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Culture

Our collective team—nearly 200 people over 23 years—has built and cultivated a culture where diversity is encouraged, people feel supported, and our community is driven by shared goals and values.

We are deeply committed to fostering a diverse and equitable workplace. Learning, collaboration, and respect are our foundation. Together, our team shapes and cultivates an environment of inclusiveness and creativity with systems and practices that steer the way we work. Our leadership prioritizes flexibility and work-life balance, maintaining a healthy community for all our team.

MBB invests in team members by providing time, resources, and opportunities for research, knowledge sharing, study groups, and an annual travel grant for research. We have a robust mentorship program to advance our individual career goals and increase engagement in the wider architectural community. MBB provides the full range of experiences needed to practice at the highest level, including full support for licensure and sustainability accreditation.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We believe it is our responsibility as architects and planners to change architectural practice so that it is more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and just. Design is successful only when it engages and empowers communities, respects differences, introduces opportunity, and protects the future of our planet. We pledge to listen, learn, and be effective allies. For too long, the lack of equity in architectural practice and allied professions has meant that women, people of color, and people who are LGBTQ+ have been underrepresented, undervalued, and harmed by bias. At MBB we commit to advancing change through recruitment, mentorship, and promotion to increase numbers of underrepresented architects at all levels of the profession.

Careers

Please see below for open positions. In addition to full- and part-time opportunities, we also offer summer and year-long internships. For any employment inquires, please contact Associate Partner, Maricela Salas at careers@mbbarch.com.

Community

As a women-owned firm, MBB works to advance equity and provide leadership to other firms. Racial and gender diversity drive our recruitment efforts. We train young women, people of color, and LGBT+ designers for successful and meaningful careers by creating opportunities for networking, mentorship, and community recognition. Over 100 women architects have worked in our office, representing over half of our total staff.

We have a robust mentorship program to advance our individual career goals and increase engagement in the wider architectural community. Many members of our team participate in professional and academic mentoring programs—including AIA Torch program, Architectural League/City Tech, and GSAPP—outside our office to support young architects and students from underrepresented communities to secure their future in the industry.

 

Classroom furniture prototypes for deployment in Sub-Saharan schools in Africa through a partnership with UNICEF

MBB team members at the 2018 AIA New York’s annual Day of Service for Edible Schoolyard New York City in Harlem

Civic Engagement

We are committed to supporting communities where design can have an enormous impact. In addition to our civic work, including projects with the School Construction Authority (NYSCA) in Queens, the Billie Holiday Theater in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and numerous parks projects for the NY State Parks Department, we have worked with numerous not-for-profits on projects like Women In Need, Habitat for Humanity, and UNICEF. Additionally, we continue to provide pro bono work to local organizations in need, such as the Edible School Yard at PS 7, Concrete Safaris, and Medgar Evers College.

 

The Medgar Evers College Collaborative Research Project explores how design can support student-faculty relationships and student retention, including activating the margins of circulation spaces for gathering and collaboration.

Harold Buttrick Travel Grant

The Harold Buttrick Travel Grant was established in 2016 in the memory of MBB founding partner Harry Buttrick, FAIA. The travel grant is awarded annually to an MBB employee, and is designed to broaden the recipient’s experience and understanding of architecture. Previous recipients have traveled to Norway, Japan, South Korea, and Poland to study regional architecture. Every recipient presents research, insights, and photography with our team.

Former designer and grant recipient Nyssa Sherazee inside the Museum of Water, Wind, and Stone, on Jeju Island, by Japanese-Korean architect Itami Jun.

Current associate and former grant recipient Sanou Cisse at the Stegastein Viewpoint overlooking Aurlandsvangen and the Aurlandsfjord in Norway.

Belonging

MBB fosters belonging within our studio by making time for enjoyment, relaxation, and fun. Offsite team outings, networking events, office happy hours, architectural site visits, NYC Bike to Work Challenge participation, and a softball team are just a few of the ways we engage our team outside of our work. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has hindered our efforts to gather socially—keeping our staff safe is our first priority—we eagerly look forward to the time when we can start to celebrate together again and engage with the larger community.