who we are

You know our projects, but you might not know us

MacDonald & Mack has been a leader and innovator in the historic preservation movement since our founding in 1976. In our forty-plus years of practice, we've worked on iconic structures across the USA, including more than a dozen National Historic Landmarks and over 500 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Our best-known projects include the Estate of President James A. Garfield (Mentor, Ohio), the Minneapolis Municipal Building, Christ Church Lutheran (Minneapolis), the Washburn-Crosby A Mill (Minneapolis), and Old Fort Jackson (Savannah, Georgia). In 2011, we were honored with the AIA Minnesota Firm Award, with the jury praising us as “the gold standard in historic preservation.” Our firm now is now guided by the second generation of leaders, Todd Grover and Angela Wolf Scott, while founding principals Stuart MacDonald and Robert Mack remain active on projects.

Small firm, big results

MacDonald & Mack is large enough to take on substantial projects but sufficiently small to retain a nimble, highly personalized approach. All work is performed by or under the direct supervision of one of the four principals, ensuring each project meets the highest quality standards. Our entire architectural team fulfills the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Architecture and Historic Architecture.

 

Design for a building's next era

Our specialty is working on existing structures, but our projects aren't exclusively "historic" in the traditional sense. We also work with mid-century Modernism and buildings constructed in the last decade or two. There are key differences between designing new and working with what's already there.

 

Nationally recognized expertise

Our experience and rigor mean that we're both meticulous and efficient, ready to start your project now, with no learning curve. We're often called upon to assist other firms—one of nation's largest firms recently hired us to help with a project at Glacier National Park because we offered expertise they simply didn't have.

 

We've worked with local, state, and federal oversight bodies for decades. We know the  system and the questions to ask. Because of our proven abilities, our projects regularly receive approval without question from State Historic Preservation Offices and local Heritage Preservation Commissions.

 

> For more about us, please see "Inside MMA"

 

  • Stuart MacDonald <small><small>AIA </small></small>
    Stuart MacDonald AIA
    • Stuart MacDonald <small><small>AIA </small></small>
    Stuart MacDonald AIA
    Email Stuart

    Stuart co-founded MacDonald & Mack in 1976 and has served as principal-in-charge for preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, residential design, and HABS/HAER survey projects of all sizes. He is particularly knowledgeable in the area of American building technology.

    Stuart previously served as the director of a Pennsylvania-based architectural preservation firm, and from 1971 to 1973, as historical architect with the National Park Service at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he participated in the restoration of the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania (Independence Hall), the Second Bank of the United States, and Benjamin Franklin Court.

    EDUCATION
    Traveling Summer School for Restorationists Rome Center, Italy

    Conservation and the Urban Environment Program: Institute for Advanced Architectural Studies University of York, England

    Restoration and Preservation Program, Columbia University

    Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Minnesota

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Purcell-Cutts House, Providence Academy, Pierre Bottineau House, Riley Bartholomew House

    FUN FACT
    Stu is skilled at the quickly-vanishing craft of hand-drafting. Like this:
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  • Robert C. Mack <small><small>FAIA, FAPT </small> </small>
    Robert C. Mack FAIA, FAPT
    • Robert C. Mack <small><small>FAIA, FAPT </small> </small>
    Robert C. Mack FAIA, FAPT
    Email Bob

    Bob began his career at the National Park Service in Washington, DC, where he was the author of Preservation Briefs #1 and #2, and was also influential in writing the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. In 1976, he moved back to Minnesota and co-founded MacDonald & Mack Architects.

    Bob is also an Adjunct Professor Emeritus in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, where for over twenty years, he taught the year-long graduate-level series of classes in historic preservation, along with other courses. Bob's teaching has taken him overseas, leading student groups to study preservation in Scotland’s Orkney Islands and Baku, Azerbaijan. He has also served on the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and as board member of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, AIA Minnesota, and AIA Minneapolis.

