working at MGA in 2022. She works on different types of projects and assists in all phases of design. She is currently an associate member of the Marion Arts Council and also volunteers at the Linn Mar Community School District. In her free time, she loves watching movies and enjoys spending time with her family, friends and dogs.
Email Ingrid
DIRECT #: 319-200-8471