    For his achievements in design, education, and community advocacy, Bob was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects and to the College of Fellows of the Association for Preservation Technology. His projects have received Honor Awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and AIA Minnesota. In 2016, Bob received the AIA Minnesota Gold Medal, the state’s highest honor for an individual architect.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Science in Building Conservation, with Distinction, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland

    Bachelor of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Minnesota

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Minneapolis Municipal Building, Redeemer Missionary Baptist Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, Estate of President James A. Garfield, Highland Park Water Tower

    FUN FACT
    Bob is an avid traveler and spent more than a year living in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
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  • Todd Grover <small><small>AIA</small></small>
    Todd Grover AIA
    • Todd Grover <small><small>AIA</small></small>
    Todd Grover AIA
    Email Todd

    Todd has worked with MacDonald & Mack since 1999 and became a principal in 2004. Prior to joining our firm, he worked for the International Council of Monuments and Sites in collaboration with the Transylvania Trust Foundation in Cluj-Napoca, Romania documenting 18th and 19th century vernacular churches and farmhouses. In 2012, he was honored with a Young Architect Award from AIA Minnesota.

    In addition to his work at MacDonald & Mack Todd is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota and serves on the national board of Docomomo, an international organization devoted to the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement.Todd is especially interested in and knowledgeable about buildings of this era.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Science in Historic Preservation, University of Oregon, Eugene

    Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Minnesota

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Washburn A Mill, MnDOT Roadside Properties, The Soap Factory, Minneapolis Grain Exchange

    FUN FACT
    As you might guess, given his interests, Todd and his family live in a mid-century house.
    Read More
  • Angela Wolf Scott <small><small>AIA, LEED AP</small></small>
    Angela Wolf Scott AIA, LEED AP
    • Angela Wolf Scott <small><small>AIA, LEED AP</small></small>
    Angela Wolf Scott AIA, LEED AP
    Email Angela

    Angela has worked with MacDonald & Mack since 2006 and became a principal in 2015. She has a dedication to our architectural heritage and an interest in the intersection between historic preservation, sustainability, and the urban environment. The combination of these interests is the core of her approach to architecture and the foundation of her career. Before joining MacDonald & Mack, Angela worked on an adaptive reuse project sponsored by Americorps and the University of Colorado for the historic Hayden Ranch in Leadville, Colorado.

    In 2016, Angela was honored with the AIA Minnesota Young Architect Award.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Architecture & Certificate in Historic Preservation, University of Colorado, Denver

    Bachelor of Arts in Art History, University of Minnesota

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Christ Church Lutheran, the Gale Mansion, Carlson Lime Kiln, Minnesota State Monuments

    FUN FACT
    When Angela worked at the Weisman Art Museum, she was the namesake and first recipient of the Angie Goes The Extra Mile Award for customer service above and beyond the call of duty. The award has since been given to several others, and has taken on the more generic name of the Wammy.
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  • Amy Meller <small><small>AIA, LEED AP </small></small>
    Amy Meller AIA, LEED AP
    • Amy Meller <small><small>AIA, LEED AP </small></small>
    Amy Meller AIA, LEED AP
    Email Amy

    Amy has worked with MacDonald & Mack since 2000. Her project experience includes historical research, physical and materials evaluations, design services, construction documents and construction administration for a variety of historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and residential design projects throughout the upper Midwest. Amy was also an instructor in the Interior Design Department at the Art Institutes International Minnesota for several years.

    Amy is particularly interested in the preservation of mid-century Modernism and serves as the president of the Minnesota chapter of Docomomo.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Minnesota

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Pierre Bottineau House, James J. Hill House, Uptown Theater, Fuji-Ya

    FUN FACT
    Amy is an avid baker and enjoys tackling new recipes from babkas to meringues.
    Read More
  • Rita Goodrich <small><small>ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Rita Goodrich ASSOC. AIA
    • Rita Goodrich <small><small>ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Rita Goodrich ASSOC. AIA
    Email Rita

    Rita started at MacDonald & Mack as a student intern in 1990 and has worked in our office full-time since 1994. Her project experience includes historical research, physical and materials evaluations, construction documents and construction administration for numerous historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and residential design projects.Prior to joining MacDonald & Mack, Ms. Goodrich served as a HABS documentation project supervisor for the National Park Service in Washington State.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    Bachelor of Fine Arts, Saint Cloud State University

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Pillsbury A Mill, Jackson Street Roundhouse, Pioneer-Endicott Buildings, Valley Grove

    FUN FACT
    God is in the details: Rita arranges by color the items in her closet; having two children has challenged this preoccupation.
    Read More
  • Madelyn Sundberg <small><small>ASSOC. AIA</small></small>
    Madelyn Sundberg ASSOC. AIA
    • Madelyn Sundberg <small><small>ASSOC. AIA</small></small>
    Madelyn Sundberg ASSOC. AIA
    Email Madelyn

    Madelyn joined MacDonald & Mack 2014. She completed her M.S. in Architecture: Heritage Conservation & Preservation, with a thesis about the role of community involvement in the designation of neighborhood heritage, and her Master of Architecture, exploring the possibilities of sustainable adaptive reuse of historic industrial structures for her final project. Prior to joining our firm, Madelyn worked on the restoration of the Colonel Barrett House for Minute Man National Park and at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. Madelyn fulfills the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Historic Architecture. Project experience includes historical research, physical and materials evaluations, design services, construction documents and construction administration for a variety of historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and institutional design projects throughout the state of Minnesota. In addition to her work at MacDonald & Mack, Madelyn holds a seat on the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and is the 2018 Secretary of the Commission. She is particularly interested in community development, specifically the role of architecture and history in supporting communities, and serves on the board of directors of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association in South Minneapolis.

    EDUCATION
    Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    Master of Science in Architecture—Heritage Conservation and Preservation, University of Minnesota

    Bachelor of Arts degree Architecture (minor in Geosciences), Smith College

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Providence Academy Theater, Riley Bartholomew House, Minneapolis Municipal

    FUN FACT
    Originally from Boston, Madelyn had never lived more than 100 miles from the ocean before moving to Minneapolis. This includes her two study abroad trips: San Salvador for four weeks and Venice for eight weeks.
    Read More
  • Douglas Mack
    Douglas Mack
    • Douglas Mack
    Douglas Mack
    Email Doug

    Doug is the firm's Marketing Manager and also works on the research and writing components of many projects. He previously worked for Historic Saint Paul and at another architecture firm before joining MacDonald & Mack in 2009.

    EDUCATION
    Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, Carleton College

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    Christ Church Lutheran, Riley Bartholomew House, Valley Grove, The Soap Factory

    FUN FACT
    Doug is also a freelance writer with articles in The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere. He has also written two travelogues: Europe on Five Wrong Turns a Day (Perigee Books/Penguin, 2012) and The Not-Quite States of America (W.W. Norton, 2017).
    Read More
  • Karen Cooke
    Karen Cooke
    • Karen Cooke
    Karen Cooke
    Email Karen

    Karen has worked with MacDonald & Mack Architects since 2003. As Office Manager, she is responsible for the administrative duties of the office. Prior to joining MacDonald & Mack Architects, Karen worked for a variety of service-oriented businesses in disciplines ranging from retail to health care to financial planning. She has over 30 years of experience in management and administration of small- to medium-size firms.

    Karen is a member of the Society for Design Administration, and has been active on the local Chapter Board for the last five years; serving as President in 2012 and 2013.

    EDUCATION
    Degree in Business Administration, with a focus in Finance.

    FUN FACT
    An outdoor enthusiast (in the summer!), Karen enjoys riding her bicycle in to work. She has participated in a number of sprint triathlons, and her claim-to-fame is once earning a bronze medal for her age group.
    Read More
  • Amy Van Gessel<small><small> ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Amy Van Gessel ASSOC. AIA
    • Amy Van Gessel<small><small> ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Amy Van Gessel ASSOC. AIA
    Email Amy

    Amy has worked with MacDonald & Mack since 2016. She recently completed her M.S. in Architecture - Heritage Conservation & Preservation at the University of Minnesota, with her final project focusing on the preservation of post-WWII modern recladding of buildings in downtown St. Louis, MO. Amy is particularly interested in the preservation of Modernism and is on board of Docomomo_MN. Amy is also an architectural drawing instructor at the University of Minnesota. Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota

    EDUCATION MS Architecture – Heritage Conservation & Preservation, University of Minnesota Bachelor of Science – Interior Design, Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan

    SELECTED PROJECTS

    Southeast Library

    FUN FACT

    Originally from Indiana, Amy played basketball in college and loves any sport she is good at. Amy now lives in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis; she likes to explore the Twin Cities, but also enjoys any trips home to see family.
    Read More
  • Sarah Lembke<small><small> ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Sarah Lembke ASSOC. AIA
    • Sarah Lembke<small><small> ASSOC. AIA </small></small>
    Sarah Lembke ASSOC. AIA
    Email Sarah

    Sarah has worked with MacDonald & Mack since 2016. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, she was exposed to history and architecture at an early age through buildings such as Abraham Lincoln’s Home and the Frank Lloyd Wright- designed Dana-Thomas house. Before joining MMA, she worked as an Architectural Historian in Madison, Indiana, and an Architectural Intern at RDG Planning and Design in Des Moines, Iowa. Her favorite project prior to joining MMA was a Historic Structure Report for a stone arch culvert along the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad.

    SELECTED PROJECTS
    All God’s Children MCC, Albert Pike Masonic Lodge HSR – Hopkins Historical Society Museum, Christ Church Lutheran
    Read More

 

Awards & Press Highlights

> Go to the extended list

 

  • AIA Minnesota Firm Award (the state's highest award for an architecture firm) (2011)
  • AIA Minnesota Gold Award (the state's highest honor for an individual architect)—Bob Mack (2016)
  • AIA (National) Young Architect Award—Angela Wolf Scott (2018)
  • AIA Minnesota Young Architect Award—Todd Grover (2012), Angela Wolf Scott (2016)
  • AIA Minnesota Honor Awards for Purcell-Cutts House (1990) and Pierre Bottineau House (2012)
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award for Redeemer Missionary Baptist Church (2001). First Minnesota project to receive this award.
  • Career Achievement Award from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota—Robert Mack (2012)
  • Steve Murray Award (Career Achievement) from the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission—Robert Mack (1999)
  • Cover story of Architectural Record (March 1991, for the Purcell-Cutts House)
  • Dozens of awards from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commissions
  • Dozens of awards from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota
  • Many stories in the Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Pioneer Press (Saint Paul), Architecture Minnesota, and other local and national press.

 

who we are

You know our projects, but you might not know us

MacDonald & Mack has been at the forefront of the preservation movement since our founding in 1976, recognized as a leader and innovator in giving new life to existing buildings. We're old-building nerds and proud of it. In our forty years of practice, we've worked on iconic structures across the USA, including more than a dozen National Historic Landmarks and over 500 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011, we were honored with the AIA Minnesota Firm Award, with the jury praising us as “the gold standard in historic preservation.”

 

Small firm, big results

MacDonald & Mack is large enough to take on substantial projects but sufficiently small to retain a nimble, adaptable, and highly personalized approach. All work is performed by or under the direct supervision of one of the four principals, ensuring each project meets the highest quality standards. Our entire architectural team fulfills the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Architecture and Historic Architecture.

 

Design for a building's next era

Our specialty is working on existing structures. But our projects aren't exclusively "historic" in the traditional sense. We also work with mid-century Modernism and structures built in the last decade or two. There are key differences between designing new and working with what's already there and improving its function.

 

Nationally recognized expertise

Our experience and rigor mean that we're both meticulous and efficient, ready to start your project now. We're often called upon to assist other firms—one of nation's largest firms recently hired us to help with a project at Glacier National Park because we offered expertise they simply didn't have.

 

We've worked with local, state, and federal oversight bodies for decades. We know the  system and the questions to ask. Because of our proven abilities, our projects regularly receive approval without question from State Historic Preservation Offices and local Heritage Preservation Commissions.

 

> For more about us, please see "Inside MMA"